Your wedding film is the one thing from the day you will watch with sound. The vows, the speeches, the laughter, and the people you love moving and talking exactly as they were.
Chris of Zen Film Works says the biggest mistake he sees is deciding not to have a videographer at all. So we asked 4 of the videographers we trust most, Arran Kenny, Chris, Liam of ELJAY Films and Harry and Annie of Stories from Eros, for the advice they give their own couples. Save this one.
Choosing your videographer
1. Book them as soon as you find them. "I see all too many couples being disappointed because they didn't snatch up the person they wanted," says Arran, who recommends 9 to 12 months ahead for a June, July or August wedding. Liam suggests at least a year if you have someone specific in mind, and Chris books his creatives in as soon as the venue is secured. Harry and Annie find videography is often booked much later than photography, and that May, the summer solstice and the first weekends of July and September fill up first.
2. Watch full films, not Instagram teasers. "Don't judge someone solely by their short Instagram teasers," says Liam. "Always watch several complete highlight films, as these are the best representation of their storytelling and consistency." Harry and Annie agree: watch all of their films, even from venues nothing like yours, to understand the pacing and the sound. If you can only find reels, ask to see something longer.
3. Choose the feeling, because the edit is everything. Chris asks Brides to think about how they want to feel when they press play. Some films follow social media trends that are "cool now, but will this make you cringe in three years?" Others are more emotional, cinematic or restrained. Harry and Annie have even been asked to edit wedding films they never shot. The filming was fine. The couple simply didn't like the final edit.
4. Pick someone you would happily spend 10 hours with. Harry and Annie call personality "possibly the most important thing you can look for". Your videographer is beside you all day and will likely be directing you at points, so you want someone who "excites you and makes you feel confident." Liam says personality matters just as much as the portfolio: "Choose someone who makes you feel comfortable, then trust them to do what they do best." Chris suggests asking your planner or the suppliers you have already booked about your top 3, and matching your videographer to your own "social battery".
The questions to ask
5. Ask these before you sign. Each of our videographers has a question they would put on every Bride's list:
- How will the ceremony and speeches be captured? Harry and Annie suggest checking for microphones and whether both are filmed in full. You may not think you want them now, but they become heirlooms.
- How do you keep my footage safe? Arran asks couples to check the backup process, along with how many hours are covered.
- Is it 1 videographer or 2? A second shooter means one camera on you as you walk down the aisle and another on your partner's face as they see you. If it is 1, Arran says ask how they will split the morning, and whether you will both be filmed getting ready.
- Do you direct, or are you more fly on the wall? Chris says the answer shapes how you experience your whole day. Ask too how many weddings they have filmed, and whether they know your venue or will scout it first. "It is when the conditions are challenging or moving super fast that experience makes a difference."
6. What exactly am I getting, and what costs extra? Liam includes travel and accommodation in his packages, but says not everyone does, and that drone footage, raw footage, extra hours and faster delivery can all carry a charge. Chris adds that if the day overruns by more than an hour, an hourly rate can kick in, so ask in advance. Ask for running times too. "What one person calls a feature film, another might call a highlight film, and another might even call a teaser," says Arran, who also encourages couples to ask for a custom package. And if your videographer is travelling, Harry and Annie recommend they stay nearby the night before. They have heard too many stories of a supplier's car breaking down on the morning of a wedding.
Planning the day
7. Tell them everything. "My main job is actually getting to know couples," says Arran, who finds it helps when couples let him follow them on social media. Liam asks for the full timeline well in advance, plus any surprises and the people who mean the most to you. Chris suggests a Pinterest board and a list of must have shots. And as Harry and Annie put it, if there is a moment or a feeling you want in your film, "make sure it's actually part of the day."
8. Build buffers into your timeline. "The biggest mistake I see is the morning being rushed," says Arran. Videographers need longer to set up than photographers, because they are rigging several cameras and microphones before the ceremony. Harry and Annie suggest a few spare minutes once you are in the dress and straight after the ceremony, when emotions are high. "The last thing you want to do is to look back at your film and see yourself stressed!"
9. Make the big moments film ready. A few small decisions change your film completely:
- Write your own vows. Chris says they give your film real dialogue.
- Keep speeches short. "A speech doesn't work if it's full of personal jokes or a history lesson," says Chris.
- Walk down the aisle slowly. It is the one shot Chris would choose for every Bride: "long, slow and beautiful."
- Ask whoever announces you into the wedding breakfast to get guests standing, cheering and behind their chairs. Arran says nothing kills an entrance like shimmying around chairs.
- Decide how editorial you want to go. Harry and Annie say a strongly editorial film means time away from your guests, so if you would rather stay with friends and family, tell your videographer ahead of time.
- Bring your videographer to your venue walkthrough, so Chris can check you won't be "so backlit that you become shadows on camera."
10. Be patient with the edit. Harry and Annie ask Brides to be understanding: after a busy summer your videographer has a long queue, and rushing only risks the quality of your film. Arran puts the industry average at 3 to 4 months. Liam sends a teaser within a week, "the warm up act", with highlight films normally within 12 weeks. Chris edits every film himself and thinks the wait is part of it: just as the memories start to fade, you are back inside your day. If you have heard nothing after 4 to 6 months, Harry and Annie suggest a gentle email asking for a rough delivery date.
And finally
Ask what footage matters most and you get Arran's answer, your partner's face as you walk down the aisle and that moment with your dad in the morning, or Harry and Annie's: the whole story of 2 lives woven together. Their best advice is to do what is important to you, and not be swayed by family or friends.
"The more relaxed you are, the more natural and meaningful the footage will feel," says Liam.
Chris puts it best. Imagine being able to watch your great great grandmother's wedding, her speeches, her dancing, her laughing. That is what you are making.
One last tip from Liam, in 3 words: feed your videographer.
Find Arran Kenny, Zen Film Works, ELJAY Films and Stories from Eros among our videographers on The Directory.
