Why? Well the answer is very simple, because you will kick yourself in the B*TT, everyday if you don’t. When you see you other brides having a beautiful video of their Wedding Day, you’ll wonder why you didn’t. Video isn’t just a quaint little side gimmick any more. Shooting a Wedding Video is an art and a profession. Of coarse there are some bad Videographers, and some inexperienced ones, but I think you have enough common sense to weed those out. Lets concentrate on the Experienced, and Qualified Professionals.
In this day when people are capturing life on video with their cell phones, and I-pods and every other gadget, why would you let the most important moment of your life just slip by and not get it on quality video? “But I have an excellent Photographer and it’s already costing me an arm and a leg.” Well, Videography is generally not as expensive as Photography, for a multitude of reasons which I wont go into here. There are also a few very important differences between video and photography. The most obvious one is that they are not the same. The next one is that one DVD of VHS is a lot easier to carry around to a friends house, or send to a relative in some distant state or country, than your entire wedding album. Also you can copy your DVD or VHS and send it to relatives, where photos you generally don’t get the negatives so you have to go back and have your photographer make you copies for a rather handsome fee. The best reason why Video is so very different from photography I have left for last. Can you take a guess as to what it is? I wont keep you in suspense any longer. The best reason why you really want a video of your Wedding Day is because when you watch your video, it’s like being there all over again. When your spouse is far away and you miss them, when you want to hear yourselves taking your vows again, or when you want to see yourself walking down the isle, you can see it as it really happened. Photos only capture a soundless, emotionless, split second of what happened on your special day. Video captures sound, images, emotion, mood, ambiance, tensions, fears, joys, happiness, sadness, all the emotions of the moment. You don’t need to fill in the blanks with your memory, because there are no blanks.
If a photo is worth a thousand words, than a video must be worth millions of words. I am not saying not to have a photographer at your wedding. I would never be so crazy as to advocate one at the exclusion of another. Even though some photographers do try to talk Brides out of spending on a Video so they can get the bride to go for a more expensive photo package. Those are unscrupulous dealers and I hope you can see through their ploy. I believe both Photography and Videography have a useful and legitimate place in your wedding budget and on your wedding day, but going without video is like going without music at your reception, it’s OK, but it could have been better. Do some shopping around, look at some Demo videos, and I’m sure you’ll be convinced that it’s something you really want for the long run, and you’ll get many years of enjoyment out of it. The best part is that as years go by and fashions change, it will be a kick and a hoot to see just how you looked those many years ago. Your kids and grandkids will love it too. No matter what you decide, good luck and be happy.
I know some of you are probably saying to yourselves "I can't afford a videographer, I'll just have my uncle Bill do it for free.". Well actually Videography is not as expensive as you might think, and your uncle Bill should be a guest at your wedding having a good time and not having to work. Videography is one of those businesses that has benefited greatly by advances in technology. The equipment has become more readily available, better quality, easier to use, and more adaptable to the wedding environment.
Videography is one of those things that you get what you pay for. On the other hand, you don't have to pay a huge amount to get a great video. I have been a videographer since the old days when Super VHS cameras where the main camera in the industry. At that time the editing decks were also more expensive and more limited in their abilities. Today any good videographer worth his money is using a digital camera and a digital editor. There are a few things to consider when choosing a videographer; Price, Equipment, Choices, and last but certainly not least, personality.
Like I said before price is a big factor in everyone’s life, especially when it comes to a big ticket event like a wedding. You have hundreds of expenses, and countless choices as to what stays in and what goes out. Let me tell you that some times some people spend way too much on a photographer, and nothing at all on a videographer. That is not a very good choice. Photography is a very important things to have, don't get me wrong, but if you do some shopping around you can afford both. The beauty of video is that you don't have to rely on your recollection of the event by looking at motionless soundless still shots. You pop in your DVD, and instantly you are back at your wedding day. You can see yourself and your guests laughing and having fun. If any of your relatives are in another country or state and couldn’t make it to your wedding, you can send them the entire wedding on DVD instead of picking just a few pictures. We also specialize in making photo montages on DVD or VHS which are also very popular to send to relatives. On one DVD you can put hundreds of digital pictures. If you shop around a little you can find a professional videographer that will create a fantastic video for you at a reasonable price. We have packages starting at $350 and going up from there depending on how much you want done. I will warn you that some videographers think they are Spielberg and will want to charge you $5000. If your budget can accommodate that then that’s wonderful, but most people cannot. Most professional Videographers using 3 chip digital cameras as we do, and using computer non-linear editing software as we do, will charge you anywhere between $500 to $1000 for a wedding. Anything above or below that I suggest you give it a second look. If its too cheap then its someone just breaking into the business and you wont be happy with the results, and if its too high then you will probably be over paying.
The next thing you should look at is Equipment. Are they using the latest digital equipment or some dusty old cameras from the disco days and over charging for their work. Believe it or not there are still some Videographers out there using the old VHS cameras and selling themselves for top dollar. It's a case of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware). Find out what type of equipment they are using. The standard in the industry today is to use a 3 chip digital DV camera. DV Format is the best and Digital is obviously better then analog. The 3 chip refers to the inside of the camera having 3 separate computer chips that split up the visual spectrum and create a sharper and more vibrant image. For editing non-linear computer editing is the only way to go. Anything else is old and will not give you the most for your money.
Choices comes down to what will this company do for you. With our company for example we have packages that are suited to just about every budget, but since everyone is different we are able to customize each package to suit the needs of the client. With some companies the packages are written in stone and cannot be modified and there are no substitutions.
Personality is an easy one. Talk to the person who is actually going to shoot your wedding. Meet them, ask them questions Do you like them? Can you get along with them? Remember your wedding day is a very stressful day. You want to be surrounded by people whose personalities you can get along with. I believe you need all the professionals at your wedding to be team players. They all need to work together to make your day wonderful, yet get their individual jobs done. You don't want to be pulling out your hair because the person you hired to do a job doesn't know what to do. Hire someone who you feel comfortable with and who has experience. I myself have over 15 years experience as a wedding videographer and I can assure you that I have seen everything there is to see under the sun, and the only way to get through it is to keep a cool head.
In short, I just want to encourage you all to keep the video in your budget. Hire a professional company that is knowledgeable, and is reasonable priced, and that you feel comfortable with, and you will have a great video that you and your future kids and grandkids will enjoy. Be sure to get more information. Best of luck.
Article Courtesy of
Advanced Video Staff
What are DVD Slide Shows all about?
I'm certain you are all familiar with the old fashioned slide shows. Well a DVD Slide Show is completely different. Modern technology and software have merged together to give us the beauty and elegance of video, and apply that to our still shots. With the old fashioned slide shows you had a noisy projector which projected the images on a wall. I'm sure you all have memories of friends boring old vacation footage with the dad or mom narrating everything they saw or did on their trip. With DVD or Video Slide shows, now you can take your collection of photographs, put them in an order to create a theme, add titles, music, special effects and transitions making it into a spectacular video presentation. The beauty is that there is no noisy projector to lug around and no box of slides. All that stuff stays at home. The only thing you need with a DVD slide show is your DVD. Take that to any friends house, relatives house, or party, and pop it into a regular DVD player and show it on a big screen TV.
Now with the modern software available companies are creating DVD and Video Slide Shows and Photo Montage for Wedding Reception, Anniversary, Birthday, Graduation, Baby Shower, Bridal Shower and much more. Now any occasion can be made into a special occasion by having a DVD slide show or Photo Montage at a very reasonable price. Actually the term Photo Montage and Slide Show are interchangeable, there is no difference.
Wouldn't it be fantastic to show a montage at your wedding reception of how you and your
fiancée grew up and eventually met? Photographers generally charge and arm and a leg to do that type of work. Now with DVD Slide shows you can collect all your old photographs, send them to a company that specializes in DVD Slide Shows , and within a couple of weeks you'll get back a Montage of your pictures with Music, Transitions, Titles, and Menus and it will be all ready to show at your reception.
What about your Parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Why not give them a DVD Slide Show of their 50 years together. Better yet, If your having a celebration party you can surprise them and show the DVD Photo Montage at the celebration. Most facilities have DVD players a Large Screen TVs already on the premises ready for you to use for your special occasion. All you have to bring is the DVD.
That relative that you haven't seen in years and is always bugging you for pictures of the kids. Give them one better. A slide show of your kids growing up over the last few years. The possibilities are endless. I'm sure you can come up with a few ideas yourself as to how to take advantage of this great and inexpensive method of dressing up old photographs. I hope this has cleared away any mysteries about what DVD Slide Shows and Photo Montage really are and how you can use them.
How to plan a Successful Wedding Dinner
The big wedding day is approaching and you are most likely focusing your time and energy on trying to make it perfect. However, do not forget to organize and set up your wedding rehearsal. It is important to be aware of the details you will want to iron out at the rehearsal so your wedding day runs efficiently.
It is customary for the parents of the groom to entertain the wedding party and the families with a dinner after the wedding rehearsal. This dinner can be hosted by anyone. The idea is to give everyone a chance to socialize and be acquainted before the big wedding day.
Many people choose the evening before the ceremony to rehearse. Usually this ends up to be a Friday night, which is probably convenient for most people. However, if you choose to rehearse on a weeknight, double check with your families and wedding party members. Many people have family obligations in the evenings, or have to work early the next day. Confirm that your time will work for the majority of the people before you book the time.
If you are having the traditional dinner after you rehearsal, try to pick a restaurant or location close to the rehearsal site. It will save on time, and be convenient for most people. It also makes it much easier to form a car chain. Many people may not know where the restaurant is located. The closer it is, the easier it is to follow other cars or carpool.
It is likely that many people will be meeting for the first time at the wedding rehearsal. Make a point to introduce everyone. Nothing is worse for an out-of-town bridesmaid than spending a weekend with a bunch of strangers! To help these strangers remember each other, try to give a good introduction.
Do not wait until practice time to decide who will be walking down the aisle with whom. This should be decided beforehand. If possible, put some thought into your decisions. If people do not get along with each other, or may look strange walking together, do not pair them up.
Try to get the children to the rehearsal ahead of time to explain to them what is going on. It may be their first wedding, and they may not understand what a wedding is. Try to talk to them about the event and explain what their important job is. If they are not standing for the ceremony, be sure to show them where to go after their job is done. Have them walk down the aisle a few times before the crowd gets there to practice with them.
Bring your bouquets, ring bearer pillow, flower girl basket, and any other props that will play an important part of the ceremony. The children will need them for practice, and you will need to practice the moments when you need to hand your bouquet and/or gloves to your honor attendant. Remember; cover last-minute wedding instructions at the rehearsal; save the rehearsal dinner for fun.
Before you let anyone leave, remind them again of the times they need to be available the next day and what they need to bring with them. If you have time ahead of time, you can make a schedule and a short list for your family and attendants. Also, refer them to a person they can contact if they have any questions or problems on the wedding day. Repeat that the contact person should not be the bride or groom! They have enough of things to worry about before the wedding!
Article courtesy of Wedding Speeches & Toasts Guide and Resources
Copyright 2008 - Advanced Video - Wedding Videography
