Top 3 Myths about Wedding Videographers

If you are planning a wedding, it is worth remembering. And as humans, it is second nature to want to look back, relive the past, and remember our journey to where we are. The past is full of guide posts that give us direction on where we go next, and it is only natural to want to look back and honor those moments. The moments before life's twists and turns pull us in different directions.

Brides don't hesitate to research the photographer that will freeze their most important moments in time so they can always look back. Photographers have become a non-negotiable, as seasoned artists who instinctively know what moment is coming next and are ready to capture it. When it comes to a filmmaker, there can be some hesitation around common myths and misunderstandings. But wedding videographers are seasoned to capture the evolution of your day, and you dont want to miss out on this. So let's bust some myths and dig into the top 3 reasons you should hire a wedding videographer!

Myth #1: "Videographers won't be discreet and will stage us too much." You'll be happy to know that this myth is busted! Videographers are trained to be as discreet as photographers. We often move shoulder to shoulder with a photographer, capturing great footage. Often times, we are more of a 'fly on the wall' than a photographer, especially if you hire a documentary or reportage wedding videographer. Videographers capture most of the day with no staging, but do offer tips on the where and how. Just like your photographer should be doing, they will weigh in with some mild direction so you get the best image. That may include small things like where to stand for cake cutting, and they may set up some attractive lighting. They will add mood lighting for first dances. We've grown accustomed to photographers popping flashes - and this has not detracted from the mood of a wedding day as long as done appropriately. All vendors should be extra discreet during ceremony and toasts, but should also bring their A-game!

Not only is this myth busted, but the opposite is actually true. Hiring a wedding videographer actually prevents the distraction of guests doing their own recording. There's nothing better than living in the moment in an unplugged ceremony. There is an intimacy to the moment that is better captured by professionals than having fifteen to twenty cell phones aimed at you while walking down the aisle. In fact, one of the most heartwarming things is to see your guests enjoying celebrating your union, fully engaged in your experience! Let us do the heavy lifting, and actually keep some of those distractions at bay. Your footage will show guests enjoying themselves, instead of living outside of the moment trying to capture a cell phone cut of a moment that they can't do justice!

Myth #2: "We have a photographer to capture the memories, so we don't need anyone else." Your photographer will freeze the moments, but your wedding videographer (or, as we call it, filmmaker) will show the evolution of that moment, the range of emotions during your first dance or your excitement as you walk down the aisle to family and friends cheering. Photos are so important. But where the photo freezes the moment, the film releases it. Your photos won't capture voices, the audio of speeches or you saying your vows. In fact, they're quite limited in these applications.

Myth #3: "We will never watch our film again and don't see a need." Not only will you watch it, but so will your children! You'll find yourself watching it to not just remember your love, but to remember loved ones as the years pass. If you were going through your parents or grandparents film collection and came across a wedding film, would you want to watch it? Would you want to look back? Or would you put it aside because you had already seen the photos? Chances are, your children and grandchildren will be fascinated to watch their mother, father, or grandparent walk down the aisle, dance, laugh, and toast. They'll have the opportunity to listen to toasts given by YOUR parents, their grand parents or great grandparents! And they can see you through others' eyes.

A film is a living testimony to the memory, a time capsule available to relive as you wish or need. Often, as the years pass, the curiosity we have as children or young adults to see our parents and grandparents as whole people, to hear their voices when they were young, gives way to a deep nostalgic sense of belonging, a tie to the past, to our people. There will never be another day quite like your wedding day, with all of the same people gathered in the same place, to celebrate the same thing. And long after time and life experience pulls us all in different directions, that film takes us back to that moment where we were tight knit and showed up for each other. Sometimes, we want to go beyond the photo. We just want to hear that voice or laugh one more time.

There you have it! Consider these myths busted! And consider this your sign to look into a wedding videographer. If you love someone's style, reach out and get a quote. Look at packages. Talk to them about any reservations you have and my guess is you'll come away with a fresh take.