Things your planner should know about video
So you’ve booked a wedding videographer. NICE CHOICE! And you booked a planner? EQUALLY NICE CHOICE. As videographers, we absolutely love when we get to work with awesome planners who keep wedding day running smoothly. And in an effort to make their jobs easier, we want to share some tips from our perspective on what they should keep in mind when their couples have hired a filmmaker. Planners, this one’s for you!
Invite us to the walkthrough. We won’t always be able to make it, but we LOVE being invited to the final walkthrough in the days or weeks before the wedding. It’s especially great if the photographer is there, too, because we’re all able to talk through the whole day and really nail down our coverage plans and specific ideas for different moments (first look, dress details, portraits, interviews, etc.) The extra bonus is we get to spend a more time with our couples. Yay!
Unplugged ceremonies are our favorite! Be a hero to your couples and see if they want to do an unplugged ceremony. Sure, friends and family want to get all the pics for social media, but there’s nothing worse than when a guest sitting in the aisle sticks their phone out to grab the kiss and it’s right in front of our camera. Nobody wants that, especially our couples!
Build in some extra time for the following:
Ceremony set up (15-30 minutes): Because of the way we film our ceremonies, it’s great to build in a buffer for us to do set up before it begins. We are often spending this time setting up tripods, changing batteries, checking microphones and hooking up audio. It’s a lot of moving parts to check off our list, and it’s the moment we absolutely CAN’T do over!
Golden hour drone (10-15 minutes): If your couple has booked a drone pilot in any regard, make sure they have some time to get it in the air! A rushed pilot is a stressed pilot, and nobody wants to have an accident. Plus, drone shots at golden hour are always the best!
Speaking of drones, make sure they’re licensed. If a photographer or videographer has included drone in their services in any regard, you should make sure they are certified to fly commercially. What’s that mean? Ask them if they have a current FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification and if they can provide proof of insurance. It’s never happened with us, but we’ve heard horror stories of unsafe piloting leading to injury and while it’s not likely, you want to make sure you, the venue and your couples are covered!
When in doubt, over communicate. We’re in the game of being absolutely prepared on wedding day. We love to chat with you ahead of time, we can send you an overly detailed timeline of where we’re going to be when, and we want to be as helpful to you as we can possibly be. Any doubts about something, just ask!
Have something to add to this list? Email me at alex@huckleberrystudios.com and I’ll add it for everyone’s benefit. Now onward, you organizational heroes!
