Your wedding day is one of the single most important of your life; it marks a new chapter, and there are endless stories to be told. Capturing this day - and the real love story that led to it - is of the utmost importance to brides, grooms, and their families and friends. While your love story is undoubtedly epic (and never-ending!), how long will your final film run? Customised for Your Story Experienced videographers and cinematographers will deliver a film package that meets your stylistic and budgetary needs. That said, there are a few generalities of which to be aware when it comes to your film: A concept film captures much more than your wedding day; it can trace your story from the moment it began. Feature edits are approximately 10 to 20 minutes. A skilled editing and production team can select stunning footage to tell your story in a shorter, yet incredibly powerful, way. Of course, you may choose longer films that run between an hour and an hour and a half. This allows you to capture more moments from your story, ceremony, reception, etc. If you choose to have a highlights film only (or in addition to), that will be about three to five minutes. Komal and Rupak, for example, wanted a film as unique as they are. To introduce their first dance, they requested a video that illustrated how music is the language of love. “You Are the Music” is a poignant, artful homage to their relationship. While the entire wedding day should be magical, there are key moments your videographer will capture. These include, of course, the ceremony and important aspects of the reception, such as toasts and first dances. Many films also include interviews or commentary from loved ones (e.g. the mother of the bride, the groom’s beloved grandfather, the happily married octogenarians who give their best marriage advice). Your wedding is uniquely you; your film should be as well. Contact us to see how best to translate your love story to film.
A Complete Wedding Video Package Includes More Than the Ceremony
Your wedding film should include the ceremony, of course. It's the moment you two will want to watch again and again. A wedding film doesn't have to end at that moment that the two of you exchange vows, though. Instead, it can include much more than that. Wondering what else could be part of your film? Take a look!
Save the Date: This is a relatively new tradition, but one that's catching on quickly. If the two of you want to do something truly memorable, you'll send out a video version of your save the date, and that can be included in your final film cut to give you truly a before, during, and after feel!
Entrance Videos: Who is coming in the church? In what order did they arrive? Capturing those casual groupings that occur when your favourite guests begin to arrive is often overlooked, but it's a great way to tell the story of who attended your ceremony, when they arrived, and catch the harried, late guest who didn't even know there was a camera outside filming every move!
Essential Interviews: What if you could capture the thoughts of almost everyone who attended your wedding, but didn't come through the reception line? What if you knew what your great aunt was thinking just before she sat down to watch you take your vows? If you include interviews in your wedding film, you might just get a chance to hear from your guests that you wouldn't ordinarily manage to capture.
Classic Before Traditions: What happened before the wedding? What traditions did you bring in from your family or your heritage that you'd like to make part of your story? Having your cinematographer include those is an excellent way to make sure you get a start to finish picture of your special day.
The Wedding Breakfast: Whether you're having a traditional wedding breakfast or something that looks more like a U.S. rehearsal dinner, it's part of your love story, and it should be part of your film too!
A wedding film doesn't have to focus on the moment you two look into each other's eyes and promise to spend the rest of your lives together. Instead, it can include every ounce of your story. To learn more about how we work to craft the perfect wedding film, contact us today.
My Budget is Tight; Is a Wedding Cinematographer Really Necessary?
Many couples find themselves coming up a bit short when it comes to the wedding budget, and for good reason. The average cost of a UK wedding just topped £27,161, so it can be tough to decide where to make those cuts when they become necessary. Is the cinematographer really something you want to cut out of your budget, though? Will a friend's iPhone footage really satisfy that role into the future?
Weighing Your Options
If you choose not to hire a wedding cinematographer, you have to think about how you're going to capture the day. If you choose to simply go with a wedding photographer, you need to realise you're going to miss some big moments. Imagine, for example, your flower girl decides to make a toast to the bride and groom just as the adults are during the reception. A photographer is going to capture that adorable moment where she's holding the microphone, but he or she won't be able to capture the moment she begins to sing her favourite song to the two of you.
Your other option, of course, is to hire an amateur to handle the video for you, but even that is going to be a poor substitute for a professional cinematographer. When you hire an amateur, the chances are good that you're only going to get the raw footage of the day. While that can be a good way to remember it, when you hire a professional cinematographer, you're going to get an emotional experience that helps not only capture the excitement of the day, but also a film that truly presents your story to the world. It's a chance to see every single moment in the best possible light and enjoy it again and again.
If there's one thing you don't want to cut from your budget, it's your cinematographer. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do to preserve your story.
The Shape of Creativity
Your wedding day will be one of the busiest of your entire life. There is so much to consider, both in the lead-up to the big day and on the day itself. There are likely to be so many things going through your mind from what you're wearing to the music to the caterers to your Great Uncle Albert who may not be able to arrive on time. The last thing we want you to worry about is the cinematography that will help offer a new level to your story. After all, you want your film to be a true visual depiction of the two of you that you will remember in the years to come.
What the creation of that very real product looks like, though, can vary extensively. That's why one of our biggest suggestions for every potential client is to remain flexible.
Let the Story Progress
Wondering what it means to remain flexible throughout? It's a tough concept, but the real idea here is that you aren't thinking about David and Katie's wedding last year where the cinematographer had teen shooters instead of just eight or the wedding your cousin's boyfriend went to where they had a crane in place to shoot the vows.
Emotions can run high, especially when you're under so much stress. This is an important day, and it's easily the most important film you'll ever have made. The reality, though, is that you choose a cinematography team based on their ability to tell great stories. Every story is different. Every one calls for different techniques and tools based on the action, the people, and even the setting. Flexibility often means understanding that your team will make sure that story is told, and sometimes that means not using a crane or ten shooters. Sometimes, it means something completely different for your wedding.
Ready to have your story told in a way you never thought possible? Contact us today to learn more about our wedding cinematography services.