Don’t ask me why, but when I was growing up, I had some sort of fascination with my parents’ wedding video. Perhaps it was the seeming romantic magic of the ceremony, or perhaps it was the intrigue of seeing my parents’ “pre-me” lives in real time on the TV screen. Or maybe I was just a very strange seven-year-old. Whatever my reasons, almost every Saturday I would pop the 1989 VHS tape into our VHS rewinder (forgot that existed, huh?) before placing it in the VCR and seeing my parents’ nuptials play out in front of my entranced eyes. This went on for about a year until I knew both the ceremony and reception by heart, and until I realized the video itself was not actually high quality. Aside from the fact that entire chunks of the ceremony and reception were missing, the lighting was poor and the sound quality sub-par. Apparently the video was filmed by a now long ex-boyfriend of my aunt’s that, according to my resentful mother, “never turned the flash on.” My parents made the mistake of hiring someone with next to no experience in videography and surely wanted the job for the money alone. Aside from all that, he ended up being an unreliable and disrespectful jerk.
The wedding videographer is just as important, if not more important, than the photographer; however, he/she all too often gets thrown on the sidelines, or else forgotten about altogether. Of course, the wedding photographer is a vital selection to make, considering the wedding albums and framed pictures that get distributed to friends and family , not to mention the added element of today’s social media platforms: Facebook wedding albums, Instagram posts, Pinterest pins, etc. But I believe your wedding video says something more than a mere Facebook album of still photos; a video documents an event in full, adding the vital dimension of movement!
With advances in modern technology, the limits of videography and cinematography are becoming fewer and fewer. A cameramen can catch certain moments of intimacy from all angles and perspectives. They can film those emotional mother-daughter exchanges in the dressing room, the laughs shared between bridesmaids, the father-son handshake, followed by the hug, followed by the kiss, followed by the mutual handkerchief face-wipe. Videographers can edit their films to catch each aspect of every stage of the wedding process, from the preliminary preparations to the final fading shot of the “Just Married” car. Furthermore, with sound mixing technologies, they can add your your favorite songs to the video, and edit it to time the emotions of the event with the emotions throughout the song. Most importantly, by watching your wedding video rather than just seeing it in pictures, you and yours can more closely relive that wondrous day. And with the sharpness in picture and clarity of sound, you’ll feel as if you never left the ballroom.
Below are some renowned wedding videography companies which friends of mine and strangers alike have used, loved, and recommended:
Iris Cinematics (Jersey City, NJ): http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/iris-cinematics-jersey-city/e848ac559371cac1.html; Examples: http://vimeo.com/channels/270754
United Wedding (Arthouse Wedding) Films: http://www.unitedwedding.com/index.html#/uw-collections/
The Pros Weddings (Connecticut): http://www.thepros.com/Video.aspx
For other companies closer to your area, visit thumbtack.com for search results.
Don’t minimize the importance of the wedding video—it’s everything the wedding pictures are and much, much more! Don’t choose a relative’s random boyfriend to film your wedding—choose a professional that has much more to offer. Receive a wedding video you, your loved one, your friends and family—including your strange seven-year-old!—are proud of for the many years of marriage to come!
