Here is our latest music video.  This wedding was filmed on the island of Sannibel…right on the beach.  It was absolutely gorgeus.  Andy and Alicia had the picture perfect beach wedding.  We wish them all the best in their journey together.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all!!!

Anna

A good start would be to ask other brides/grooms.  Start with the ones you know and then consider joining web forums to get more opinions.  You can also ask videographers for a list of their recent brides you can contact.  It is important to cosider each opinion, whether they got professional services or not.

When you talk to recent brides they will most likely overflow with information about their wedding and the services they had.  Here is a list of some questions to ask recent brides:

• If you had to pick between photography or videography, which would you choose?
• Why did you choose to have professional videography?
• How did you find your videographer?
• If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently about your videography arrangements (if anything)?
• Were there any particular things you had in mind when shopping around for videography?
• What differences did you see between different videographers as you interviewed them?
• What “lessons-learned” have you come up with concerning your wedding videography?
• Do you know of any recent brides that wouldn’t mind answering these same questions?

After talking to several people, you will already start to develope a good idea of what you need to be looking for.  This will give you a great start on your own search for professional wedding videography.

Igor

Viktor’s and Luda’s wedding was full of culture, beautiful decorations and great food.  See for yourself.

Until next time,

Anna

 Are they cute or what?  The boys love watching themselves over and over on video…

This was filmed in HD format.  What can you learn from this?  Lighting makes a huge difference.  Igor filmed in dim lighting, so the quality is not  what it would have been in natural light or even a well lit place.  Think about that if your wedding takes place in the evening (and speak with your videographer about it).

Anna

Anyway, since the groom usually finds himself “killing time” in the moments leading up to her grand entrance, it is hard to keep completely quiet and focused.  Many grooms are likely to carry a conversation with his best man or the officiant in a muffled manner, but DON’T DO IT!  Don’t forget that you are wearing a wireless mic that picks up even whispers.  Later, when your video is being put together, all of your distractions and conversations will be evident.  (Yes, we can edit those parts out, but the wife says the grooms have to be warned. )

In the end you will both be happier if you just stick to the plan.  And if you don’t, well, good luck..

Igor

I hope you were able to see a difference,  dispite all else.  Feel free to comment or ask questions.

Anna

“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”

And boy, how true that is.  So ladies (and gentlemen), relax and take the planning one day at a time!

Igor

Usually the best man and the maid of honor write their toasts and practice them ahead of time.  They are meaningful.  They are memorable.  These memories are seldom preserved in any form and are usually lost with fading memories.  But imagine hearing these endearing messages many years after the wedding reception.  And not just hearing them, but hearing them with quality unavailable with home videos.

Sometimes toasts are serious and emotional, but other times they are just plain funny.  Here is what one best man said:

“Apparently, it’s my duty to offer a small piece of advice to the groom and Kevin will be pleased to know that a successful marriage can be compared to football: be fully committed every week and make sure you score every Saturday.  However, Jenna assures me that playing away from home could result in a serious groin injury and is definitely the quickest way onto the transfer list!”

Another aspect of your wedding that can ONLY be captured by video are your wedding vows.  Without video, those vows will only survive through the power of your memory (and a few pictures, frozen in time).

Those are just two more reasons to seriously consider videography a top priority for your wedding.

Again, thanks for reading,

Anna

OK, tip for today..

Most likely zero percent of couples practice exchanging rings prior to their ceremony, but it’s actually not a bad idea.  Sometimes we see the bride and groom struggle at the altar trying to wiggle the ring on the others’ finger.  Once (and I’m totally serious) we had a bride who after much effort still could not fit the ring on her grooms finger and so he took the ring and squeezed it on his own hand!  The congregation sure had a good laugh.

Rarely does this happen completely effortlessly, but if you practice before your ceremony (there is no unspoken rule against this, right?) you have more chance of it going smoothly….hence, a better flowing wedding video.

Hope this helps,

Anna

There is a sort of people who are afraid (or embarrassed) to ask for price breaks or discounts.  If you are one of those people and you have ruled videography out of your budget, to you I say this- Get over it and just ask! 

Here are some reasons why videographers may just give you a price break:

• “Last Minute Deals” If your wedding is two weeks away and the videographer of your choice is not booked, there is a good chance he/she might give you a deal.  Especially if they are in your local area.
• “Promotions”  Sometimes companies have promotions which are not advertised on their websites.  For example, when we at TouchDream go to a wedding show, often times we have a promotion of 10% off for that particular month.  It’s not on our website, but it’s still there.  That 10% could make a huge difference for your budget.
• “Local Deals”  If you live in the same city that the videographer is stationed in, there might be a benefit to that.  Some videographers honor the fact that you chose to go local instead of hiring from out of city or state.

Again, all you have to do is ask.  It’s that easy.  What the worst that will happen?  They can say “no”.  If that happens then just move on.  But there is always the chance they will say “yes”.

You never know…

Anna