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1. The style of video. Generally speaking, there’re two main video styles: directed and documentary. Directed is when you want to go big on the production, and have all the filming gadgets such as drones, sliders, jibs, stabilisers. Using all this gear requires the cameraman to be able to direct and set up shots. It can be very intrusive and take time away from the photographer. It also requires a team to operate. On the plus side, you will get a Hollywood masterpiece.

The second style is the documentary approach. Here it’s all about discretion and operating a small camera on a monopod, filming events as they happen, without directing, and working alongside the photographer ensuring he gets all his shots first. You won’t notice them much during the wedding but you won’t get the wide angle, drone shot of you walking up the aisle either!

2. Simultaneous events taking place in different locations. You may want both the bride and groom preparations filmed while they are taking place, at the same

time, in different locations. Or, filming the couple leaving the ceremony venue, and arriving at the reception venue. Another moment may be filming all the group and couple photographs, whilst filming the guests, entertainment and dining room set up shots during the reception.

3. Filming from a different view point during the speeches and ceremony. I always try to film the ceremony and speeches with two cameras but I cannot always guarantee it. I operate two cameras side by side, one filming wide and the other, getting the close up shots. During the speeches, I’ll have one camera filming the speaker, and one camera filming the reaction shots of the person they’re referring to… It works most the time, but it does all depend on the space of the ceremony and reception venue. If you want two different vantage points filmed during the ceremony, and guaranteed reaction shots during the speeches, you will need two cameramen.

4. The religious genre of the wedding.

With Jewish and Indian weddings, I strongly recommend more than one cameraman, as there is a lot of activity and special events taking place and the parents do expect to see everything captured on film. With both church and civil weddings, you can easily get away with one cameraman.

Some final thoughts…

Parental expectations do play a huge role in a wedding video: are they expecting to see every single member of the family appearing in the video, including great granny who only managed to come along for the ceremony? If so, you will need more than one cameraman. If you want total coverage of your big day, covering everything with a long form edit, you will need two cameramen.

1. The Moment Your Hair and Make-Up are Done and You Have to Put on Your Wedding Dress.
This is the moment it suddenly all becomes very real and can be a highly emotional moment, and possibly very stressful if there is a lot of activity going on around you. How to counter-act this: firstly, if you are getting ready in a hotel, make sure you have a separate room where you can get dressed, that you can have control over. There is nothing more stressful than having family, friends and wedding suppliers continuously at the door, asking to come in. If you are getting ready at home, again make sure you have a dedicated room in which to get ready, away from everyone else, and you decide who you want to have with you, whilst getting dressed.

2. Travelling Between Venues

Arriving 15 minutes late is perfect – arriving 45 minutes late for the ceremony can create a huge amount of stress on you and can have a knock on effect on the rest of the wedding…The groom for one, will be wondering if you are ever going to show up, and your guests would have to be seated the entire time.

It may sound a far-fetched scenario but it is one I have seen enough times to definitely include this in my pointers! The main cause for the delays is when no time has been allowed for possible travel disruptions. If you do want to get ready in the country, travelling into London for your wedding, you will have to be very diligent in maintain your preparation schedule, allowing for any travel delays. I always recommend choosing a venue that is as close as possible to the ceremony location as possible, to ensure a far more enjoyable time of preparation with your family and bridesmaids.

3. The Group Photos

Whilst everyone now has a reportage-style wedding photographer, they still require group photographs – something almost everyone’s parents expect – regardless of how the couple feel! Despite everyone knowing the group photographs are coming up, invariably a father always goes AWOL at a key moment, and it can take absolute ages to round everyone up – especially if the photographs are taking place in a different location to the reception drinks area.

You’ll be amazed at what a challenge it can be, herding a group of people in the throes of drinking champagne and catching up with family and friends they haven’t seen in years! To ensure a smooth running photo session, I always advise having a bridesmaid or reliable usher who knows all family members, and has a photo list, to oversee the rounding up.

Communicate to everyone involved, the timings and locations of the photographs and if possible, try choose a location close to where everyone is congregated to make things as easy as possible.

If your photographs are more important, or of equal importance, to the video, then definitely ask your photographer to recommend a videographer they love to work alongside. Alternatively choose a videographer who specialises in documentary style footage, that way they will not be competing with your photographer and will always allow them first shot.

Curiosity?

Wouldn’t you love to know what your other half was getting up to whilst getting ready? Hear their banter and watch their interaction with friends over lunch? So much of the wedding day, you just don’t get to see as the bride and groom. Not only are you so emotionally engaged and absolutely fixed on one another, but everything flies by in a blur and you can miss so much of what is happening…

Memories?

You may want both the bride and groom preparations filmed while they are taking place, at the same time, in different locations. Or, filming the couple leaving the ceremony venue, and arriving at the reception venue. Another moment may be filming all the group and couple photographs, whilst filming the guests, entertainment and dining room set up shots during the reception.

I always tell my couples that eight hours on a normal day feels like four, on your wedding day. Time gets compressed. Couples can sometimes spend years planning a wedding that lasts just one day! After all the magic, all you have left to remind you of the day, is the photographs and film.

I recently filmed Kelly’s wedding. Kelly has worked as a wedding planner at many of London’s five star hotels.

I chatted to her afterwards, asking about her own wedding experience after having planned hundreds of weddings for other brides.

She said something very interesting that gives an accurate take on what I have experienced with many brides. Kelly was keen to have a video of her wedding, but only realised afterwards, just how important the process was…

Couples spend months or years planning a wedding completely focused in the process. On the actual day, you are on a constant high. The day flies by in the blink of an eye and you miss so much of the occasion because not only are you not present for every moment, but you are so emotionally focussed.

Before you know it, the day is over and all you are left with are what you can recall, and what you see in your wedding album or on film…

In times gone by, wedding couples may have regarded a video as a nice to have, but these days, it’s a necessity.

I often get calls from brides a few days after the wedding, asking if I filmed certain parts of it, despite not being too bothered beforehand about me filming everything…

Getting your wedding filmed is one of the most important decisions you can make. Whether you employ a professional or use my product, do it. It will be the best decision you will ever make.

Looking beyond the obvious moments, like the ceremony, your vows and the first kiss, there are a few great moments to include in your wedding plans that translate beautifully in photographs and film.

1. Giving of Gifts

This is always a very special intimate moment to capture: either the bride opening a gift from the groom and visa versa; or the bridesmaids and ushers receiving their gifts. It’s always an emotional moment filled with laughter, tears, joy and hugs! What more could you want?

2. The Arrival of the Bouquets!
This is the one thing the bride has never seen in its final form, and her reaction is always a glorious one to capture.

3. Bridal Reveal to Her Bridesmaids

I have only ever seen this happen a few times, but it was utterly amazing to film!

Have just one person with you whilst you get dressed, then have all your bridesmaids grouped together, when you walk into the room. It will be the first time they will see you in your wedding dress, and their reactions are priceless.

4. The Official End to Your Wedding Day

Most couples never consider how their wedding day will end. I will always recommend having a strong finish to your wedding day, even if you are planning on dancing until the wee hours! An earlier ending also enables your older guests to leave. Perhaps consider having a final dance with everyone standing around you, or your guests forming a tunnel holding sparklers, or driving away in a classic car – always a magical moment to film! It brings such a strong conclusion to your wedding video.