Ask anyone what they remember about their wedding and 9 times out of 10 they’ll tell you,
“It went by so fast! It was just a blur…”
You’re wedding day is a once in a lifetime experience – don’t miss out! Wedding videos are a great keepsake that you and your spouse can cherish – but as always remember to keep your eye on the bargain, and make a choice that will keep your wedding affordable. So what options are out there? What are the pro’s and cons of each option? Well, let’s take a look at the big two options:
Professional Wedding Videos
Hiring a professional wedding videographer is the safest bet to make sure you end up with a high quality wedding video. It’s also the most expensive way to go – with packages ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. If you decide that a professional wedding videographer is right for you, make sure you you do your homework on the vendor, and consider all aspects of the service they provide for you:
- Does their past work match your style?
- What format will the video be provided in? Will the files be locked, or are you free to make copies? Try to get several copies in different formats. Digital files are great too, and easy to share with friends and family.
- How long will video be? 5 minutes, or an hour?
- How invasive will the video crew be? Will the presence of their camera, lighting and sound equipment be an inconvenience to you and your guests?
- What will be filmed? Pre-Ceremony? Ceremony? Reception?
The best ways to save money on your professional wedding videos are by keeping it simple. Don’t go over-board and chose the Triple Deluxe Platinum Package, a full day of filming, 3 video cameras, and a 2 1/2 hour final video, and stack of DVD copies. You’ll never use it. A simple package, with a shorter video will provide an easy to watch video -one that your friends and family won’t mind sitting through later on. A digital file will be better than ordering a stack of DVD copies, easier to share, save and watch later on. DVD’s will eventually become outdated anyway.
Do It Yourself Wedding Videos
Consumer video technology has made it easy for you to create a high quality wedding video that will rival the professionals, and save you a bundle in the process. Pick up an inexpensive video camera that records in HD and works well in low light settings. Make sure it works with whatever video editing program your going to use – and there are some great free options out there. For Mac users iMovie is a great application to use to polish your movie and make the footage look great. For Windows users Sony Vegas is another great option.
- Practice first – make sure you know how to use the equipment, the video editing software, and figure out what you want the video to look like in the end.
- Find a trusted friend or relative and put them in charge of filming – make sure they capture the events you want to use in the final video.
- And above all – keep it fun!
Wedding Slideshow
If your considering creating a slideshow to use at your wedding, check out Animoto.
The self proclaimed end of slideshows is a great service for taking you photos, videos and music and mixing them into great looking videos. You can do short videos for free, or for an upgrade and get a higher quality, and longer video. Check out these examples-
The first is upbeat and playful:
This one is a bit more formal, very beautifully done:
Photo Credit: neate photos
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