Hey peeps! Sometimes I get thoughts and I just want to share them with you. This post is really directed to all the future brides and grooms out there. Whether we’re shooting your wedding or not I want to share this piece of advice to with you all. Today’s topic is video and why you need it…

So many time’s I sit in my office meeting with brides and grooms or even on the phone. I always ask them this question. “Are you having a videographer at your wedding?” The answer is usually 50/50. Some couples know its super important and are 100% dead set on it. Some couples say tell me they don’t think they’d watch it more than once. That answer is totally not true, you’ll watch it more than once. I just received my video back in late December and I think we’ve hit double digits in plays and its only the 3rd week in January. Then I have some couples who unfortunately video does not fit within their budget and I understand that, maybe when it get’s closer to your date you’ll have extra funds and if you’re lucky a really incredible videographer will be available.

My personal opinion is you will want your ceremony, vows, rings, readings etc covered. You’ll also want your cocktail hour footage, intros, first dance, toasts, parent dances and cake cutting. If you’re doing a first look you’ll want to capture that as well. After receiving my video I have to say for me it completes the day. Sure I have incredible photos to cherish from our day but now I can see it all in motion and hear it. It’s a whole new and different experience when you sit down to watch your wedding video for the first time. As a photographer I can only capture so much. I can make time stand still and you can paint a picture of the sound and feelings of whats happening but with video it really completes the story. For me it was watching Kris Ann’s father walk her down the aisle, hearing the readings and vows and ceremony music. So much happens at once it really is all a blur. Also I enjoyed hearing our toasts, watching my dance with my mother and just seeing peoples smiles and laughs throughout the video.

A couple quick examples..

I did a wedding this summer that had one of the funniest toasts I’ve ever seen only to find no videographer in the house to professionally capture it with not only a solid shot but solid audio. In my opinion a flip camera (even if its hd) ain’t cutting it. Another time back in 2008 we shot a great wedding with the most incredible first dance I ever saw. I mean this was dancing with the stars type stuff and not one video camera in the house. I know that couple regrets not having a video. One more, when I went to a brides page on facebook who’s wedding I shot this year for something I noticed this image below. This post on facebook was the inspiration of this whole blog post, I felt awful reading it and then was compelled to share my thoughts with you all.

Lastly this post isn’t about pushing my videographer friends or pals. It’s about educating you guys on something I feel gets overlooked and shouldn’t. If you read this post and want my recommendation on a videographer I’d be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

Peace,
JP

Here is a video recap of our wedding that Al Woodard filmed..