The Biggest Mistake That Ruins A Wedding Video

Posted on April 1, 2008
Filed Under General, Pre-Production | Comments Off

TV CoupleIn our video production business we get asked, time and time again, to fix and improve disastrous, do-it-yourself wedding videos. This usually happens when couples can’t afford to hire a professional wedding videographer and are forced to rely on friends or family members to shoot the wedding video.

Unfortunately, these couples’ hopes for a memorable record of one of the most important days of their lives end up in disappointment. Despite the fact that these couples save money on the wedding video, the personal cost ends up being much higher than expected.

Please don’t misunderstand us. Using a non-professional to shoot the wedding is just fine. Where we are left shaking our heads is when we see avoidable mistakes that result from the biggest, most obvious mistake: lack of communication.

A wedding is the type of event where you only get one chance to videotape it and get it right. So in order to raise the odds of success, good communication MUST be maintained between the videographer and all the key participants in the wedding. Your wedding video is doomed if this doesn’t happen.

Good communication starts with the bride and groom. It is important that they discuss and make decisions about exactly what they want captured (videotaped) on their wedding day. Don’t assume that the videographer will automatically know what is and isn’t important to record.

Since this is the couple’s wedding video, they can choose to record just about anything they feel is important.

For example, some couples like to videotape their wedding day breakfast; or visiting an elderly relative at the retirement home before heading over to the reception.

These are fabulous moments to have on tape. However, if they don’t communicate these plans to the videographer, these special moments are lost. Remember: if you don’t shoot it you won’t have it.

The person shooting the wedding video is the next key participant who will be required to communicate with a more extensive list of key participants.

Of course, communicating with the bride and groom to know exactly what they want is the most important responsibility of the videographer.

Additionally, the videographer should be sure that the couple also provides him/her with the following information:

We’ve seen wedding videos that stopped at a critical moment because the videographer didn’t have enough videotape. Just remember that its always better to have too much videotape than not enough.

After communicating with the bride and groom, the videographer should make sure that he talks to the minister or person conducting the wedding ceremony…preferably at the wedding rehearsal.

This conversation should include letting the minister know where camera positions will be established and making sure that this meets with his/her approval. No matter how beautiful the shot, the videographer should never interfere with the wedding ceremony.

The videographer should also get permission for placing a microphone on the minister. (This is just common courtesy).

The videographer can also ask the minister give him/her a two-minute “start” cue in order to be ready to roll tape.

If more than one videographer is being used, the videographer in charge needs to clearly communicate with them so that they know exactly what is expected of them.

These additional videographers need to know exactly when and where to show up; when to roll tape, and what they are responsible for capturing with their individual cameras.

Just about everyone knows how to use a video camera. But just knowing how to use a video camera doesn’t mean that you can turn your camera on and expect to produce a professional-looking wedding video.

However, you CAN produce a professional-looking, do-it-yourself wedding video if you remember the importance of avoiding the biggest mistake that can ruin everything: lack of communication.

For more professional wedding video secrets, Click Here!

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