Do I Really Need a Wedding Video?

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Do I Really Need a Wedding Video?

written by: Gary Bridges

Your wedding day will be a blur to you and your parents. You plan the many details for months, if not years, but your wedding day goes by so fast that you will miss a large part of it.

A wedding video is like a "time machine". It lets you relive your wedding day as often as you like, anytime you like. As a fellow videographer put it, "It let's you attend your own wedding at your leisure without the stresses and distractions of the day." It is also a significant and important "living" document for your families, your children, and grandchildren. Some couples don't realize just how important their wedding video will become until they experience the loss of a loved one that attended their wedding.

I Want a Wedding Video but I Have a Friend With a Camcorder
Some couples use a friend or family member to videotape their wedding day. Would you have a friend or family member take all of your wedding photographs? Probably not.

There are numerous stories of people running out of tape or batteries, not shooting important activities, and taking shaky or bad footage. Using a friend or relative can cause hard feelings and ruin relationships if your video is poorly done or not done at all. Also, that person can't enjoy themselves at your wedding while they are videotaping it.

A wedding video is a movie of your wedding day, a lasting memory that contains 30 pictures every second and includes the timeless sites and sounds of every important event that took place on your special day. A professional wedding video should tell the story of your wedding day. Using creative camera work, a keen attention to detail, and artistic editing using music and the right blend of effects and transitions, the professional wedding videographer should produce a video you will watch often and be proud to show others.

I'm Having a Photographer So I Don't Need a Video
Both your photographs and your wedding video are of equal importance. You can't frame your wedding video or carry it with you in your purse or wallet to show a friend.

But, you can't look at a photograph and hear your marriage vows, see a tear as it rolls down your cheek, or relive the sights, sounds, and emotions you felt as your dad walked you down the aisle or your first dance as husband and wife.

Photography and videography are both artistic expressions and vary from artist to artist. It is important to view the work of each and meet one-on-one with the person(s) that will be producing your photographs and your wedding video. Make sure that their style and personalities match your expectations.

How Much Will It Cost?
There is a misconception that your wedding video should be less expensive than your photographs. The training and experience are equally extensive, the equipment used by both is costly, the time spent producing a professional wedding video takes longer than producing your photographs. Your video is a movie of your wedding day with sound.

A professional videographer should attend your rehearsal to meet the Officiant, become familiar with the order of activities, and offer ideas and assistance to improve the video
A professional videographer will invest around $20,000 or more in equipment plus training and experience
Typical wedding day coverage includes two cameras with operators that shoot almost continuously for five hours or more
Your wedding video will take 30 to 50 hours or more to edit to transform the raw footage into a smoothly flowing story of your wedding day
And, unlike Steven Spielberg or even your photographer, your videographer has only one take to capture your wedding day activities. The ceremony or special events can't be stopped and done over if something isn't perfect.

Your wedding videographer must be the:

producer
director
lighting technician
sound person
cinematographer
editor

They must perform all of these jobs well to produce the wedding video that you hope for and deserve. Pricing varies depending on experience, services offered, time spent, etc. Choose a videographer based on how their work makes your feel when you see it then discuss pricing based on what it will take to produce your personal video memory.

Couples tell us that the best money they spent was on their wedding video and are so happy they made the decision to have one.

When Should I Book a Videographer?
As with your first choice for your ceremony, reception, and other vendors the best wedding videographers will be booked first. You should meet with videographers as you would photographers, if not earlier in your planning process. There are fewer videographers than there are photographers. Eight months to one year prior to your day is not too early.

Do I Really Need a Wedding Video?
It's up to you. Your wedding day will only happen once in your life. Don't regret not having your precious memories preserved in a video that you can see and relive over and over.

About The Author: Gary Bridges, Horizon Video Productions, www.horizonvideoweddings.com, © copyright 2004 Horizon Productions, Inc.

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