You may have read this somewhere during your wedding planning – “Things to to acheive the best wedding film.” However, I am going a little deeper, giving you some tips on what you should strongly consider doing on your wedding day in order to have an amazing experience and having a happy wedding film crew.
1. First and foremost, don’t sweat the small stuff. Things inevitably will happen. Probably 99.8% are out of your control. Smile, and be happy!
2. Trust the pros that you spent hours and hours researching. Let them do their job. I could never tell a plumber how to plumb, for a lack of a better phrase (you get the point!). For further clarification, see tip number 1. This may mean asking you to move into more appealing light, removing items from a particular scene, or even turning off some lights in order to make you look the most radiant. Another suggestion might be to ask your guests to put away their phones, or tablets during the ceremony.
3. Don’t chew gum during bridal preps! Mints seem to work better. With a mint, at least your mouth will be either open or closed, but not in continuous motion. Sometimes we film moments that you don’t know we capture. It isn’t visually appealing to see you chomping on gum while there is a tear rolling down your cheek. If you have to chew gum during the day, try to do it when the time is right, like when you aren’t doing anything super important. 🙂
4. Turn the music off, please. Especially when you are getting into your dress. We use live audio from your day to filter into your wedding film. Nothing screams “tear jerker” more than Kenny Chesney’s “Summertime” while you are stepping into your beautiful wedding gown! In order to hear your mom’s voice crack as she says “You’re Stunning”, cut the Kenny.
5. A good wedding film crew loves a well-planned timeline, but we also understand that things happen and timelines get thrown off. Do your best to understand, and maybe even build in a little cushion for things like tear down and setup of equipment, travel to and from different locations, traffic, and even bad GPS routes if in unfamiliar territory. Cinematographers tend to carry more equipment than photographers for the most part.
6. Content. Get creative. Have a First Look with your soon to be husband… Or your father, if you want to stay more traditional. Write your own vows. Give the love of your life that personalized bottle of 18 year-old bourbon right before your ceremony with a hand written note. Have personalized favors for your guests. I could go on and on but the more content we have to build your story around, the better your wedding film will be. Trust me.
7. Put us on the timeline, pretty please! Every wedding is different, but the flow of a wedding day is usually the same – preps, ceremony, cocktail hour, reception. The photographer asks to be added to your timeline so they are able to photograph all the formal shots you need, plus all of the creative shots they need. The band or DJ requests events to be on your timeline so the wedding day will flow nicely and you know when to cut the cake. Your timeline also lets you know when the caterers and the florists plan to arrive to carry out their responsibilities. By adding us onto your timeline, it ensures that we have uninterrupted time with you and your significant other to film the content we need to create an amazing wedding film for you. We don’t need a lot of time, but please be sure to give us the time we request. If it isn’t on the timeline, it isn’t going to happen. This, by far, is my favorite tip.
8. Kiss, and release. The two of you will kiss a lot during the day (hopefully many days ahead too). Unless you want your wedding film to look like your lips are krazy-glued to your partners, Kiss… and release. KISS = Keep It Sweetly Simple.
9. Nothing to see here. Have fun on your wedding day. Be You. Be Loved. Be Married!
10. This last one doesn’t pertain to a wedding film entirely, but at some point in the evening, hold your partner’s hand and walk away from your guests. Then, from a distance, turn around to look at all of the people there for you on your big day. Take a mental snapshot. You will never have this exact moment again, with all of your favorite people celebrating you!
If you would like to learn more about us, or have questions on how we can create a wedding film for you, drop us a note!