10 Tips to a better wedding movie

1. Consider prep coverage. I get many requests to just cover the ceremony and reception, but there is so much wonderful energy and anticipation during the prep that It really adds another
dimension to the final movie of the day. If you are all at the same
location, your cameraperson might be able to cover a bit of you both. If
your prep locations are geographically separated, consider having 2
cameras; one to cover the bride and the other for the groom. This allows
you both to experience what the other half was going through on that
very busy morning. I generally recommend covering the last hour of
preparations, or just before the bride will be putting on her dress.
2. It’s the little things. If we’ll be coming to your hotel room or house for some prep coverage, do your best to ‘de-clutter‘.
A clean room has more space for us to work in, and it simply looks
better in the movie. Avoid the loud music or tv station, which makes it
harder for us to pick up those wonderful bits of conversation that add
so much life to your movie. If we are hearing a whole bunch of music or
commercials, it limits what we can do with the resulting footage. Please
avoid chewing gum, unless you are 16 years old (or wish to look 16 on
film). Ask me for a mint, I’ll probably have one on me (along with an
emergency sewing kit, scissors, duct tape and safety pins)
3. Timelines are important for two reasons. First and
foremost, it’s an invaluable organization tool. Think of a wedding as a
multi-day celebration, compressed into a few hours. Without a timeline,
it’s very easy to spend too much time on one aspect of the day at the
expense of another. The second reason for an accurate timeline is that
it helps the vendors know what to expect and when to expect it. Will the
first dance come right after the grand entrance? Are the toasts during
dinner? As movie makers, we are dealing with live events that are often
far beyond our control. The more prepared we are, the better results we
can provide.
4. Who’s in charge here? Speaking of timelines, the
best of plans will be of little help without a captain in charge. Don’t
rely on family members to keep you on track, they will want to shmooze,
dance, drink and enjoy the day. Consider hiring a day-of coordinator who
will stay on top of everything. A good coordinator is
worth their weight in gold, and can actually save you money by keeping
vendors from going into overtime. The caterers and guests will also be
happier knowing that an 8pm dinner service means fresh and hot meals
served just in time.
5. Time travel. Multi-location shooting is always going
to require more time on our part. Prep at the hotel, ceremony at the
church and reception in a ballroom means we have to account for travel,
traffic and setup for each location. I don’t have teleportation pods
(yet), so even a drive of a few miles will subtract precious minutes
from the coverage. As a general rule of thumb, figure on 5 hours minimum
for a single location, 7 hours for 2 locations, and 9 hours for 3
locations.
6. Say ‘no’ to profiles. Outdoor ceremonies are
wonderful, we love them dearly. What we don’t love is that most couples
stand face to face giving us (and the guests) profile shots. There is a
quick and easy ‘fix’ that will provide your photographer, and
videographer with better images, as well as give your guests a more
complete view of your faces. Turn your feet outwards slightly,
towards your family and friends. Facing outward visually invites your
guests into the ceremony and a simple turn of the head will allow you to
look at each other or your officiant. Talk to your officiant about this
decision, and make sure they remind you on the big day.
7. Ambiance? I can’t see my own feet! Candles, 5 watt chandeliers, dimly lit sconces and a warm glow certainly are beautiful, but if we can’t see where we are going

it is both hazardous and requires more lighting from us. Although the days of Hollywood-bright lights are over, even the best new cameras still require light to expose an image. If we don’t have enough light,
we’ll need to add some. This usually means on-camera lighting for video
and strobes for photography–not the most flattering options. Please
consider brightening up that chandelier just a bit, or even better, hire
an event lighting specialist. It’s amazing what can be
done with some simple colored uplights against the walls and a
projected pattern on the dance floor. Talk to your DJ about dance-floor
lighting for that club feeling. It’s not just for the younger crowd and
the additional colored lights look great in your wedding movie.

8. Don’t fade away. When the open dancing starts, you might be tempted to exit the dance floor after a song or two and mingle with guests (some of whom might be leaving early). My advice,
party on! The dance floor is always more fun and busy when the bride and
groom stay on it. You might even inspire more guests to stick around
longer. As an added benefit, you’ll see more faces on your wedding
movie, as the dance floor stays busy.
9. The quick getaway. Some parties continue until the
last person is left standing, but why not take a tip from the greats and
go out on top? Inform your guests that there will be a grand sendoff at
the end of the evening. Provide them with bubbles, sparklers, or even
glowing wands and have them line up to escort you out to your waiting
‘getaway car’. You’ll feel like a rock star as you walk through the crowd of screaming fans. Hate long goodbyes? this tip is for you.
10. To have and to hold. So the big day has come and
gone, your wedding movie is being worked on and you’re enjoying a
wonderful honeymoon. Time to think about the future….of your footage. We
all know that technology changes quickly. The DVD in your hand today
might be an SD card tomorrow or a quantum storage cube in a dozen years.
Ask about the option to purchase your original footage and edited
footage on tape, hard-drive, or however it was recorded. Owning your digital master
is the equivalent of owning your film negatives. Properly cared for and
preserved (think fine bottle of wine), it will be your best chance of
freezing time and preserving the memories for future generations. No
one archival method is foolproof (currently) so your best option is to
keep updated cloned copies in different locations. Thankfully, digital
copies, when performed properly, preserve the quality. Your
grandchildren will thank you for it.