Hiring a Videographer for Your Wedding

These are some things to keep in mind if you're planning to hire a videographer for your wedding. I've run into a lot of these problems which could've been easily avoided if some ground rules are set. My regular readers won't care, but if this is googled, and it helps someone out, great.

Make a Timetable for your Wedding Day, and Stick to It.

During the invitation, stress that the wedding will start on time. There will always be stragglers coming in during the ceremony, there's no delay you can put on your wedding that will remedy that. Why the strict timetable? Because this will give both the videographer and photographer estimates as to when the important stuff happens, and they won't miss it capturing something else. You should have things like start of ceremony, start of reception, First Dance, Bouquet Toss, Garter Toss, Money Dance, Father/Mother Dance and Cake Cutting all laid out. Try to get them out of the way early in the reception, so that your guests will be able to enjoy all of it. I've had a garter toss at midnight when only a few gals were left, and I've had to miss a few things because the couple had scheduled those activities outside my time frame. Never underestimate your friends and families' ability to leave early during the reception. Remember, it may be full of commotion for the bride and groom, but for the guests, if the reception drags without any real activity, they will start leaving. A timetable is essential to a successful wedding day.

Assign a M.C./Coordinator

If you can't afford one, assign a family member to it. This family member should be the taskmaster type that likes to keep everything organized and going. A socializer would not be a good idea for this role. This person will be responsible for the timetable being upheld, and basically given the authority to act on the bride and groom's behalf. He or she will ensure that the happy couple are where they need to be when they need to be, and just make sure that the evening goes according to plan. This person can even be given the power to outrule any offending parents who might want to veer the evening a certain way - basically a voice and enforcer for the bride and groom who can answer questions.

Tell the Videographer of Special Circumstances

This might seem obvious, but then again, it isn't. But when there's something unique like a choreographed dance, a member of the wedding party singing, or there are many different speakers during the ceremony - anything like that, the videographer needs to know. That way the people can be mic-ed up, and the videographer can find the best angle to shoot from. Videographers don't like surprises, because we get caught off guard and miss something. And when we miss something, it's difficult to stop the action to remedy the shot, or reposition the camera.

Let the Pros do their Job

You've paid money for the Photographer and Videographer, right? Let them do their jobs, and get the best shots. Unfortunately, the bride and groom are usually too busy being married, so they can't do anything about it. But I've had two ceremonies whereby friends and family will have the gall to stand in front of my camera to take their own photos and videos. I shoot from the back because of two reasons - to get the couple walking down the aisle at the end of the ceremony, and to stay out of the guests way. I could certainly be position shotgun right by the bride and groom to get the best angle, but it would block all the guests from seeing the bride and groom. So it's no different when Uncle Jimmy decides to stand in the middle of the aisle trying to get a good shot. This is when the MC/Coordinator has to come in and shoo them away.

Your ceremony is a once in a lifetime moment. Don't let it be obstructed by overzealous amateurs trying to get a good photo or video. They mean well, but it is too difficult to work around. Let the photographer and videographer get first dibs.

Expect a Longer Turnaround for your Video

One of the first questions should be, "How far are you currently behind?" Ask for a honest answers. I myself would be forced to answer a few months, and I've heard horror stories about videographers being a year behind. I've heard from a client that her sister got married, had kids, and still haven't seen their wedding video. I'm not the best, but I'm not that bad. Editing is a lot different than just shooting a video. A videographer has to sift through hours of footage, score it to music, render the effects, author the DVD and design the case. They do take a lot of time.

On the other hand, videography are often small businesses and owners often can procrastinate, especially if they work from home. So, try to establish whether the videographer you have in mind will have a dependable and acceptable turnaround before you hire them.