The Rules for Creating an Epic Wedding Video

When you are planning a wedding, it often seems that many of the little details and decisions cannot be taken care of until the last few days before the big day.

This can really add unnecessary pressure to the bride, especially since it is so important that she look and feel her best at her wedding. In the days leading up to the wedding, it’s a great idea to try and schedule some time to do something special to really rejuvenate yourself -- something that helps you get into the right spirit to enjoy your wedding to the fullest. Maybe schedule some spa time with your bridesmaids or plan a work out and massage on the morning of your wedding.

Do anything that you know will make you feel great and in turn look fabulous in your wedding video!

Minimize Stress
To minimize stress on your wedding day, make sure you get ready well in advance. Hiring a good coordinator will help make the day run smoothly and on time, but also really give yourself more time then you think you need to get ready. This way you have time with your bridesmaids to celebrate and enjoy this moment. It also allows you to have all the pictures taken you want in a fun and relaxed manner. When a bride is running late, everything becomes a little bit rushed and there is not time to get all the pictures and video coverage of things she had looked forward to for so long.

Stick to a Schedule
I can’t tell you how important it is to not run late. It is really amazing how much it affects the day, the bride... and the video! For example, I recently filmed a wedding with the ceremony scheduled for five o’clock. The itinerary for the day had the photographer and I arriving at three o’clock to capture shots of the bride getting ready and then photos with the bride and her bridesmaids and family until four-fifteen, with plenty of time left for the bride to relax and have a glass of champagne before the ceremony. However, the bride didn’t even start getting into her dress until almost half past five. Because the bride’s room overlooked the ceremony site, we could all hear the guests arriving and chatting and the quartet playing, and of course the bride was starting to feel pressure. The hair and makeup team were taking their time and assuring the bride that “Don’t worry, the wedding can’t start without you!” Well, while it is true that the ceremony can’t start without the bride, the wedding day does. The day goes by so fast as it is, and you really want to be relaxed and ready for it rather than feeling rushed and stressed.

What happened in this case was that the bride was running an hour and a half late, she missed out on all the pre-ceremony photos as well as the chance to savor the day. By the time her bridesmaids finished frantically buttoning up her dress and helping her into her shoes, jewelry, and veil, she never even had the chance to really look at herself in the mirror before running down the stairs to line up for the ceremony. Plus, the original plan was to do more photos and video for about half and hour after the ceremony and then join the cocktail hour to start celebrating with her guests. Instead, she spent over an hour doing all of the photos that she missed doing pre-ceremony and never even made it to the cocktail party or got the chance to see the reception room before it was filled with guests.

Give Some Thought to Your Lighting
Aside from keeping the event on schedule, there are also a few technical things that you can be aware of to make your video the best it can be. For one, do not lower the lighting very much during the dancing. Often, the reception room is beautifully lit and then the dancing begins the lights are dimmed down so low that it is really hard to film all the great dancing and the band. Try to keep it lit until the photographer and videographer depart, then turn the lights down. Additionally, white lights are always better then colored lights in the reception room and pin-spotting tables and the dance floor in white lights look amazing.

Enjoy Your Wedding
Most importantly, simply the best way to get a great wedding video is to have the time of your life at your wedding and let the photographer and videographer do the rest. I find that if a bride is a little stressed, it really shows in the video. She can smile for a moment and look great in her pictures, but video really captures all the moments in between the actual picture itself. If a bride is enjoying her wedding day, it really shows in the video. So, do yourself a favor: Enjoy the planning, do something to rejuvenate yourself before the wedding day, and avoid extra stress by leaving plenty of time to get ready so that the celebration starts on time.

Opening photograph by Tina Rowden