“SHOOT! We should have gotten that on camera” is a common phrase you hear throughout your life. Sometimes it’s a funny prank, a surprise birthday party, or unfortunately at times a big important moment like a proposal. I know we felt that way over 11 years ago when Ryan stoped my sled on the gorgeous ice rink, bent down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I didn’t even look at the ring, I just said yes!
11 years ago people didn’t capture every moment of life, the 500 millionth blurry sunset photo while they’re driving, the before and afters of their closet organization, or what they had for lunch that day.
Today video and film are so much more prominent and if you are reading this blog it means you are interested in or know that you will be hiring a videographer to come capture your wedding day because these are some of the most important moments of your life! And since you will be hiring someone we wanted to share with you what we’ve noticed after these 11 plus years of filming weddings are the must have moments in your wedding video.
By the way these are not in any particular order, they all are important. Some may feel like a given and some may be a new idea. So let’s go.
#1. Your Ceremony
Like I just said this one might feel like a given but I want to encourage you to think beyond the wedding day and why this moment is such a must have! In 10, 25, 45 years and beyond this is the ceremony, the literal moment of when you two go from dating or engaged to MARRIED! Plus so many other moments meshed in a mere matter of minutes. This is possibly the first time your husband sees you in your amazing dress, your father walking you and bringing you to the man you love, the moment he places your hand in his is THE moment he puts his full trust in someone else to take care of you.
You will probably hear an important message during the ceremony, possibly about the day you met, how he felt, how you felt, truth about marriage and what to do in the hard times and the hard times will come. Your parents, friends and family crying as they watch these two people unite and of course the moment I mentioned before, the actual moment of when they pronounce you and the very first thing you get to do as a married couple is seal it all with a kiss.
These are some incredible and irreplaceable moments and some would say that this is the only list or moments you need but I don’t agree and here is why….
#2. Getting Ready Before the Ceremony
You’re probably thinking “whoa whoa whoa, really?” And I say “YES REALLY!” You gotta see what I see so roll with me here…As soon as your wedding day starts you are going to immediately be surrounded by support & love from those who mean the most to you. The getting ready moments are like none other. This is actually the only time where your friends, family, & bridal party have a focused and intentional time with you. The block of time where some of the most rare and personal memories happen..the ones where someone says “oh we should have gotten that on camera” (but you won’t say that cause we will be right there).
This is the first toasts of the day with champagne and orange juice. A time to do an activity that you love with your friends to help calm the nerves like have a mini dance party, gather together and say a prayer, or step outside to reflect on how much your future spouse means to you. (more on that part later) but I can’t stress enough how important it is to not let this time and these moments be over looked because you think you’ll just be getting ready. This time can be one that sets the tone and the whole story of your wedding day.
#3. The words spoken on your day
There can sometimes be many times in the day when important words are spoken and there can be only one time like at the ceremony but it still is a must have to capture and to capture it very well. Words are so powerful. They have the ability to encourage you, inspire you, remind you and fill you, even when you are old and grey and have little days left to live, THIS is why you should invest in this kind of service for your wedding day.
To hear what your father, your mother, your sister or brother, possibly your grandfather, your best friend or your mentor says. You’ll be able to hear the declaration of love your future spouse chose for you to hear on that day. The crack in their voice, the sniffles, the sobs, the laughter, or toast. I promise you that when you hear these words from your day, you will feel more moved, loved, cherished, honored and inspired than the first time you heard them, on a day so full of joy the human doesn’t know how to store it all. That is a reason why you have it recorded and recorded professionally.
#4. Dinner rehearsal coverage or wedding weekend coverage
Imagine your favorite reality tv show + your favorite romantic comedy where two people fall even deeper in love at a retreat weekend and how their little adventures brought them all closer together….well this is what a wedding weekend shoot looks like. No really, I’m serious, how amazing would that be? To be able to see you and your family rent a boat for an evening and kick off the weekend’s celebrations and the fact that its finally here! Or seeing everyone come in from all over the U.S. so willing and ready to help start setting everything up or finishing up some last minute things before it all starts the next day.
And then being able to hear the very first speeches and moving words or funny stories starting off what is to be the most memorable and meaningful days of your life.
It’s a time to watch and see truly how much support and love you two are surrounded with. And as a videographer this adds a whole other level of story telling and depth to something that will encourage and inspire you for years and years to come.
#5. The Celebration
Have you ever watched a movie that pulled you in from the very first scene and at times you had to know how it all was going to end but then it just drops…I mean the screen goes black? I sure hope not because that would be horrible and frankly a waste of time. Well I think we all know that that is not how your wedding video will be (thankfully) but let me explain a little bit how it is important to show the solution of your wedding film story through SHOWING the celebration. We capture this in many small ways and big ways and intricately edited it all together so that when you are watching your film you scream YES with us when your finally married!
Your wedding film should have moments of popping a Champagne bottle, planting a big kiss on the love of your life, busting moves you didn’t know you had on the dance floor, throwing your flowers to the next in line, giving high fives down the aisle, singing into my camera lens on the dance floor, jumping up and down surrounded by confetti, screaming as you open a present from your man, jumping in a lake, smashing cake, LIGHTING THINGS ON FIRE BECAUSE YOU GOT MARRIED! (I mean sparklers and or fireworks, but still..) These moments are the climax, these small but highly impactful moments will make you celebrate all over again and remind you the JOY that comes with such an incredible lifetime commitment!
Beyond The Beauty
Did you notice that I didn’t mention the cake cutting, the dress hanging from a tree, a drone shot of the town, the flowers, the table cloths or the chair covers. Its ok, just because I didn’t mention them does not mean that all of the beauty and wedding investment won’t be captured as well. It just means that these things are not our main focus. At Purely Films, we don’t just shoot pretty things, we capture your life; we capture the moments you day dream about when you think of this day and more! We understand, plan and carefully think about you two In 10, 25, 45 years and beyond. I edit thinking of your children and how they will feel when they watch this film and how these moments will mean to them.
These moments are too important and priceless to not have. So please reach out to us below and see if your date is available because if so we are ready to make sure you have all of these must have moments and more.
