Heartfelt Wedding Videos

Yang and Matt

All-day photography and videography package.

Helena and Luke

All-day videography package with 2nd camera operator.

Lucie and Luke

All-day videography package.

Barbara and Dwayne

All-day photography and videography package.

Introduction

Photography and videography are merging more and more. The latest generation of professional photo cameras shoot excellent video and the latest film cameras take excellent stills as well. Therefore it seemed very logic to me to start filming weddings while I photograph them and now I’m one of very few UK wedding photographers who offer photography and filmmaking as one package. When I’m booked for a combined photo/video package I’ll bring at least one assistant shooter (shooting both video and stills like I do) so we get continuous multi-angle coverage. I believe that going forward most wedding photographers will start to offer videography as well.

Synergies of photo and video

There are a lot of benefits and synergies in combining these two fine arts. First of all, it’s less obtrusive – there is only one shooter, so you don’t have the embarrassment of two different suppliers fighting for space behind the altar. All eyes should be on you as you walk down the aisle and nobody else! Secondly, there are fewer people to deal with in the run-up to your wedding, which means fewer emails, fewer briefs and less hassle in general – no more Bridezillas! Thirdly, your photographs and film will all be one consistent style, so they’ll look great next to each other in your online gallery. Finally, it’s considerably more cost-effective: my combined photography and filmmaking package is a lot more affordable than booking a separate photographer and videographer.

My approach

There are lots of wedding films out there that look impressive, (some even filmed with drones) but simply have no personal touch – that is, they reveal nothing about you as a couple or how you felt on your wedding day. Some of these videos have absolutely no emotional content whatsoever – just music and moving images – while special effects just serve to show how expensive the process was rather than conveying the feel of your big day. My approach to wedding filming is quite different. Rather than impressive wide cinematic shots, I try to get as close to you and your guests as possible. When you watch your wedding film back, it is my goal to make you relive those special moments and emotions once again, rather than focusing on material details like the table decorations or venue.

Your story, your wedding video

In order to help tell the story of your wedding day and that of your relationship, I try to record as many soundbites as possible. My approach will include an interview of each of you separately for about 10 minutes in the morning (I’ve found this is great for calming the nerves of brides-to-be!) and once again at night, if the flow of your day allows. I will also go around and ask your guests to leave token video messages, which always comprise heartfelt, cute and funny tributes, along with memorable anecdotes to make your video unique.

Two edits for all audiences

Whether your guests only have 10 minutes to watch a film on Facebook or two hours to watch a wedding DVD, I always create two edits. The first one is typically about 10 minutes or shorter and includes an introduction, highlights of your ceremony, speeches, cutting the cake, video messages from your guests, party snippets and an interview at the end. These are great ‘teasers’ for showing your friends or posting online. The second edit can be anything between 30 minutes and two hours, and includes the entire ceremony and all complete speeches, so you can relive your entire day’s memories in high definition again and again.

How is it done technically?

Thanks to the advent of modern cameras, we can now shoot videos and photos at the same time – something which I tried for the first time back in 2015 and have never looked back. It’s the same camera, the same lens and the same point-of-view, but I’m shooting high resolution photos (up to 50 megapixels) and wonderful HD video at the same time (4k option available). Not many photographers have yet embraced this new possibility – in fact, I’m one of very few wedding photographers in Surrey offering wedding photography and wedding filming as a package. I will also bring an assistant who will operate three additional TV-quality cameras on tripods from a safe and unobtrusive distance. In a church, for example, we’d typically place a camera to the far left and right behind the altar (with long lenses) and one at the end of the aisle. These cameras would be filming continuously from all angles to make sure no moment is missed. They’re also small and light – perfect for fading into the background – and can be set up and packed away within minutes. The same technique is used to film the speeches, the cutting of the cake and your first dance. This multi-camera capture allows me to create a compelling film for you in the edit, which I will present to you together with your photos. For the perfect sound we use TV-quality wireless clip-on microphones plus discreetly placed room mics (for laughter, applause etc).

To talk through my wedding filmmaking packages, please feel free to contact me today.