Allowing a professional to record the intimate moments between newly married couples is becoming less of an additional service and more of an art form itself. It is crucial that the wedding videographer you choose understands what is most important to you in capturing the essence of your special day. Take note as Melbourne Wedding & Bride reveals how to get the most out of your videographer.

Plan Ahead

A wedding day is full of precious moments that aren’t always planned. Emotions run high and love fills the air as soon as the bride and groom lock eyes. Imagine what is racing through the mind of a videographer as they capture every smile and stolen glance. Fortunately, weddings do have a general structure, so creating a detailed running schedule for the day is key to making things much easier for your videographer.

“If a moment is missed, for instance, the start of a speech, or the walk down the aisle, it cannot be recreated as it involves video and audio, and often emotion that cannot be repeated,” Fernando says. “Knowing beforehand what moments are most special to [you] means your videographer will be prepared and in the best position to capture the moment.”

Define Your Style

Creative direction is the most important factor for a videographer when capturing your special day. A plethora of considerations are taken into account when recording on the day, such as positioning and lighting, to determine what will make the most memorable viewpoint.

Although creative control should be left to the videographer, you should establish the type of style you’re after from the initial consultation. “Share samples of work you like by the videographer that you may have seen on their website or social media accounts,” Fernando suggests. “It is crucial that the videographer understands your requirements.”

With creative direction in mind, it’s also important that the videographer knows what they are working with in terms of location. “Let your videographer know as many relevant details about the venue as possible,” warns Fernando. You may have chosen a dimly lit church for its romantic charm, but the photographer won’t be able to capture your first kiss as married couple if they don’t have the required lighting equipment.

Team Up

In order to capture your special day in all of its glory, a bit of teamwork is involved from the key players helping set up your big day. The DJ or band, venue staff and celebrants should be introduced to the videographer in order to help achieve the best results for your final video.

Depending on the videographer’s requirements, an audio output may be needed for clean sound recording, or a microphone attached to the celebrant. Notifying the other vendors once you know these details will ensure smooth sailing on the day.

Other notable people who will be featured throughout the video are your guests. Making a quick announcement about the videographer’s presence at the start of the ceremony is the best way to ensure family and friends avoid getting in the way of cameras during special moments. Fernando says there’s no need to stress about guests staring at the backs of videographers, though. “It is important that guests are able to enjoy and participate in the wedding formalities,” he says. “Therefore, everything possible [is] done to minimise our impact on the proceedings.”

Flying High

With innovative technology readily available, cinematic-style drone footage is commonly used in wedding videos. If you’ve always dreamed of re-watching your wedding day from above, chat to your videographer about drone footage and whether it’s a service that they offer.