Why should you schedule time for getting ready footage with your videographer?
One of the things that first stood out to me while watching my own wedding video for the first time, was realizing that I had no idea what my husband and his groomsmen even did that morning!! Seeing it in the video was so special to me, because I was seeing moments that I wasn’t apart of and didn’t see happen. These moments would’ve been lost memories if we hadn’t gotten a videographer!
Getting ready on your wedding day also takes up a HUGE chunk of time on the day! During this time, you’ll probably be feeling butterflies, you’ll have all of your most important people rallied around you, and there will be a lot of feelings and emotions that come up as you get ready to commit your life to your fiancé. These raw moments contribute so much to the story of the day, and they aren’t posed! If you don’t have these moments documented, then you’ll be missing a large portion of the day and not preserve any of it for your memories. It also helps with the story-telling aspect of your video if I have the full day to work with.
A common misconception about “getting ready” coverage on the wedding day, is that we’ll be filming you with no makeup on and your hair undone. However, that’s not the case!! I typically recommend that my couples have me start coverage when you are close to being finished with hair and makeup, but not in your dress yet. This gives me about 15 minutes to capture details and flat lays, and to film some candid moments between you and your bridesmaids, groomsmen, mom, dad, grandma, whoever you have by your side on this special day. Once you’re ready to get into the dress, this is usually where we get a lot of emotion. Mom might cry while helping you zip up, your best friends get excited seeing you all done up in your dress for the first time, and reality hits you that this is actually finally happening! There’s typically a lot of emotion in the room during these last few moments of the “getting ready” portion of the day. You do not want these pivotal moments missed!
But how do we capture both sides of the bridal party at the same time? If you are having a larger wedding, your videography package comes with a second shooter. I will film one side while my second shooter is off filming the other side. If you are having a more intimate wedding, that means it’s just me filming your day solo. Typically, I will start with the groom and groomsmen, since coverage of the guys getting ready is super quick and easy! Usually this shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes at the most, or 15 if you’re staying at the same location. Then, I’ll head over to the bride and bridesmaids.
If you’re planning your wedding day timeline and deciding whether or not to schedule your videographer to start with “getting ready”, I highly suggest it!! We’ll capture those authentic unposed moments, we won’t film you with no makeup on, you’ll be able to see what each other did that morning, and it contributes to telling a thorough story of your big day! Don’t miss out on these crucial memories and the raw emotions that come along with them.