15 Ways Couples Can Help Enhance Their Wedding Film
Yes, fifteen. And I’m sure I’ll think of more later! After filming weddings for several years, I’ve certainly found ways to capture beautiful footage on the uncontrolled sets that are wedding days, however, there is always room for improvement. If you’re going to invest in a wedding film, why not make the minimal effort to ensure it is as painterly as possible?
Prep
A Good Prep Space
A surprising amount of the wedding day happens during prep. While it is first and foremost a utilitarian space that should be optimal for your wedding party to prepare for the day, keep in mind how it will look in your wedding film and photos. Are you ok with a generic open space? Or do you want something more elegant? It really depends on how much is going to happen during this “Act I” of your wedding day.
Also, consider prep as the process that it is, more so than a space. What is the flow of events? Is hair, makeup, and lounging taking place in the same room, or is it split up across multiple spaces? I understand this is low hanging fruit when paring down your budget, and if prep footage is not a priority than by all means, don’t let me influence you into cutting something completely in lieu of an elaborate prep space, but creating the most opportunities for visual beauty and storytelling throughout your day will maximize what your wedding videographer and photographer can do.
My personal recommendation is to have a separate space for hair and makeup, and a nicer space for lounging and having drinks. The reason being quite simple: many wedding videographers—myself included—do not capture much—if any—hair and makeup. I may get a bit of the bride when she is 98% finished, but even that is rare. You aren’t paying talented hair and makeup artists to have your wedding videographer film you looking anything but your absolute best.
So what does this look like, exactly? Let’s use a few common scenarios to illustrate how you can prep for your wedding day.
The Hotel: it’s by far the most common stage for the beginning of the wedding day, and as a Detroit wedding videographer, there are a few I think I could navigate blindfolded. Regardless of the hotel, they should all have suites, or at least connected rooms. An ideal setup in this case is a suite with a living quarters and a bedroom—or even two! Hair and makeup can work from one space, and the bridal party can relax in the other(s). This also allows the bridal party to stay close, eliminating any confusion and lost time figuring out who is up for what. This must be an efficient machine—especially with larger groups!
The House: also quite common, is prep at someone’s house. In my experience, it’s usually the bride or groom’s parents house simply because they usually have nicer houses than their kids! If you’re saving on money and don’t want to prep at a hotel, get ready at the nicest home you have access to. Use one room for hair and makeup, and another—likely living room, family room, study, etc.—for hanging out before and after getting dressed.
Cleanliness is Next to Godliness, Right?
I’m not sure if John Wesley was right about that, but as your wedding videographer—nay, cinematographer!—I must also implore you to be clean. Imagine this: you’re watching your wedding film and loving it. The music is perfect for the vibe of the day, the footage looks great, and—ope! what’s that?—half a dozen half-drank water bottles adorn the table next to an otherwise masterful shot of you getting into your dress or your tux.
I’m not saying you need to hire a maid, or keep housekeeping on constant standby. Just be mindful of the mess once the visual team arrives. Chances are someone in your wedding party is “the neat one”. In my circle, I am that guy. Assign them the honor of being Czar in the war on clutter. If they are like me, they will do it with a passion that can only be matched by your love for your partner.
A final note on this subtopic: some may say that it is “part of the day” and while that is correct, it isn’t right. Disposable coffee cups and plastic bottles do not tell a story. Now, a beautiful pastry half eaten with a cigarette put out in it, well that’s cinema and I will film it. If you’d like to see a masterclass in this sort of thing, just watch Sofia Coppola’s pastel modern take on Marie Antoinette (2006). Hell, watch it anyway. It’s an amazing film with one of the most expertly curated soundtracks in movie history.
Turn Off the Bright Lights
You heard me. Your wedding videographer wants you to turn off the lights, and I’ll wager a crisp Benjamin Franklin the photographer will share that sentiment. If you’re not a visual artist, you may be scratching your head, so I’ll explain it as concisely as possible.
If you’ve ever purchased light bulbs or Christmas lights, or even those lights the bourgeois love to string along their pergolas—no shame, that’s me I’m referring to—then you may have seen terms like “warm white” or “daylight” or “cool white”. These are simplified ways to describe a thing called color temperature, which is measured in Kelvin. Very scientific territory we’re in now, ey? The lower the number (in Kelvin) the warmer and more orange it is, and the higher it goes, the more the white shifts to a blue hue. No value is right or wrong, or better, but unless it’s a very controlled set and decisions are made deliberately to add contrast to the frame—not typically the case on a wedding day—it is better to have one single color temperature.
So, assuming there are windows, we’ll want to use the natural—and diffused—window light, rather than the room lights which will almost certainly be a different color temperature. Even a bare window pane partially diffuses direct sunlight, and a sheer curtain can turn a plain window into a soft box, ideal for beautiful soft Rembrandt light for you and your wedding party. You’re welcome.
Vows
Don’t Be Shy
This is another topic I will address delicately. If your vows are so deeply personal that you do not want anyone to hear them, I will not try to persuade you otherwise. I will, however, remind you that vows are typically the most powerful dialog in a wedding film, and the words you’ll likely cherish most from the day. If your wedding videographer is anything like me, they will be as awestruck by your words as your partner, and as teary eyed too.
I’ve mentioned it before, but if you’re new here: I do not know what my dad’s voice sounded like. Further, they say the first thing you forget about someone is their voice. At the very least, let your videographer record it for you, even if it doesn’t make the cut. We aren’t voyeurs; we are guardians of your memories.
Quiet On the Set!
Technology has come a long way and we videographers can work with imperfect audio, for sure. However, there is a limit. Pristine audio is legitimately more important than perfect footage. Stow off somewhere private and remote if you can, or at the very least ask the people around you—likely your wedding party—to be quiet for a few. You’ll be glad you did. A unique and beautiful space for vows can really elevate a film.
In one case, my bride and groom delivered what were the undisputed best vows I’ve ever witnessed. The moment was powerful, and I—along with the photographer—was in tears and in awe. When I got home and began reviewing the footage, I discovered one small fly in the ointment: the (exquisite) orchestra, which played the bride in and the couple out, was practicing while she read her vows. The background noise was too much for my software to clean up, but the words were too beautiful to omit from their film. Luckily, Kate is one of the sweetest, kindest human beings I’ve ever met—as is her husband Dan. I felt comfortable enough to ask her to do me a small favor. “Do you still have your vows? And can you read them into your iPhone? I’ve got an idea.” I asked her. She was almost thrilled to carry out the assignment, and what she sent me was stunning. So stunning that I opened their film with that recording. She comes in around the 1min mark, after her amazing dad tells a great story. I recommend you watch it in full, but I may be biased…
Logistics
The Space Between
I’ve found that much of life actually happens at the interfaces; between the lines. There is as much said in omission as uttered, and your wedding day is no exception. Leave yourselves ample time to travel between “acts”. Art is much better when it is not rushed, and your day will also feel much more pleasant if you’re not watching the clock. Like a great wine, your wedding day—all days, really—needs to breathe, and so do you. You are most beautiful when you’re relaxed, and lost in your partner’s eyes, thinking only of the gratitude you feel that the universe brought you something so special. The cameras will concur.
Location, Location, Location
There are pros and cons to having multiple locations for your wedding day. A vast majority have at least two, but some venues are equipped to accommodate wedding parties from prep to Mr. Brightside. While this is a lever you’re least likely able to pull since venue(s) are the first and most expensive element of a wedding, it is something to keep in mind. Visual variety can make a film much more interesting, and also provides a great mechanism for showing the passage of time even if the storytelling is non-linear (which is quite common at the higher levels of wedding filmmaking). If you’re spending the entire day at a location, consider spaces that are distinct, or—at the very least—discuss it with your visual team. They should be scouting and thinking of where portraiture will be captured.
The Early Bird Gets the…Evil Eye
It’s a pretty common occurrence: someone—usually a distant aunt or something; I don’t know why but it’s always the case—eschews cocktail hour arrangements and arrives cosmically early at the reception and—with the self awareness of Cosmo Kramer—seats themselves amidst the flourish of activity around them. I say this a lot, but it’s true: you’ve spent a lot of money on this. You want great photos of the space at its most perfect moment; the calm before the (incredible) storm (of happiness). Discuss it with the venue, and your planner. Deputize your team to have those tough conversations with any would be early birds.
Is this Thing On?
It is if I have a say in the matter. Imagine a dialog scene in a movie but you can only hear one side of the conversation. Actually I think that’s Tenet. Haven’t seen it but I’ve heard it’s good! Anyway, this is not exclusive to the reception, but an all-day thing. Whether it’s your vows, or the ceremony, getting mic’d up will give you movie-quality audio of your dialog. And when it comes to the reception, while I do not put a lavalier mic on my couple, I do put a recorder on the table in front of them to capture their reactions to the toasts. It gives so much more vibrance to the film. Watch the opening of Molly & Kyle’s film (below) to see my point. It sounds like you’re right there with them because…you are!
This goes back to “Don’t be shy”. You’re paying someone to capture your day, and when it comes to your memories there should be no question: get it all.
The Walker
It happens quite often. “Where are toasts going to be” I’ll ask the MC. “I don’t know. Wherever they’re sitting I guess.” It’s not the end of the world, and heck, sometimes it might be cool, but surprises, especially for moments we can’t miss even a second of are not ideal. This can be catastrophic if you’ve hired a single videographer instead of a team (usually of two). Consider discussing where your toasters—is it toaster? Really? I need to look it up now—will deliver their finely crafted prose from, or—because I don’t like adding action items to my couples’ plates—suggest to your toasters that they discuss with the MC and the video team. We—videographers—also figure out who’s who and will usually have that chat with them too.
Even so; even after discussion, it’s quite common to get a “walker”. It’s not an industry term; just what I call them. They get the mic and their nerves get the better of them, or they saw someone deliver a TedTalk once and want to do some crowd work of their own. Whatever the reason, they start pacing around the dance floor. Obviously, this is not an immense challenge for even a novice videographer, until they flat out turn their backs to the camera. Uh oh. Yes, we’re mobile, and we can move at any time to just about anywhere. We can go handheld. We also try to be discrete if at all possible. My aim is to be out of the way and to not disrupt these critical moments of your day—much like your ceremony. Having to move to the other side of the space will attract some attention, and will also take time, which isn’t acceptable during moments we can’t redo. Something will be missed.
Eye Contact
A toast is really a dialog scene, when you think about it. Sure, it’s a very lopsided conversation, but a conversation nonetheless. You will likely not have to say anything, but your body language will say a lot. 90% if my memory serves me correctly. Eye contact, and a facial expression that is at least neutral is ideal—unless they’re bombing their toast, in which case I am so sorry. I’ve had couples seemingly staring off into space during the entirety of the toasts, and I had no choice but to omit the footage all together from the wedding film as well as their toasts film. Your reactions to the toasts, given by people you love enough to be in that position, are magic for your videographer and your photographer.
Windows
If your wedding party, and/or toasters—I couldn’t find the term anywhere, by the way. I think everyone’s avoiding it because they don’t know either. I’m calling them toasters—are seated with your backs to a window(s), we’ll almost certainly need to put a light on everyone. I don’t want to get into another science lesson, but cameras can only “see” so much detail in shadows and highlights at the same time. You’ve probably taken a picture of someone with the sun behind them—or a window behind them—and had one of two outcomes: either the person was a silhouette and you saw what was behind them, or they were exposed properly and the background was a wash of pure white. While we will always expose for the subject, we videographers do not like to “blow out the highlights” in our shots either. It is simply not befitting of higher end production companies—like mine of course!
Even if there isn’t strong back-light, it’s almost certain your videographer will have at least one light on during the toasts and likely dancing too. We try to position them so they’re not too distracting, but my advice is to simply ignore it as it it were the sun.
Golden Hour
Speaking of the sun—see how I set myself up there?—I am a proud member of the “sneak off for a while” club. Golden hour or not, sneak off. Bring your photographer and your videographer with you and enjoy each other for a while. Take it all in. Bask in the joy of your day. Golden hour footage always takes on a surreal and dreamy look, and even if you sneak out later, there’s plenty of fun to be had. One of my favorite couples of all time, Terese & Evan, snuck off down the road from The Westin Book Cadillac to grab a coney. We have pictures and video to prove it. If you’re wondering, they’re Lafayette people. If you’re not wondering, you’re probably not from Detroit.
Don’t Surprise Your Vendors
I promise you, whatever it is, we can keep a secret like nobody else. Don’t believe me? One of my couples was already married before their wedding day. I’m still not saying who it was, and nothing less than the threat of perjury would make me cough that up.
More importantly though, if you’ve got something special planned, we need to be able to see it coming. Some examples include: a surprise visit from Sparty himself—the bride and groom are MSU grads, a surprise performance of Piano Man by the bride—at 9:00 on a Saturday no less—followed by a surprise performance of My Girl by the groom, all on-stage with the iconic Simone Vitale Band, and a voicemail from a bride’s late father played through the venue—not a dry eye in the house, mine included. That was the wedding that made me decide to do it for a living instead of quitting. Whatever it is, we need to be prepared to capture the act, but maybe more importantly, the reactions. Trust us. We’re professionals :-)
Feel the Day
This will seem obvious to most, but if you’re the awkward type, or if you don’t feel comfortable showing your emotions in front of people, do your best. All I can say is that everyone there loves you, and is so happy for you. So is your videographer, and your photographer, and your planner, and your florist, and everyone. Everyone is happy for you. Weddings are one of the most beautiful things a human can experience, and if you do it right, you only experience yours once. Let go, and have the best damn day of your entire life.
Bonus Tip!
I’m sitting here now, a good week after publishing this, waiting at my son’s speech therapy appointment, and I realized perhaps the most impactful tip of all: reception lighting!
Whether your DJ or entertainment provide “uplighting” or if you’ve hired someone to do it, I cannot urge you enough…consider how it will look on your and your guests’ skin tones and how it will affect everything else. My personal recommendation is to keep the light white, and matching the ambient light (remember the part about color temperature?). Otherwise you may end up looking like Smurfs, or Shrek, or…you get it. Less is more…sometimes…
Your Story
It’s your story. It’s your day. Regardless of how conscious you are of anything I’ve just shared, your wedding videographer is almost certainly going to give it everything they’ve got for 8, 10, 12hrs or more. Setting them up to succeed will result in your family heirloom aging like fine wine. You just never know what memories will become priceless, or who you’d give anything to see or hear even for a moment. That’s why I do this. Everyone deserves to be loved, and everyone deserves to be remembered. Help me remember for you.