PLANNING guide

This guide is designed to help you throughout the planning process and is full of helpful tips so you can move confidently toward your wedding day. We hope that we are more than just your video team. We want to be helpful with planning so the entire wedding experience is that much easier! After all, we are here to capture smiles on your wedding day, and want to make sure everything is set up for success so we have many to capture.

so You're getting married...

And we are SO excited for you!

What is important to you?

Planning your wedding can be so exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. There are so many decisions you will be making! Our best advice is to decide on the things that are absolutely important to you. Just because someone else had a bouquet toss, doesn't mean you have to! Try something different like a flower grandma, or a flash mob first dance. Don't let tradition keep you in a box. Your wedding day is one of the most special days of your life! Embrace the parts of tradition that you've been looking forward to, and also don't be afraid to let other things go just because it's "normal". Imagine what the best day ever would look like, and plan it! Also start thinking about how you want your day to feel (maybe you want a cozy, intimate feel, or maybe you want a BIG party!) -- this will help you make decisions down the line too.

lean on your team

Lean on your team!

We know that for most of our couples, this is your first time, and hopefully last time planning a wedding haha! We never expect our couples to be experts, that's our job! We always recommend working with a planner or a coordinator, this is by far the easiest ways to relive stress for your wedding day, but don't forget that we and your other vendors are here for you too! Believe me, when I say, we've seen it all... Take the advice from your vendors because we know how to have the best chance for a smooth wedding day! You don't have to figure it out on your own!

client love

“

Sean + Hannah

"...They proved to be on our team, making sure everything was simple and straightforward.. so we could focus on just enjoying our wedding day"

videography tips

01. Lighting in Key

Lighting is the single most influential factor when it comes to the image quality of your film. As amazing as our editor is, if you're standing in harsh light overhead, you will

have shadows on your face commonly known as "raccoon eyes", he's not magic. Similarly, if your venue is all indoors and they use yellow lighting, it can make skin tones look quite funky. The ideal lighting is natural (from the sun) and even (not splotchy). Keep this in mind when choosing your locations. If you want to shoot outside, stick to areas that are fully shaded or plan for shooting during "Golden Hour" (the hour before sunset). When indoors, stick to spaces with lots of windows. It's actually best to turn off the inside lights and just let the window light create a soft glow if it's not too dark. There are two kinds of light, daylight "white" light, and tungsten "yellow" light. Any situation where you have both at the same time can be quite unflattering because cameras can only be set to adjust for one light temperature. Try to stick to only one light source and it will look so much prettier!

Lighting is the single most influential factor when it comes to the image quality of your film. As amazing as our editor is, if you're standing in harsh light overhead, you will have shadows on your face commonly known as "raccoon eyes", he's not magic. Similarly, if your venue is all indoors and they use yellow lighting, it can make skin tones look quite funky. The ideal lighting is natural (from the sun) and even (not splotchy). Keep this in mind when choosing your locations. If you want to shoot outside, stick to areas that are fully shaded or plan for shooting during "Golden Hour" (the hour before sunset). When indoors, stick to spaces with lots of windows. It's actually best to turn off the inside lights and just let the window light create a soft glow if it's not too dark. There are two kinds of light, daylight "white" light, and tungsten "yellow" light. Any situation where you have both at the same time can be quite unflattering because cameras can only be set to adjust for one light temperature. Try to stick to only one light source and it will look so much prettier!

02. Add some Movement

As our shooters are filming alongside your photographer throughout the day, there's one tip to help make your time so much more efficient! As you can imagine, your photographer is going to pose you during the day for tons of great shots! While these poses look great as photos, you can
imagine how awkward a video can look of someone standing perfectly still. What video needs is movement! This will help the pose look great for your photographer and natural for your film at the same time. When your photographer poses you, simply add some movement. For example, if they pose you looking into each other's eyes, add some movement by running your hand up your partner's neck and pull them in for some quick kisses. You don't have to change the pose, simply move within the pose. For help coming up with movements, just think of what you would naturally do in this position. How would you get there? Play with your hands and your eyes, and remember kisses are never off limits! Just avoid standing completely still, and move however it feels natural! Remember we can edit out anything that comes out awkward, so don't hold back!

03. Don't forget Audio

Another aspect that makes video unique is audio. It's so special to include sound bits from moments like your vows and receptions toasts! Audio helps tell your story in the film, and make it unique to you and your family! It's not just a music video. For this reason, we HIGHLY recommend writing custom vows! This allows us to capture more of what makes your wedding yours! Feel free to watch our portfolio for examples of what this can look like!

For some quality tips, there are three common mistakes to watch out for, and some steps you can take to make a huge difference. First, if it's outdoors and windy, turn your back to block the wind from the mic or plan for a decor piece to block the wind where you will be standing. Second, especially for the reception toasts, avoid setting up any speakers near or pointing toward where the speakers will stand. Loud speakers will overpower the person speaking and the mic will record the sound of the speaker (distorted) instead of the actual person, even if the mic is up to their lips. You can still use speakers, just make sure they're not pointed at the person speaking! Finally, our last tip is to speak as loud as you can! When it's time for your vows, emotions are high, and you may be holding back tears... you may also be tempted to mumble your vows! Since we do not typically mic up the bride (difficult to hide in wedding dresses), this is even more important for the bride. Speak as loud and clear as possible during your vows. We know this is a lot to ask, but it's just something to keep in mind if you're hoping for good audio to remember those vows!

04.Inform your VIPS

Not everyone is familiar with Wedding Videography! The amount of times a guest has mistaken us for photographers would surprise you. What we want to avoid is issues interacting with your VIPS. It's helpful to let your wedding party know we will be around during prep ahead of time. Communicate with those who will be giving speeches so they know when to come find us prior to their toast to get mic'd up. There's nothing worse than a Groom refusing to wear a mic seconds before walking down the aisle because his (almost) wife forgot to mention she hired videography (yes, that has happened). Anyone who will be speaking or included in main shots should be informed ahead of time that we will be taking video for you, and their cooperation is out of respect for your choice to hire us.

getting ready

When choosing your getting ready location, look for somewhere that is nice and open with lots of natural light. This is your wedding day, so you want to feel comfortable! If the space your venue offers for getting ready does not seem like a good fit, consider renting out a cute air bnb or boutique hotel room nearby.

Find the perfect space

If you would like your film to be clutter-free, designate a room or corner of the room to be the bag area and try to keep most stuff in that corner. That way we can film you in the beautiful space you've chosen for your prep and not waste time cleaning on your big day!

keep it clean

Obviously, you and your planner will know the timeline, but it helps to share it with everyone else! We recommend creating a few different timelines for each group! No need for your bridesmaids to have the catering schedule. Make timelines for everyone in your wedding party for each of their events so they know when and where they are needed, with minimal confusion! The Groomsmen-only timeline is especially helpful ;)

share your timeline

getting ready

first looks

Before we chat about the timeline, let's touch on first looks...

It is no secret that both wedding videographers and photographers LOVE first looks. Why? Not just for the special moment and beautiful, emotive shots we get to capture when you do one, but also for the more relaxed timeline first looks allow us to create.

When you do a first look, this allows us to get shots of the two of you and group photos BEFORE your ceremony. This means we can knock out couples shots, wedding party shots, and even some family shots if you want! Doing these before your ceremony allows for a far more relaxed/enjoyable video and photo-taking experience.

Without a first look, we will need to take ALL couples photos, wedding party photos, and family photos after the ceremony. This is a ton to squeeze into a short time frame, and you + your family/wedding party will likely be eager to get to your reception and celebrate. Plus, if you are getting married in the fall or winter, the sun
goes down much earlier in the day and this may not leave us with any natural light for all of these important photos.

Finally, if you're choosing to swap pre-ceremony letters, it's much better to read them to each other during your first look rather than by yourself in your prep room. It helps make the emotions even more real, and the words come out way more natural when you're actually speaking to a person!

If having a stress-free, intentional day is a priority for you, we highly recommend doing a private first look and taking advantage of the time it carves out for just the two of you (which is rare on your wedding day!). Seeing your partner can calm your
nerves. You will likely get more photos by doing a first look. And lastly, the moment of you walking down the aisle will STILL be incredibly special!

timeline tips

If you are getting ready with both parties (guys/girls) at the same address (ie. same hotel with different rooms or same venue with different suites) then you have the option to split shooters during prep so one is with each party for coverage.

01. Prep Scenario #1:Same Venue/location

When getting ready with parties at different addresses (ie. different houses/airbnbs/hotels) we recommend staggering your prep so that our team can work most efficiently to capture footage with both parties. As a reminder, our shooters work in tandem and do not drive to separate locations, so must be within walking distance at all times.

02. Prep Scenario #2: Different addresses/locations

We always recommend couples build plenty of buffer time into their timelines. For example, if you expect something to take 30 minutes, build 45 minutes into your timeline so that you will not feel stressed or rushed if things are running behind. Hair and makeup can often take longer than expected! Remember the one thing we cannot manipulate is the sun. Once it has set, we cannot bring it back up for photos. You can never add too much buffer time!

In order to most efficiently capture footage with both parties, this is our recommendation for coverage: Start with the bridal party for the last 30 minutes of hair and makeup, pj/robes shots, and getting into dresses. Meanwhile, have the groom's party arrive to their prep location and start putting on the basics (ie. pants, shirts, shoes). Then once finished with the girls, our team will move to work with the guys to catch the final accessories (ties, cufflinks, and boutonnieres).
Keep in mind accounting for driving time in your itinerary. One option to save time, is to build in time for shooting the guy's prep at the ceremony venue (if different from their prep location) before the ceremony starts, to reduce the total driving between locations.

03. buffer time

If you're crunched for time, consider having a mock-send-off! Simply grab your sparkles in the middle of dancing rather than the end. Our shooters only need an hour of open dance floor coverage (after this it becomes a bit overkill), and families with kids or guests who've travelled will often leave early. This allows you to have the most guests around for your send-off, and use more coverage hours with your photo and video teams earlier in the day. Simply run back through and continue dancing after. Not to mention, if you have an open bar, you may not want all the late-night shenanigans included in your wedding film. What happens after 10 pm often isn't best on camera ;)