Yeah, the economy can be tough sometimes, but that doesn’t mean your wedding memories should take a back-seat.  There are so many ways to remain cost-conscious for your wedding, but too often we hear that a wedding video is considered a “luxury” that most couples forego.

Many couples see the photographer as a necessity, and the video as something they would like, but can ultimately live without.  Really?  Let’s see….budget…budget…where to spend the budget?....on one hand, upgrade to some exotic flower that no one – aside from maybe the florist – has ever heard of…or, relive one of the biggest days of your life in vivid detail for years to come?

A professionally produced wedding video is not the same as Uncle George carrying around his camcorder. A professional video will showcase moments of the wedding from perspectives not shown in the photography, and in ways that (het hem…Uncle George) don’t intrude on the photographer’s shots.  In addition to the emotion and subtleties of a moving image, the video will also share the sounds of the day…a faint sniffle during the ceremony, the cheers and excitement during the pronouncement, and the best man giving his speech. Professionals who use wireless microphones will produce a video with the best sound quality.

• Choose a videographer whose style fits your personality.  Like the photographer, he or she will be intimately involved in every event throughout the day.
• Consider whether you want a videographer that is more one-on-one, offering direction and setting up shots as the photographer would, interacting with guests for impromptu interviews and inviting on-camera feedback, or one who will work more in the background, capturing moments as they unfold.
• The videographer and photographer often work hand-in-hand, coordinating shots and conversing about lighting. Some photographers have a videographer on staff, so it’s wise to check with them first to see if video is something you can add to your package.  But if you have already found a videographer you love, it is okay to book them separately as well. 
• Just because your photographer’s camera can also shoot video these days, that doesn’t mean you should task your photographer with this additional responsibility.  If you want a wedding video, plan to have someone dedicated to the job.  Otherwise, you’ll end up with moments captured as stills that you wished were video, and video clips that you later wish you could put in your album as still images.  The photographer can’t do both (at least, not well!).

Although we live in an increasingly digital world where people capture photos and videos on their smartphones, a wedding video captured on professional equipment and expertly edited into a story of the day becomes a unique keepsake.  The best wedding videos incorporate short, bite-sized clips of the day, highlighting the most interesting and memorable features in a way that keeps the viewer excited and interested.  So, no long drawn-out shots of every bridesmaid’s walk down the aisle…just the wait at the end of the aisle of one girl, a few strides of the next, a bashful smile of another, and the arrival to the altar of the last.  In other words, you want something with an upbeat tempo that doesn’t have you turn around to a room full of viewers who are half asleep three minutes into watching. 

A few other benefits to consider:

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• When else is it possible to get all the most important people in your life together in one place (and looking their best!)?
• Although no one wants to think of it, some of the older friends and family who attend your wedding will eventually pass on to a better place, and the wedding video often becomes a very cherished way of seeing them smile, dance, laugh, and hug you one more time.
• There are many things happening outside your immediate surroundings that will come as a great delight later on, such as the gasps of wonder upon guests walking into the reception room, or the tears on the face of an aunt who was sitting too far back in the church pews. This is where a wedding video can prove invaluable.

When discussing your video options, state your preferences on how you like to look, and even fears about being filmed, and the videographer can no doubt find solutions that will accommodate your needs.

Modern videographers offer high-resolution, edited movies that can be watched both online and shared digitally with friends wherever they are, but also on a hard-copy DVD or Blu-Ray, so you can enjoy it on your home TV. 

Although there will always be things that have to get cut from the budget, the longevity and value offered by a beautiful wedding video should be something that are carefully considered before ruling it out completely.