At least, in MY opinion.
Everyone has their own style, and while I don't want to take away from how other people work, mine is clearly the right one.
Documenting your day
This is the most obvious thing a wedding videographer does. We are there to make sure you have a lasting visceral memory to experience over and over. There are two times when couples tells me they are happiest to have their wedding films. The first time is the day they receive it.
“I'm so excited I don't think I can go back to sleep!”
The second time, is years later. Sometimes it's after the passing of a loved one, and their wedding video is the most recent and complete recording they have to look back on; their Grandmother, who made a welcome speech, passed peacefully in her sleep, or a best friend who was in their bridal party, lost a long battle with cancer. Or in happier times, they want to share their celebration with a new addition to the family - a child, niece or brother-in-law.
Helping plan your day
One of the best ways to ensure you get a film that you can cherish is to have a videographer who will work with your other vendors - a planner, photographer, band, whomever - to coordinate in advance the timing of the events throughout your day. If you know you want to read letters to each other, or you're really focused on getting those magical sunset pictures
then scheduling those details in advance means there's no question day-of on what's going to happen and when. Which brings us to:
What we DON'T do: Produce your wedding day like a Hollywood Film.
There are those who will disagree with me, but those people will be wrong. Your wedding day is meant to be experienced and enjoyed, not produced like a music video. I don't want to have you twirling 30 times in the same spot until we get the ~magical glimmer of your hand beaded bodice~ just right, and I don't want you to be so focused on me and the camera that you forget your partner is standing right there. It's true, my sparkling personality is captivating, but you're not there to marry me. (If you are there to marry me, I'm sorry, but there's been a mistake.) The most compelling story comes in capturing you and your partner and the way you interact when you aren't awkwardly smiling for the 597th picture. I love to get candid shots and quiet moments. They can even happen in the middle of the ceremony.
That's why involving me in the planning, so I can get to know you as a couple and your hopes and plans for the day, is so important. This puts us on the same page, so that I can step away to do my job, and leave you and your partner to do yours (namely, marrying the sh*t out of each other).
That's all there is to it.
At least, all YOU need to know about it. There's actually quite a bit more to MY work, but the whole reason you're hiring me is so that you don't have to hear about it. Right?
Do you have questions about how to work with a videographer? About what you should and shouldn't be asking? Sound off below or shoot me a message!