Wedding Videography Suggestions
Wedding Videography Suggestions
At The Reception:
Get exterior shots of the reception venue including cutaway shots of flowers, fountains, statues, etc.
Get the limo arriving at reception, and the wedding party getting out. (Keep a sharp lookout for the arrival of the bridal party!)
The first dance is the most important dance to shoot. Repeat this for the mother-groom and father-daughter dances. Mom's dance with the groom and Dad's dance with the bride can be a real tear-jerker. If you have two cameras. plan on getting a close up with one camera, and a full shot with a second camera. The best man's toast is best shot with two cameras, one on the best man, the other getting a reaction shot from the bride and groom. Other important shots include the cake cutting, the garter removal and toss, guest book signings and any other special dances and ceremonies at the reception. You'll see stuff like the Chicken Dance (every wedding DJ does it), Electric Slide, conga line, Hokey Pokey, etc. Get interviews with guests and with the bride and groom. Get cutaways and detail shots (B-roll) of the cake, gifts, decorations, flower arrangements, the DJ or band, etc. Obtain a copy of the wedding announcement, and anything like souvenir napkins for later copy stand work. Also get detail shots of the Bride and Groom champagne glasses, centerpieces on the tables, and anything unique. Look for romantic moments. If you can, get a shot of the Bride and Groom kissing against a sunset. Shoot this twice; once exposed to put them in silhouette, and once with your on-camera light to give them a romantic orange glow as they kiss. Want to get a good response from a child? Flip the LCD screen around so they can see themselves. A photographer may not be able to get a fussy child to sit still long enough for posed photos, but you can. Shots of the bride with a little boy or girl can be very touching. Other shots to plan on: The guests saying goodbye, the bride and groom exiting the building and getting showered with confetti. The bride and groom getting into the limo; the limo driving away.
DON'T shoot: People eating. Too many backs of heads. People backlit by windows. Drunks.
Get exterior shots of the reception venue including cutaway shots of flowers, fountains, statues, etc.
Get the limo arriving at reception, and the wedding party getting out. (Keep a sharp lookout for the arrival of the bridal party!)
The first dance is the most important dance to shoot. Repeat this for the mother-groom and father-daughter dances. Mom's dance with the groom and Dad's dance with the bride can be a real tear-jerker. If you have two cameras. plan on getting a close up with one camera, and a full shot with a second camera. The best man's toast is best shot with two cameras, one on the best man, the other getting a reaction shot from the bride and groom. Other important shots include the cake cutting, the garter removal and toss, guest book signings and any other special dances and ceremonies at the reception. You'll see stuff like the Chicken Dance (every wedding DJ does it), Electric Slide, conga line, Hokey Pokey, etc. Get interviews with guests and with the bride and groom. Get cutaways and detail shots (B-roll) of the cake, gifts, decorations, flower arrangements, the DJ or band, etc. Obtain a copy of the wedding announcement, and anything like souvenir napkins for later copy stand work. Also get detail shots of the Bride and Groom champagne glasses, centerpieces on the tables, and anything unique. Look for romantic moments. If you can, get a shot of the Bride and Groom kissing against a sunset. Shoot this twice; once exposed to put them in silhouette, and once with your on-camera light to give them a romantic orange glow as they kiss. Want to get a good response from a child? Flip the LCD screen around so they can see themselves. A photographer may not be able to get a fussy child to sit still long enough for posed photos, but you can. Shots of the bride with a little boy or girl can be very touching. Other shots to plan on: The guests saying goodbye, the bride and groom exiting the building and getting showered with confetti. The bride and groom getting into the limo; the limo driving away.
DON'T shoot: People eating. Too many backs of heads. People backlit by windows. Drunks.
What to Shoot