3 Tips For Shooting Your First Wedding Video

Let me preface this by disclosing that I’m not a professional videographer. I’m what you’d classify as an amateur enthusiast. Having said that, this will cover more of the general basics that beginners might be concerned with – rather than the technical details.

I found out about Julie and Mathieu’s wedding nearly a year ago. Shortly thereafter, Julie asked me if I’d be interested in capturing some video on the day of. She and I have been friends since high school (read: a decade) so I jumped at the opportunity. I also knew that if this were to be my wedding gift to them – it had better damn well be the best video I’d ever made.

I already had a pretty decent camera setup (Sony A7II), but I knew I needed some extra equipment in order to get the job done properly. Here's the list of equipment I used:

• Sony A7II: http://amzn.to/2yfBu4i 
• Sony 24-70mm f4 OSS: http://amzn.to/2xI23lO
• Sony 35mm f2.8 ZA: http://amzn.to/2wjs8Y9
• Extra NP-FW50 Batteries: http://amzn.to/2fc44Pd 
• Zoom H4n Handy Recorder: http://amzn.to/2wjFeVc
• Joby Gorillapod: http://amzn.to/2wkhdNu

This point perfectly segues into the following list of “Three Things You Should Know Before Shooting Your First Wedding Video”:

1. Think (a lot) about your vision for the video BEFOREHAND

This almost goes without saying, but preparation is key. Having never shot a wedding and having only attended a handful, I watched a good amount of wedding highlight films to prepare myself. I noted which elements I liked and disliked, and tried to pinpoint what made certain wedding films stand out more. I realized it came down to the storytelling, which made some videos pack a more emotional punch. That’s when I decided I needed to incorporate voiceovers to help tell the couple’s story.

2. Things will go wrong

Boy, did some things go wrong. In hindsight, they weren’t deal breakers (I still have a complete video that I’m really happy with) but in the moment, I felt like the whole production was going to be ruined.

I rented an audio recorder and lavalier microphones so that I could attach them to Mathieu and record the vows. I’d never worked with external audio before but I figured, “How hard could it be?” I set up and tested the equipment before the ceremony and everything was in working order.

I set the recorder down where I’d be filming from during the ceremony, but didn’t start recording because I didn’t want to have to sift through a bunch of audio of Mathieu talking to people before the ceremony. Suddenly, Mathieu starts walking and is quickly followed by Julie. Next thing you know, they’ve jumped right into their vows. As an aside, you should know that they’ve technically been married for a year so this was more a symbolic ceremony than anything. I frantically pick up the recorder, as I attempt to simultaneously capture the video that is supposed to accompany it. You know what comes next: The recorder turns on, then immediately flashes a message on screen: “Thank You, Goodbye!” and turns off. Remember, this is a wedding and there’s no do-overs – nor can I ask them to wait a second. I quickly decide that I’ll capture the video, and see if I can salvage the audio from that in post-production.

After the ceremony, there’s still the maid of honour’s speech at the reception. I know I can at least get good, clean audio from that. I also read her speech in the morning, and knew it would be good voiceover material. I made sure I told her what was going on: “Chrissy, I need the audio from your speech for the wedding film I’m making. It’s very important. Make sure you tell me when you’re going to go up, so that I can mic you up.” She said not to worry, that she’d let me know.

Halfway through my baby kale salad, I see Chrissy up on the raised stage being introduced. It caught me so off-guard and I instantly grabbed my camera to capture video, but I knew then and there that it was game over for live audio. (Thanks, Chrissy.)

Long story short: You can plan and plan all you want, but the wedding day is sure to throw you some curveballs that you have to be ready to deal with. Just roll with it.

(Julie and Mathieu recorded their vows post-wedding, and that’s the audio you hear in the video.)

3. Remember this word: COVERAGE

In filmmaking and video production, coverage is defined as “the amount of footage shot and different camera angles used to capture a scene.”

For the longest time, I thought I’d have my brother helping me out to shoot the video. As it turned out, it was just little ol’ me. Different camera angles were hard to come by as a one-man production, so I made sure to capture an obscene amount of footage.

The larger the variety of footage you have, the easier the final edit is. Don’t be afraid to keep the record button on a little longer, or run around like an idiot at the reception because you want to get a cool shot. That extra mile you go will make all the difference in your final film.

Here's a look at the final film I shot and edited for Julie and Mathieu.