Behind The Scenes Of Filming Weddings
When you go to a wedding as a guest, chances are, you’ve seen a few people scrambling around with cameras in their hand or on a fancy contraption that magically keeps the camera stable (those are called gimbals by the way). But have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to photographing, or even filming a wedding? Today I’m going to break it down in a way for you to understand the amount of time and effort that is required to capture a wedding day in great detail!
Preparation Is Key
This may not sound surprising to you at all, but it is the most important aspect. As a videographer who films both the ceremony and highlights of the day, I’m capturing everything in as much detail as possible. In order to do this, I’m relying on strong communication with the couple, photographer, and wedding coordinator. I also rely on a timeline of the wedding day to help give me an idea of when I need to arrive for the day, when to setup for the ceremony, and what time I might be done filming for the day. The day before the wedding, I’m mainly focusing on my gear and that all my batteries are fully charged, as well as functioning properly. If I am needing to rent additional gear for the wedding day, I always have it arrive to me days before the wedding in case it doesn’t function properly or if the gear does not arrive on schedule when it travels through the mail.
When The Schedule Goes Off Course
The rule of thumb that both photographers and videographers know is that a timeline of the wedding day is not always going to go according to plan. I’ve filmed weddings where everything would go smoothly in the beginning, but fall behind schedule closer to the start of the ceremony. It is something that you have to understand and be ready for when it does happen. Most of the time when things are off schedule, I try to compromise to the best of my ability and ensuring that the couple stays happy and comfortable the entire time.
All The Details
When I’m hired to create a highlight film for a wedding, my end goal is to capture as much footage as possible for me to work with in the editing process. Details of the wedding day not only make for a great wedding film, but it also makes for some great memories the couple can cherish. Its always nice to hear feedback from couples that talk about how they will be able to remember things about their wedding they might forget later on down the road. Details being the flower arrangements in the church, to the plates and silverware used at the reception. While most of these little details don’t always get used in the highlight films I create, it is something I always capture to present to couples as part of the additional footage included in the video package they select. Even if it’s not a big deal to you, my goal is to capture a wedding day to where you can relive that day over and over again for many years to come!
Second Shooters Are Important Too
I’ve filmed weddings all on my own, but having a second shooter has always been a blessing when I’m able to have one. Not only are they responsible for helping you capture additional footage of the wedding day, but they are your second set of eyes for details. Whenever I’m with the couple prior to the ceremony, my second shooter is either alongside me capturing different camera angles, or is helping setup for the ceremony by setting up all the tripods, camera equipment and audio gear. It is such a convenience to have a second shooter because I know that I can split the load of work between us throughout the day. Filming weddings by yourself is possible, but you’ll feel the work load quickly. Where my second shooter has been most helpful is after the ceremony. Couples will usually stick around after the ceremony for some additional pictures before heading over to their reception, but this is not always the case. If the couple is scheduled to make their entrance into the reception shortly after the ceremony, there isn’t much time to take down all the gear from the ceremony and set it back up to capture everything else, such as the first dance. By having a second shooter, I’m able to have gear taken down and set back up very quickly. Second shooters deserve a ton of credit on the wedding day. They help you capture different angles of the wedding day while also assisting in setting up and taking down equipment to speed up the process.
Reception And Sendoff
During the reception, I’m focusing on capturing the first dance, speeches, and other key points throughout the reception leading up to the sendoff. Receptions are quite busy at first when the couple makes their grand entrance, but once we’ve made it past speeches and cake cutting, the remainder of the reception is geared more toward capturing fun moments between the couple and guests. I’ve been to receptions that have lasted as short as 2 hours, to receptions that go on for nearly 5 hours! Overall, my focus during a wedding reception is the key points that all couples want to make sure are captured. Everything else is additional footage that may or may not be used in the final edits of the wedding film. For the sendoff, I always try to plan it out with the photographer, as well as the couple. The photographer and I typically brief the couple on what to do as they make their way out to the getaway car because we want to make sure that we get good quality photos and video of the sendoff. Some couples may not fully understand why we do this, but whenever we do, it is to ensure that they have good quality content to look at after the wedding day.
Conclusion
Wedding days are fast paced. As a photographer and videographer, you are exposed to schedules that don’t always go according to plan, but you also get only one chance to capture the important moments when they happen. Sometimes I’m able to coordinate with the couple on certain things so we get the best photos and video possible, but this is not always the case. While our job may look straight forward from the guest’s perspective, it is a very busy job to fulfill. Regardless of how busy the wedding day might get, I always enjoy the opportunity because I love being able to capture a couple’s wedding day and stitching all the video clips together into a beautiful highlight film for everyone to enjoy and cherish for years to come.