Our Top Tips For Getting The Best From Your Wedding Videographer and Film

01/22/2019 By

Yay! You’ve decided to hire a professional wedding videographer to film your wedding! Best.Decision.Ever….well, after choosing each other that is!

Now to find the perfect wedding videography company for you…you’ve probably never hired a videographer before, let alone a wedding videographer. And you have probably never  had a professional videographer film you before – so it can be a bit overwhelming to say the least.

Here are our some of our top tips to help you navigate the whole ‘videography’ thing and come out looking like a movie star at the end.

Tips For Choosing Your Wedding Videographer

  • Our #1 tip is always to watch a STACK of wedding films. Watch wedding films from as many different videographers as you can, see what’s out there. Become a quick expert on what’s on offer, on what videos gave you goose bumps and which ones made you cringe. Most couples have never been married before, or they’ve never come in close contact with the film industry. Find a video company who you resonate with – someone who has a creative style you can see yourselves in. If you don’t really click with a videographers style, you’ll feel a temptation to micro-manage them on the day – you’ll sub-consciously be afraid of that style sneaking through in your film…and guess what…it will! Alternately if you have fallen head-over-heels for your videographers creative style you’ll naturally trust them – you’ll trust their decisions, their direction and you’ll be happy to follow their lead. And, guess what, when you let your vendors do their thing, you’ll get the best out of them.
  • Can you spot a scammer? The internet is a wedding-planners best friend but it’s also a scammers paradise. There are so many, SO MANY, heartbreaking stories of couples who booked a ‘professional’, handed out their money and were left in the lurch just before the big day. Here’s a little checklist to help you checkout your vendors before you book them:
  1. Do they have a website? Does it look legit?
  2. Do they respond to emails in a timely manner? Do you have to chase and chase them to respond?
  3. Are they available on the phone?
  4. Will you have to pay a deposit and sign a contact to lock in your date with them? If any of these things are missing – look out. Your vendors should be available, contactable and operating as a business.
  • Another thing to check is if you can find them across multiple platforms such as social media? Do they have a Google My Business page? Looking at their online presence will tell you more about how this business is operating. Check all the reviews you can find, especially reviews on Google and Facebook. We once worked with an awful photographer, they were rude and almost ruined the day for the bride and groom – we were shocked when they said they had 10+ year’s experience in the wedding industry so we checked their Facebook for reviews…surprise, surprise their reviews were turned off! That’s a huge warning sign! If a vendor can’t demonstrate their previous clients had something nice to say about them it’s time to start wondering why…

How To Rock It On Your Wedding Day

Keep your videographer in the loop and make sure you have a meeting with them a few weeks before the wedding, or before all the final decisions are made, so they have a clear understanding of what your wedding day will look like, what logistics need to be smoothed out and they can flag any issues or concerns around things like your timeline or format for the day.

Throughout the day try to forget that you’re being filmed and photographed – obviously that’s easier said than done. Looking at the camera or waiting for instructions can take away a little of the magic. Focus on each other and enjoy the day, be lost in the moment. Your videographer is there to capture your day as it unfolds, so relax into it, celebrate, dance, laugh, cry, hug, kiss and be your weird-selves.

Tips For Getting Ready:

  • Keep things tidy – if you’re getting ready in a hotel room tuck your suitcases out of site. If you’re getting ready at home, or at someone else’s home tidy up – do you really want that electricity bill on the fridge in the background of your wedding film? Move unnecessary things and clutter out of the way – make some space for your photographer and videographer to move around. The more space, the more options your vendors have and to be creative and stay out of the way while you’re getting ready.
  • Have the things you’d like captured on display and easy to find. Videographers and photographers are basically professional stalkers, if we see your rings and perfume on a dresser next to your shoes we’ll set it up and get a cute shot – but if we can’t find it we can’t shoot it – so try to remember to leave those little special details in one easy-to-find.
  • Get ready in an area with heaps of natural light. Natural light loves you and your skin loves natural light.
  • Pack up as you go. Most of the time the place where you’re getting ready is not going to be the place you return to after the wedding – so you and your bridesmaids/groomsmen need to not only get ready for the wedding – you also need to pack your bags, find somewhere to put your phone and sort out a stack of ‘accommodation logistics’. Every.single.time everyone is taking the day slow like they have all the time in the world and then suddenly it’s time to go and you have 16 bridesmaids running around suddenly freaking out because it’s just occurred to them they have to PACK! It’s easier said than done but try to get everyone to pack up their stuff as much as they can before they put they finish getting dressed – trust us – it will make for a stress-free exit.

Tips for Your Ceremony:

  • Another bonus to hiring a professional videographer and photographer is that they should be in touch with each other before the wedding day and team up to make your day all the more awesome – but just to be sure, ensure they have spoken to each other before the ceremony and have a plan of action so they don’t end up in each other’s way.
  • Your videographer should pop a small lavalier mic on the groom and celebrant – it’s essential to capture clear audio of the ceremony, especially your vows. These mics are small and easy to tuck out of sight.

Tips for Speeches

  • Our #1 tip for speeches is don’t have speeches while food is being served, while people are eating or while plates are being cleared. You’ve paid a lot to have these speeches professionally recorded and the people giving the speeches have really poured their heart and soul into what they’re going to say – your parents have probably been looking forward to this moment for your entire life. The last thing you want is the sound of cutlery dragging across china throughout your dad’s heartfelt speech, or everyone looking down at their plate as your sister tells the more hysterical story from where you were little – or the reaction shot of you to your best man’s witty remarks to be you with a mouth full of chicken, chewing away like a Viking. Arrange your night so everyone can be present when the speeches are happening, no one eating, no one moving – everyone listening, laughing, crying and sharing the moment together.
  • Have all the speeches in the same spot. Unless you want your videographer darting around the room with their tripod like a crazy person have a speech spot locked in. It’s even better if the videographer can choose the spot, they’ll know where the best lighting is. Have your MC let each speech giver know where the spot is and ask them to encourage people to stay there rather than walk and talk if possible.

Would like to know more about how you can book PipeWolf Weddings to capture your supercalifragilisticexpialidocious wedding day? Drop us a line and let’s have a chat.