There are two primary "schools of thought" on the wedding video approach. One says this is a big day and big event and a tremendous amount of work goes into staging it so it should be captured as fully and as realistically as possible. Think of a documentary or a "reality TV" show. Do you want to see people getting dressed and having their hair and make up done? Do you want to see the centerpieces being set up on the tables at the reception? In essence, do you want a "behind the scenes" look at the whole experience?
The other school of thought says this is a magical, romantic day and we want to remember the "ideal" aspects of it. We don't want to see bridesmaids in "street clothes" drinking coffee while someone sprays their hair. We want to see everyone at their best in their beautiful outfits. We want to see the reception hall exactly the way the guests see it as they walk in for the first time.
Most wedding videos fall somewhere in between the two extremes but it's important for us to know which end of the spectrum you're shooting for. Our natural inclination is to shoot everything we see so if there are things you'd rather not have captured on tape it's better to speak now or forever hold your peace.
In short, the more guidance you offer us at the beginning the better chance we'll have of delivering something you really enjoy at the end.
A recent survey indicated that most people don't place the wedding video on their "Top 10" lists of priorities before they were married but afterwards it moved up to the top very fast. People tend to forget the h'ourderves pretty quickly, even if they're really tasty, but the video sticks around for a long time. The still photography is generally ranked pretty high at the outset but for some reason video often seems to be more of an afterthought. We heartily recommend a different approach, whether you hire us or not.
Please do give some thought about your video desires. There are a lot of wedding videos collecting dust on people's shelves because they just aren't that compelling to watch. A wedding video, like any other video, needs to be well produced, interesting and entertaining if it's going to be enjoyed down the line.
The simple reason is that we've never liked the idea of setting limitations on our work. By having a "Basic Package" and a "Deluxe Package" the implication seems to be that we would only give our best effort on the high priced packages. When you hire us we're on board 100%. We both will be there for the whole experience and we'll bring every useful bit of equipment we have. Once we agree to do something we intend to do it all out and to the best of our ability.
Some video companies try to "smell the money" involved
in a particular wedding and price accordingly. We have one price.
It's probably not the lowest you'll find and it's probably not
the highest. But it does take away the hassle of trying to figure
out what kind of package you really want and dealing with add-ons
and other sales hype.
Absolutely not! We're creative people; you might be, too. We're always happy to work with people who have a plan in mind. If you want a certain type of music or specific songs let's us know. If you prefer a more raw, "documentary" approach to the slick "traditional" one that's fine with us. It's your wedding; we want to capture it in a way that makes you happy.
On the other hand, you may have enough on your hands to worry
about without adding the burden of detailed video planning. If
you like our samples you can always say "give me something
like that" and we'll be glad to oblige.
Extended travel is one thing that comes to mind right off the bat. If we have to go to Santa Barbara for a weekend we'd probably ask for some compensation for the accommodations. We did a wedding once that included a traditional tea ceremony that started at three o'clock in the morning so we might ask for more money for something out of the ordinary but usually we try to keep everything in the flat rate. If you're getting married underwater or while skydiving or something like that we're probably not the right company. (Although Randy does scuba dive so I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask!) Most of the time unusual or unique requests just make the whole experience more enjoyable.
Yes.