I have probably done about 100 weddings in the last 10 years and I still find it challenging, and sometimes exciting. It is the only area that I know of where you are completely in charge of the production, able to create what you want and how you want. There isn't even deadline for completion. That is the deal I offer my clients and enough accept it that I am still in business. Once I deliver a wedding film, that is it, no changes unless its a typo or unless they pay. I find weddings ideal in a way. You have the client and then they are gone and it is on to the next one. All my clients come by word of mouth or from the web.I seem to attract only destination weddings, which is fine my me because they are used to paying a decent amount instead of the low prices for home weddings here in VT. I don't do any print advertising because I don't believe in it. I find that many young brides don't really care about the video, except for the more sophisticated ones, who will go to great lengths to hire a chamber music group to play in the woods for their wedding. But usually it is the parents who care because they know how important it is to capture sound and picture together for viewing in future years. They know about weepiness and reflection. They are the ones who are paying and who I have to please. Over the years, I have worked out my own style of story telling and it is there for anyone to see on my websites. I always use a 3 man crew, with 2 GH4s for prep, and 3 DVX200s for the reception and ceremony( I used to use 3 AF100s). With a well trained team, I find my weddings go very smoothly for the most part because after so many, you can't help go into a routine that just works, no matter the screw ups that always occur. Of course, I spend a lot of time preparing for each wedding, sometimes weeks in advance and I spend time training my shooters as well. I am a stickler for good sound and double and triple mike everything and it has made me really learn how to manage 6 and 8 track multi cams in FCP X.
I won't shoot weddings
- Thread starter roxics
- Start date
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
Ive photographed a bunch of weddings.. probably a great training to learn the shot-list and how the locations will move
Ive also operated for a bigger wedding film. (pay was equal to a lowbudget commercial shoot) as a team of at least four plus drone crew.
I loved operating, tucked in the church pinging away with my 50-300 and FS7, legging it out to get some slo-mo of the confetti and again being all over nice coverage of the speeches with my 50-300 having done a load of slider establishers in the morning while other ops covered B+G prep.
Knowing the moves from stills completely helps.
Anyway I think weddings are great fun but only if the client has reasonable expectations.. with a single camera you will only get a sketch. If you want full coverage you can easily eat four operators and heaps of sound kit and that will cost multiple thousands.
S
At the other end I shot this with a 17-55 and an NEX5n, but it was a mate and I was mainly there to celebrate with them the video was a bonus.
Ive also operated for a bigger wedding film. (pay was equal to a lowbudget commercial shoot) as a team of at least four plus drone crew.
I loved operating, tucked in the church pinging away with my 50-300 and FS7, legging it out to get some slo-mo of the confetti and again being all over nice coverage of the speeches with my 50-300 having done a load of slider establishers in the morning while other ops covered B+G prep.
Knowing the moves from stills completely helps.
Anyway I think weddings are great fun but only if the client has reasonable expectations.. with a single camera you will only get a sketch. If you want full coverage you can easily eat four operators and heaps of sound kit and that will cost multiple thousands.
S
At the other end I shot this with a 17-55 and an NEX5n, but it was a mate and I was mainly there to celebrate with them the video was a bonus.
QuickHitRecord
Veteran
I've shot two weddings, the second of which I got roped into a same-day edit that the couple wanted to show towards the end of the reception (and this was after being the third camera op at the ceremony). I think from the time that I drove to the reception location, sequestered myself in an out-of-the-way closet and got my laptop set up, I had less than four hours to do this. Talk about sweating bullets. There had been two cameras rolling for the bride and groom prep, three for the ceremony, and then the guy who hired me and another camera op kept stopping by and dropping off SD cards with reception footage as I was trying to make sense of all this. I consider myself to be a pretty fast editor but I fell pretty far behind just trying to import the footage. I ended up cutting a 60-second "teaser" to the actual video for them to show at the reception. Luckily, the couple was happy with it, and so was my client. He cut a full video for them afterwards.
Moral of the story: if you can help it, don't agree to a same-day edit!
Moral of the story: if you can help it, don't agree to a same-day edit!
I still do them as my primary type of video in the summer. Been doing it 3 years now.
Overall, they are my least favorite type of video production but like everything in life, there are pros and cons.
They are stressful. Much more so than any of the corporate type of stuff. The biggest reasons are travel issues and equipment malfunctioning. Stuff that you can't really predict, and have a tough time dealing with on the spot. I tend to be a bit on edge until the we arrive at the final venue for the evening. Then I can relax a little.
Audio is always a bit stressful at the ceremony. 95% of the time, it's smooth sailing but there's always those times where the wireless system is not cooperating or there is a ton of external noise (Wind, places, construction etc.). Being rushed *constantly* between set ups, carrying your gear, changing lenses etc... gets really old. No one waits for you (understandably), so it's always SO refreshing to do a controlled shoot where you can take your time to do things.
It's always a bit of a weird feeling when you leave for the night. It's like you are a ghost, a voyeur to other people's fun.
On the plus side, they are booked well in advance so you always know you have a bunch of steady work for a while. Most of the work is done from home, so if you are like me and enjoy that sort of thing, they are excellent for that life style.
The other plus is that at least a handful of people will really appreciate what you've done. They get crapped on by alot of video production folks, but to have a dozen or so family members really moved by your work, really appreciate what you've captured, it does mean alot. Compared to corporate videos, or even short films, where 99.9% of the time no one cares. Those can often feel more vapid to me than any wedding video.
Overall, they are my least favorite type of video production but like everything in life, there are pros and cons.
They are stressful. Much more so than any of the corporate type of stuff. The biggest reasons are travel issues and equipment malfunctioning. Stuff that you can't really predict, and have a tough time dealing with on the spot. I tend to be a bit on edge until the we arrive at the final venue for the evening. Then I can relax a little.
Audio is always a bit stressful at the ceremony. 95% of the time, it's smooth sailing but there's always those times where the wireless system is not cooperating or there is a ton of external noise (Wind, places, construction etc.). Being rushed *constantly* between set ups, carrying your gear, changing lenses etc... gets really old. No one waits for you (understandably), so it's always SO refreshing to do a controlled shoot where you can take your time to do things.
It's always a bit of a weird feeling when you leave for the night. It's like you are a ghost, a voyeur to other people's fun.
On the plus side, they are booked well in advance so you always know you have a bunch of steady work for a while. Most of the work is done from home, so if you are like me and enjoy that sort of thing, they are excellent for that life style.
The other plus is that at least a handful of people will really appreciate what you've done. They get crapped on by alot of video production folks, but to have a dozen or so family members really moved by your work, really appreciate what you've captured, it does mean alot. Compared to corporate videos, or even short films, where 99.9% of the time no one cares. Those can often feel more vapid to me than any wedding video.
Agafilm
Active member
Agree with that. The experiences I had filming weddings were generally good, and I appreciated being able to come into such an important part of people's lives and help it go the way they want. Or adapt if it doesn't. Either way, it's fascinating to get to see people being themselves, not reading a script, and to be welcomed into that. I don't at all regret doing them. It's a nice accomplishment to come out of an event like that having dealt with the uncontrolled conditions appropriately. The whole reason I started filming things was to have an impact on the viewers. The first thing I ever showed was a stupid short at a high school media showcase, and the feeling of a room full of people responding- laughing at the right parts- made me continue. My work isn't funny anymore (mostly), but I still want people to connect with it in some way. Weddings are a great opportunity to do that in an organic way.... but I still don't plan to do them.
abreu-canedo
Well-known member
I approach every job with the same responsibility as a wedding...not because a commercial is the most important day in that producer's life, but because every job I do is a critical step in getting to where I want to be. Doing weddings has really helped with my customer service skills and every client of mine knows I am doing everything that I can for them.
Also, if you structure an agreement in a specific type of way and are willing to do the prep work to go to the rehearsal, visit the venues and know about sound parameters, be in contact with the planner and vendors that may impact your work, then as a videographer on the day of the event you are more stable and better able to attend to changes and unforseen moments. In fact, I often give the DJ a wireless lav straight into my headset, so that he can tell me, ''Hey, I am gonna announce the dances, or speeches'' or whatever. Then, they know to wait for my signal. And since I already went to rehearsal and know the venue, I mostly know how I am able to cover it. If the clients feel that this does not work for them, I often just pass them along to other friends who may be interested. But most clients like this and are willing to pay a premium for the end result.
Like every gig, it is all about structuring the agreement so that both parties feel good about what they are stepping into and everyone's expectations are met.
Of course, there are moments where things beyond my control happen, or there is miscommunication between various parties, and this can be stressful. But not any more stressfull than directing a mid-size narrative crew or doing run-and-gun work in a challenging environment. But in those situations my contract saves my butt and that also helps to relieve the stress. There are also many wedding guests that feel uncomfortable on camera and that discomfort can turn into antagonism or just plain rude behavior. But again, I get rude producers and directors and people in my life and I have to deal with that. And I must admit, dealing with rude people is something I need to work on but you know, at the end of the day, I am doing something I enjoy, my clients value my work, and I gain some valuable experiences.
But to the OP, there are various types of production jobs, all with their different challenges. You just have to know yourself, what you need and don't need, what you can put up with or not, structure your agreements carefully and realistically, and go from there. If that means not doing weddings, well then more power to you.
But if there is a gap in your video income and you think you can deliver good work without going nuts, then hey, give it a shot? I don't know...you tell us
Also, if you structure an agreement in a specific type of way and are willing to do the prep work to go to the rehearsal, visit the venues and know about sound parameters, be in contact with the planner and vendors that may impact your work, then as a videographer on the day of the event you are more stable and better able to attend to changes and unforseen moments. In fact, I often give the DJ a wireless lav straight into my headset, so that he can tell me, ''Hey, I am gonna announce the dances, or speeches'' or whatever. Then, they know to wait for my signal. And since I already went to rehearsal and know the venue, I mostly know how I am able to cover it. If the clients feel that this does not work for them, I often just pass them along to other friends who may be interested. But most clients like this and are willing to pay a premium for the end result.
Like every gig, it is all about structuring the agreement so that both parties feel good about what they are stepping into and everyone's expectations are met.
Of course, there are moments where things beyond my control happen, or there is miscommunication between various parties, and this can be stressful. But not any more stressfull than directing a mid-size narrative crew or doing run-and-gun work in a challenging environment. But in those situations my contract saves my butt and that also helps to relieve the stress. There are also many wedding guests that feel uncomfortable on camera and that discomfort can turn into antagonism or just plain rude behavior. But again, I get rude producers and directors and people in my life and I have to deal with that. And I must admit, dealing with rude people is something I need to work on but you know, at the end of the day, I am doing something I enjoy, my clients value my work, and I gain some valuable experiences.
But to the OP, there are various types of production jobs, all with their different challenges. You just have to know yourself, what you need and don't need, what you can put up with or not, structure your agreements carefully and realistically, and go from there. If that means not doing weddings, well then more power to you.
But if there is a gap in your video income and you think you can deliver good work without going nuts, then hey, give it a shot? I don't know...you tell usBeen shooting wedding for about 5 years and within the last recent years, I've stopped doing them. Like everyone says they're pretty intense and sometimes long days (especially some of the Asian cultures, which starts at 7am - 11pm). It was a good start for me to build up the funds and equipments, but like many others, had to move away from it (post hrs. are too long and found it less and less thrilling to edit). As of recently, we started offering concept films/shorts/movie trailers as an alternative to couples that request us to shoot their wedding event. Since it different and unique, we're able to charge a different rate than most videographers and production and post is much easier since we have time to control lights and retakes.
DannayZay
Well-known member
I remember shooting my first wedding for one of my high school teachers (when I was 17) with a Sony VX1000. 9 Years later -- I'm still taking on wedding work. 2 years ago I began shooting for a studio that was much more focused on creative b-roll for feature and highlight films (opposed to some more traditional ways of capturing prep, portraits, main events, etc). I took all of the experience from lighting receptions and hiding lav's and directly applied it to my corporate work. This past February I finally got to apply my skills from the studio to one of my own clients. I now focus on creating story-driven highlight trailers.
Here is a little comparison of how my style changed in just over a year (and of course these are single shooter):
Newest Trailer:
October 2014 Trailer:
Here is a little comparison of how my style changed in just over a year (and of course these are single shooter):
Newest Trailer:
October 2014 Trailer:
Drew Ott
Wish I were banned.
As a second cameraman I can make $500-$1000 a day shooting weddings, without bringing any equipment. I don't deal with clients, or edit, or do any prep work. That rate is about 3x what I'm paid as a crew member for any other kind of video work. Weddings get you significantly less prestige among other video professionals, but if that keeps more competition out of the market, then so be it.
Weddings are pretty hard, but fortunately weddings were the first job I ever had. It makes me feel very lazy everywhere else, as if I'm barely doing any work at all. I prefer the fast pace of weddings because it makes the day go by quickly. If there's a full Catholic ceremony, I often get to hear a nice, live performance of Ave Maria. The women are nice to look at. And it's fun to see old people and children dancing.
I'm convinced that you also develop certain skills shooting weddings that other video professionals don't have. The people who hire me, some of whom are the guys who can charge $20k for a wedding, are usually extremely professional, charismatic, and well dressed. They're able to handle the highly stressful job throughout the day without ever letting the bride and groom see them looking uncomfortable. These guys will operate a steadicam for 8 hours a day while wearing a suit.
That said, I'd hate to have to start my own wedding company. I don't see it as "filmmaking" at all, but an adjacent profession that happens to use many of the same skills. Most of the people I meet who shoot weddings actually love weddings, but I still hold out hope that I can contribute a little bit more to the world.
Weddings are pretty hard, but fortunately weddings were the first job I ever had. It makes me feel very lazy everywhere else, as if I'm barely doing any work at all. I prefer the fast pace of weddings because it makes the day go by quickly. If there's a full Catholic ceremony, I often get to hear a nice, live performance of Ave Maria. The women are nice to look at. And it's fun to see old people and children dancing.
I'm convinced that you also develop certain skills shooting weddings that other video professionals don't have. The people who hire me, some of whom are the guys who can charge $20k for a wedding, are usually extremely professional, charismatic, and well dressed. They're able to handle the highly stressful job throughout the day without ever letting the bride and groom see them looking uncomfortable. These guys will operate a steadicam for 8 hours a day while wearing a suit.
That said, I'd hate to have to start my own wedding company. I don't see it as "filmmaking" at all, but an adjacent profession that happens to use many of the same skills. Most of the people I meet who shoot weddings actually love weddings, but I still hold out hope that I can contribute a little bit more to the world.
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roxics
Veteran
If I could make $20K a wedding I'd be doing them all the time. But your day rate as a second camera operator is what I've found most people around me want to pay for the entire wedding video. They'll throw out $2500 for the photographer, but then don't want to throw out more than $500-1000 for a completed wedding video. Probably because they're already spending so much on the photographer and value the wedding photos more than video.
morgan_moore
Major Contributor
That is not a lot to spend on a photographer (from the photographers viewpoint) Advertising, getting the job, Prep, Full day, piles of kit and 3-4 days of post for $2.5g is probably about on par with working on a building site or worse.
While people describe these fees $20k a wedding video or $3k for stills as 'a lot' it drives down the general value of our industry.
It is well worth considering what people pay for catering or whatever, many weddings cost a heap.
S
combatentropy
Veteran
Is there a term in economics for when the supplier and consumer both think the other is ripping them off? For example, if I dove to the bottom of the ocean, collected rocks, and laser-etched them each with a unique design, then I might need to charge several thousand dollars per rock just to break even. But to a buyer, they're like, you're charging me several thousand dollars for a rock?
A wedding video is more than just a rock, of course. I made about 30 of them, so I understand. But this price disparity was going on when I was making them over a decade ago. So nothing has changed. So likely it will be like this 10 years from now too.
One answer is to just charge what it's worth for our work ($3,000? $4,000? $20,000?) and let the chips fall where they may. If we don't get enough gigs, we do other work. This reminds me of a story of a wedding videographer whose videos each cost him a few hundred dollars more to make than he charged. His solution? "I guess I have to do more weddings."
Another answer would be to strip down the wedding video to what you could do long term for just $1,000 or so. For me that is actually more appealing, because charging $5,000 for a wedding just compounds what I like least about them: the pressure. The couples courting $1,000 wedding videos aren't picturing the elaborate productions most of us do. They are literally picturing a wedding videotaped. I would consider getting back into it if I thought this would work: a one-camera shoot, artistically shot and all, where I can move around, but the final product is like a 10-minute film poem.
A wedding video is more than just a rock, of course. I made about 30 of them, so I understand. But this price disparity was going on when I was making them over a decade ago. So nothing has changed. So likely it will be like this 10 years from now too.
One answer is to just charge what it's worth for our work ($3,000? $4,000? $20,000?) and let the chips fall where they may. If we don't get enough gigs, we do other work. This reminds me of a story of a wedding videographer whose videos each cost him a few hundred dollars more to make than he charged. His solution? "I guess I have to do more weddings."
Another answer would be to strip down the wedding video to what you could do long term for just $1,000 or so. For me that is actually more appealing, because charging $5,000 for a wedding just compounds what I like least about them: the pressure. The couples courting $1,000 wedding videos aren't picturing the elaborate productions most of us do. They are literally picturing a wedding videotaped. I would consider getting back into it if I thought this would work: a one-camera shoot, artistically shot and all, where I can move around, but the final product is like a 10-minute film poem.
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abreu-canedo
Well-known member
Yikes! Sounds like you got your answer...which coincidently is the title of your thread.
I wonder if for $1000 bucks (if as you say, is what the clients you have access to are willing to pay) you could come up with a strategy where you are able to not be too stressed, make a profit, and deliver something that meets the clients expectations. Of course, expectations are layed out well in advance. My guess is that that could be challenging, but it depends on if you are really needing the money. No one is saying to just do it for the money, but yeah, if you can afford not to take on cheap clients, it is usually better not to. ...usually. But you already know this.
Best of luck with your work and I hope it works out for you regardless of weddings or not.
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starcentral
Veteran
I don't shoot weddings for a living, but if someone offered me a couple thousand dollars or more for one, I would definitely pull together a small crew of 2 shooters and 1 assistant and shoot for a day!
I actually did one a few years back for a friend's close friend and we shot all day on DSLR's which was great practice for fast thinking on your feet, pulling focus, and actually can be fun and quite creative.
When I first wanted to buy my first expensive video camera decades ago, I did as many weddings as I could because the money wasn't bad and there was no shortage of people looking for video guys to shoot their weddings.
I guess everyone has their own opinion about them, but if you have most of the equipment laying around and can use some extra money then hey why not shoot one.
Free booze and hot looking girls is always an incentive too. :beer:
I actually did one a few years back for a friend's close friend and we shot all day on DSLR's which was great practice for fast thinking on your feet, pulling focus, and actually can be fun and quite creative.
When I first wanted to buy my first expensive video camera decades ago, I did as many weddings as I could because the money wasn't bad and there was no shortage of people looking for video guys to shoot their weddings.
I guess everyone has their own opinion about them, but if you have most of the equipment laying around and can use some extra money then hey why not shoot one.
Free booze and hot looking girls is always an incentive too. :beer:
alaskacameradude
Veteran
I'll shoot them......but I'm not going to compete on price. So I do 2 or 3 a year. I get a TON of inquiries though, and some of
them are pretty illuminating. The last one I got, started off as usual, asking for my price. The bride, then went on to tell me what
photographer I would be working with if I was hired......and I checked out the photographer's website as I had never heard of this
wedding photographer, and since I live in a small town, I thought I knew all of them. Turns out, this wedding photographer's packages
were from 10 grand to about 50 grand, but hey, his portfolio looked good! But the reason I had not heard of him, was he lived 800 miles
away so the bride had to fly him in, and get him a hotel and so on. Anyways, when I gave her my quote (which was less than the
photographer's cheapest package she said
"Oh, that's quite a bit more than I was expecting. I have a budget of about $500. Would it make any difference if I told you
we just wanted a simple video?"
Good times. I advised her with that budget to just have a friend with an iPhone do it.
them are pretty illuminating. The last one I got, started off as usual, asking for my price. The bride, then went on to tell me what
photographer I would be working with if I was hired......and I checked out the photographer's website as I had never heard of this
wedding photographer, and since I live in a small town, I thought I knew all of them. Turns out, this wedding photographer's packages
were from 10 grand to about 50 grand, but hey, his portfolio looked good! But the reason I had not heard of him, was he lived 800 miles
away so the bride had to fly him in, and get him a hotel and so on. Anyways, when I gave her my quote (which was less than the
photographer's cheapest package she said
"Oh, that's quite a bit more than I was expecting. I have a budget of about $500. Would it make any difference if I told you
we just wanted a simple video?"
Good times. I advised her with that budget to just have a friend with an iPhone do it.
Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
I shoot 20-30 weddings a year and love every minute. I love love and love marriage so it makes sense for me. I also love the challenge of weddings. I think I'm a better filmmaker for it. It is a part-time job for me, so it doesn't have to provide a ton of revenue, but I don't price myself dirt cheaper either... it's a lot of work.
I get the $500 client contacting me by email all the time, I just send them my price list and never hear from them again. The ones that are serious willl call, will have looked at my work and know what they want. I have had clients say they want to spend at least $3,000 but they want quality work. It is not all that often, but it is better to wait for that call than chase after the cheapies that don't really know what they are buying.
roxics
Veteran
I have a day job. So for me any weddings I took on would just be side work. Bonus money to buy some gear with. But I also value my free time. I have my son with me every other weekend and Wednesday. So to give up a day out of one of those weekends to take the job, it has to be worth my while.
The prices I'm referring to at $500-1000 have a lot to do with my market as well. I'm in the Detroit area. While there are people here doing $20K+ weddings (the cost of the entire wedding), there are also a lot that aren't. A lot of younger people are getting married cheaper these days.
Here you can buy a typical 3-4 bedroom middle class home for around $150K in an alright nighborhood. I've watched a lot of these home improvement shows where the same houses go for $400-$500K in a lot of other parts of the country. And my jaw is perpetually dropped while watching those shows and the kind of money young couples throw around for those houses that need a lot of work.
My only assumption is that these people have to be making a lot more money to afford these houses. Then when I think about fixed price items like cameras and computers (macbooks for example) it begins to make a lot more sense. To someone like me in my market, $2000 for a laptop is a ton of money. But for someone paying $400k for a three bedroom house, paying $2000 for a laptop is probably the equivalent of me buying a $600 laptop. It's still a chunk of change but not unreasonable.
Since our gear prices are pretty much fixed wherever you are, therein lies the problem. Even if I'm willing to work cheap, my gear price is fixed by the overall market. As is the wear and tear on it since gear never says "well, you'll making less money in this market so I'm going to wear out slower for you." So I think that in my market, unless you are getting the bigger weddings where people are willing to pay you $2000+ it's not worth it. Especially if you take any kind of pride in your work and want to cover it with two cameras/operators minimum, have a wireless mic setup, decent music, etc.
The prices I'm referring to at $500-1000 have a lot to do with my market as well. I'm in the Detroit area. While there are people here doing $20K+ weddings (the cost of the entire wedding), there are also a lot that aren't. A lot of younger people are getting married cheaper these days.
Here you can buy a typical 3-4 bedroom middle class home for around $150K in an alright nighborhood. I've watched a lot of these home improvement shows where the same houses go for $400-$500K in a lot of other parts of the country. And my jaw is perpetually dropped while watching those shows and the kind of money young couples throw around for those houses that need a lot of work.
My only assumption is that these people have to be making a lot more money to afford these houses. Then when I think about fixed price items like cameras and computers (macbooks for example) it begins to make a lot more sense. To someone like me in my market, $2000 for a laptop is a ton of money. But for someone paying $400k for a three bedroom house, paying $2000 for a laptop is probably the equivalent of me buying a $600 laptop. It's still a chunk of change but not unreasonable.
Since our gear prices are pretty much fixed wherever you are, therein lies the problem. Even if I'm willing to work cheap, my gear price is fixed by the overall market. As is the wear and tear on it since gear never says "well, you'll making less money in this market so I'm going to wear out slower for you." So I think that in my market, unless you are getting the bigger weddings where people are willing to pay you $2000+ it's not worth it. Especially if you take any kind of pride in your work and want to cover it with two cameras/operators minimum, have a wireless mic setup, decent music, etc.
After grossly, grossly over-delivering on every wedding for many years, starting in 2016 Ive put some new demos together from the years and revised my packages and prices. Now my prices are significantly higher. They can see what they can get and it is worth it for me to do them. If they think it's too high, that's fine. They can find someone else and likely get what they pay for.
combatentropy
Veteran
Those of you who are making wedding videos, how long are they?
In 2000-04, when I was making them, mine were 30-45 minutes: a 5- to 10-minute intro (bride getting ready, guests arriving, etc.) Then the ceremony, mostly in full, for however long it ran (10-20 minutes). Then about 15 minutes of the reception highlights.
It was the ceremony that killed me. I never felt that I covered it adequately. I felt like you ideally needed 3-5 cameras and several mics, but I usually used just 2 cameras and a couple microphones (a lav on the groom for him, the bride, and minister, and a mic or two elsewhere for the reader, quartet, other ceremony sound).
I always wished I could cover the ceremony the way I covered the reception: just one camera roving around, edited down to a fifth of its original length. But the ceremony seemed sacred, and I was loath to cut anything. So that's why I felt I needed two or three cameras, each with its own operator. If you can't cut out anything, then you can't move around, because the footage is ruined as you walk around. But if you want it visually interesting, you need several angles. Hence the need for several cameras.
What do the bride and groom want? I can't answer that question, even as someone who got married. Do I want every second of the ceremony, for sentimental reasons? Or do I want just a 5-minute highlights video, that I'll actually watch? Do you just give the couple both: a highlights video and some full-length version, where every second is there?
In 2000-04, when I was making them, mine were 30-45 minutes: a 5- to 10-minute intro (bride getting ready, guests arriving, etc.) Then the ceremony, mostly in full, for however long it ran (10-20 minutes). Then about 15 minutes of the reception highlights.
It was the ceremony that killed me. I never felt that I covered it adequately. I felt like you ideally needed 3-5 cameras and several mics, but I usually used just 2 cameras and a couple microphones (a lav on the groom for him, the bride, and minister, and a mic or two elsewhere for the reader, quartet, other ceremony sound).
I always wished I could cover the ceremony the way I covered the reception: just one camera roving around, edited down to a fifth of its original length. But the ceremony seemed sacred, and I was loath to cut anything. So that's why I felt I needed two or three cameras, each with its own operator. If you can't cut out anything, then you can't move around, because the footage is ruined as you walk around. But if you want it visually interesting, you need several angles. Hence the need for several cameras.
What do the bride and groom want? I can't answer that question, even as someone who got married. Do I want every second of the ceremony, for sentimental reasons? Or do I want just a 5-minute highlights video, that I'll actually watch? Do you just give the couple both: a highlights video and some full-length version, where every second is there?