Q: I’m helping out a friend of mine by “shooting” his wedding with my new MiniDV camera. Do you have any advice?
A: Shooting a wedding successfully depends a great deal on the communication between the person creating the video and the wedding party. First and foremost, make sure you have a distinct understanding of what your friend expects from you and the final outcome of the video. On this note, don’t underestimate the importance of the input of his or her future spouse and whoever is paying for and organizing the wedding. You should expect to be at many of the wedding meetings. Having said this, the following are ten (10) shots you should consider getting at the wedding that you might not have thought of.
1. Exterior of the church BEFORE anyone gets there (morning and evening are always the best time to get these kind of “establishing” shots due to the preferred lighting).
2. The bride’s dress – try to get this shot with the dress on a stand or mannequin.
3. Bride/bridesmaids and the groom/groomsmen getting ready.
4. Reaction shots of the wedding party during the vows (this may take an additional camera and another friend).
5. “Fun” shots of the rehearsal – these are part of the bloopers reel.
6. Parent’s dance with the marriage couple – ALWAYS a big hit!
7. Guest book signings.
8. Take as many shots of children as possible.
9. Interview the bride and the groom separately asking the same questions, such as, “How did you meet?” “When did you fall in love?” etc.
10. Make sure to get shots of “other” stuff such as the cake, flowers, garter, rings, etc.