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1. Please enjoy it - and not just the day, but the whole process. It will happen only once and far too many couples get into stress of organisation and lose sight of what the wedding is, and why they are planning it in the first place. Relax, and enjoy it - you'll make better choices that way.
2. Weigh up what is important for you - how do you want to remember your day? It may not be Rozier Wilkinson the way you think - most couples come to us to ask us to shoot their main wedding. When people see our love stories or post wedding films they start to wonder whether other options can be equally as powerful, seeing the video as something which can supplement their wedding as well as record it.
3. Seriously consider a wedding film. Unfortunately there are a lot of misconceptions about wedding videos, as a lot of people have seen horrible examples - filmed by mad uncle Terry on a dodgy old VHS camera. Many couples dismiss the idea as being too expensive and the end product not good enough. Although we won't get into the photography vs. film debate we truly believe (obviously, or we wouldn't be doing it) that nothing can capture the magic of your day and of you the couple, better than a moving image.
4. When picking a filmmaker, trust your taste. It is easy to get bogged down in details and packages. The best way to judge whether or not a vendor is right for you is simply by watching their past work. Watch it. Then trust your instinct as to whether or not you like them. Then, once you have a shortlist of filmmakers you like, you can do your research into what each of them offer.
5. Don't buy into jargon (terms like 'HD', HDSLR, 1080p or long, long lists of equipment and fancy production techniques etc.). The best measure of a filmmaker is their work. Watch it. Lots of people can write great blurb, and have competitive prices, and provide options that are designed to mop up every type of customer (be especially wary of those). Just look at their work and see if you like, and then have a look to see if you like them. They are going to be part of your big day, and you are going to be giving them a lot of responsibility, you should like them and trust them and trust their sense of style. Your flowers may die in a week, your film should last for the rest of your life.
6. Once you find a filmmaker you can trust - trust them. This is a contentious one as, for example, most couples will want some sort of say over what music accompanies their film. We always allow our couples to make the decision either way - but we find that in the edit room, some songs just seem to fit much better in terms of tempo and subject matter than others. As editors we're not making those choices based on taste, we're making them based on what works best. However, if you'd prefer your filmmaker to be using only the music you have selected, that's fine, just make sure they have all the correct copyright permissions. The last thing you want is to be sued by Sony because you're wedding filmmaker wiggled out of their legal responsibilities in the small print.
7. Don't let a filmmaker turn your wedding into a film set. Remind them that they are there to capture your day, your day isn't there to make them a pretty film. A good filmmaker will understand the difference and this will never be an issue.
8. Be nice. Be honest. And be open. If you have a strong sense of how something should play, or a way the film should be cut, or something you'd like the film to concentrate on - let your videographer know before the shoot. A good filmmaker won't be shooting by numbers so will be only too happy to listen to your concepts and suggestions and will be trying to find ways of giving you want you want and more.
9. Provide a clear plan for your day. We can't move as fast as photographers. We shoot on exactly the same cameras, but we have support equipment such as shoulder rigs, sliders and monopods, bud mics, sounds recorders, a multitude of prime lenses (these give a higher quality than zooms) and much, much more. Because of this, we need a few moments to get to our next location and to set up. In simple setups such as a cake cut, this can be done in a minute or so. In complicated setups such as your ceremony, this can take a little while. If we have a plan, and we know where you're going to be next, it ensures that nothing is missed and every moment is captured as it happens.
10. Have fun. Go wild. Chances are, you'll never get the chance to have a documentary made about you for a while - use the opportunity - think outside the box. And enjoy your day!
Can we add an 11th? Yeah! Why not! Let's turn this up to 11!!
11. When you find a good filmmaker and you're happy with the result, tell people. There'll be other brides out there, exactly where you were before your wedding, fretting over where to find the right people for the job - help them out, it's great for the filmmaker and lets them know that they're on the right tracks and shouldn't be considering a more detached or less caring business model, it's good for the other bride and it's a nice feeling to help others - everyone's a winner!
I love these guys, I would like to sincerely thank you for your time Peter and Matt. Your posts always make me smile. Hoping you all enjoyed this post just as much as I did. It has been a really informative read and maybe you all can take something away from it.
Keeping you inspired!!
Rachyeta xxx
