Capturing the Moments: How To Get the Best Wedding Video

In addition to wedding photos, a wedding video can be a great way to retain your wedding memories with a live recording. Unlike pictures, a wedding video can capture the feelings of the ceremony, and you can relive the mood of the celebration each time you watch.

While most people have a friend of family member taping the wedding ceremony and reception, a professional videographer can give your ceremony the additional features it needs to look like an actual production. A video professional will most likely tape the whole celebration, from the actual ceremony, until the bride and groom depart at the reception. You could request that the videographer tape conversations or scenes right before the ceremony, such as the bride and groom getting ready, or having friends or family members, like the bride or groom's parents, say something nice about the couple before the ceremony begins. Wedding videos can also include a picture of the wedding invitation, old family photographs or pictures of the bride and groom as children, or messages by the bride and groom to one another. Usually, the video will have about 4 or 5 hours of raw footage to edit from ceremony to reception, and the actual video is usually about 2 hours.

When you're looking for a videographer to hire for your wedding, make sure that the videographer has the quality equipment that will make your video look its best. Video equipment that requires less lighting is best (usually commercial-grade), so that there won't be a glare on the images in the video. When you're looking at the videographer's work, make sure that you not only look for the focus and tracking quality of the video, but check for artistic quality as well. Is the videographer good at capturing timeless moments on film? Is he/she good at making transitions throughout the video? Make sure that the editing is not choppy, and that the sound in the videos is clear and does not fade in and out. Make sure to talk to more than one videographer before making a final decision, unless you already have a friend or family member who is a professional.