Memories In Motion
Nothing can transport you back to your special day like a good quality video. By beautifully capturing the moving sights and sounds, you can revisit your wedding again and again, and relive all of the special details: the rustle of your wedding gown, the nervous cough of the groom before his vows, the emotion in your father’s voice during his toast. But plan to spend the time and money necessary to do this
right. A low-end, poor quality video is a waste of money, while a professional, high quality video is absolutely priceless. A great deal has changed in the last ten years about wedding videography, and some misconceptions still linger. Let’s dispel four common myths:

“MYTH #1: Anyone can do it.” Yes, Uncle Bob could pull out his video camera and tape your wedding. It is not likely, however, that you’ll ever want to watch it, because the picture will be shaky and blurry, and the sound will be muffled, or non-existent. The wedding videography field has changed so dramatically over the years, and professional videographers have the technology, talent and time necessary to produce an excellent quality video, with clear audio; crisp, in-focus visuals; and snappy, efficient editing. (Besides, you want Uncle Bob to relax and enjoy your wedding – not work at it!)

“MYTH #2: Video is so intrusive.” Again, technology comes to the rescue. New technology in video cameras has eliminated the need for floodlights, and the cameras are also much smaller than the giant cameras of the past. If you hire a good videographer, you’ll never even know when he or she is around. Watch a videographer’s sample videos closely: do the guests look uncomfortable? Are they in a bright spotlight? Do they seem awkward and self-conscious, like they know they’re being taped? If so, look for a different videographer.

“MYTH #3: You can get a professional wedding video for a few hundred bucks.” No, no, no. One professional videographer has over $60,000 of high-end equipment in his studio: cameras, microphones, sound systems, hardware and software, editing equipment and software, videotape and DVD duplicating equipment, and so on. And it’s not just the equipment, it’s the time involved as well. Professional videographers will spend anywhere from four to 10 hours with you on your wedding day, and another 35 to 50 hours editing your wedding video, adding graphics and music, and other special effects. For all of this professional equipment, experience, and time you
should expect to budget an amount similar to your photography budget – or more.

“MYTH #4: We would never watch it anyway.” The one comment you will hear from brides and grooms after their wedding, over and over again: “It went so FAST!” After months, if not years, of planning, it is still just one day – in fact, it is just a few hours really, and they will fly by quickly. A wedding video will transport you back to that special day, in living color with real audio, and even let you catch special moments you would never have seen otherwise. And although you think you and your new husband won’t watch it much, if at all, wouldn’t your children and grandchildren love to see it? (Wouldn’t it be amazing to watch a video of your grandparents’ wedding?) Or, really, wouldn’t it be fun to pull yours out on your 40th wedding anniversary?

The bottom line
The bottom line is, a professionally shot and edited wedding video is a priceless treasure to have, and you should certainly explore and discuss this option further. You may need to manipulate your wedding budget to accommodate this, but the end result will be worth it. There is truly no better way to revisit your special day.

How to Evaluate Sample Wedding Videos
Ask to see the videographer’s wedding “demo” tape and a complete wedding video recently done. The demo tape will give you a great deal of insight into their style and quality, and a recent and complete sample of their work will give you a clear idea of what you’ll receive after your wedding.

Evaluate the picture...
- Is the picture clear and consistently in focus? Jumpy? Blurry? Shaky?
- Are there any dead spots?
- Does it move smoothly from one scene to the next, or jump awkwardly?
- How is the lighting?

Evaluate the sound...
- Can you hear the bride, groom, officiant and readers clearly?
- Is the audio muffled or difficult to hear anywhere in the video?
- Are the music selections and volume appropriate?
- Is there too much ambient crowd noise?
- Can you hear the toasts clearly at the reception?

Evaluate the overall effect...
- How long does the video last?
- Does it keep you entertained?
- Do you feel emotion?
- Does it look professionally done?

Budget Tip
If your budget doesn’t allow for much now, invest in a good quality videographer and their bare-bones package, and you can always go back later to have extra elements added, such as a video montage or highlights tape. You’ll never be able to go back and recreate your wedding day, however, so make sure you get high quality footage to work with the first, and only, time.

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