Every wedding and video shoot has its own unique challenges and forces us to learn and re-adapt. Today’s post and lesson is, EMBRACE THE EXPERIENCE!
I showed my fiance my most recent wedding video last night, the Bolen Wedding.
She loved it, and her feedback was - "Wow that looks like it was a lot of fun, I love how you put in all the funny sounds of them!" And you know what?; It was fun! All weddings and wedding videos are fun, but some are elevated by the excitement of the couple getting married. The couple featured in the video were the epitome of an excited couple, dancing, running, laughing and overall just being playful and fun, and it really shows in their video!
If you're going to go through the effort of hiring a wedding photographer and/or videographer to basically stalk you for your entire wedding day, you really need to embrace it.
As a videographer, I usually feel like I'm the second string anyway when it comes to "most" but not all wedding experiences. The main priority is usually placed on the photos and the photographers (this is a very very very important part of the experience as well) and I'm usually left to just capture whatever I can. I've said it before and I'll say it again, nobody knows the importance of a wedding video until afterward when they A) Don't have one, or B) Realize that for the most part they are going to watch and revisit either as much or more than their wedding photos.
I've written in previous blog posts (hire vendors who know each other) about how I really try to work well with the wedding photographers I encounter in the field. We're basically a tag team (or should be) all day going back and forth with ideas about what would look cool or fun or whatever when it comes to capturing moments with the couple. Some couples embrace these ideas and some people do not.
I COMPLETELY understand the couples that merely want the photographer and/or videographer to simply follow them around throughout the day (maybe photo or video isn't a super high priority). They want to enjoy and experience their one and only wedding day free from distractions of a photographer pulling them away every 30 seconds to pose or dip their partner in some dramatic pose. But if you're going to place a priority on photos or video and you want to find a "creative team" that you really want to work with, you need to embrace it 100%!
Here's a couple points to remember -
1. Don't be afraid to look silly!
2. You're going to get sweaty, it's ok! Hopefully your wedding planner (see other blog post) has set aside time for you to prep before the big ceremony.
3. We welcome your ideas as well! Sometimes the best inspiration for photos comes from the couples themselves because they care more about that specific shot.
4. Get along with your creative team! You're going to be with your photographer/videographer YOUR ENTIRE WEDDING DAY! Make sure it's someone you like.
5. And finally, REMEMBER YOU HIRED US! I always remember a wedding we did where the photographer (who I remind you was paid for and hired to drive up from Portland to Seattle for a wedding) had taken the bridal party for literally 5 minutes after the ceremony for a few group pictures. Upon the bride being asked by another family member when she would be done taking pictures, her response was to scream "HOPEFULLY SOON SO I CAN GET BACK TO HAVING FUN!" Again, I understand pictures may not be the most fun thing to do during your wedding, but if you're going to pay the money for a person to come and take pictures, you need to at least give them the benefit of posing for 5 minutes without acting like it is some huge imposition. Embrace the experience, remember we're just trying to do our jobs, you hired us!