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Wedding Films
Wedding films – Essential or Inconsequential?.
Since you found out what marriage was, you’ve
probably been planning your wedding day; whether consciously,
subconsciously or actively. In all likelihood it will be the
day that you have always dreamed of from start to finish, and
for one special day your imagination will become reality. Although
every bride and every day is different, one thing remains the
same – whether it lasts two hours or twenty, those wonderful
moments will stay with you for the rest of your life. Or will
they??
Although your day will be magical, it will also be packed with
action - and all of it centered around you. Photos, speeches,
meeting guests, the first dance, the ceremony, meeting guests,
more photos and more meeting guests will combine to create a
blur of action so that soon after your well deserved honeymoon,
all will seem a distant and patchy memory. What were your guests
doing before you arrived at the church? What happened while
you were outside with the photographer? What was the atmosphere
like for those who weren’t on the dance floor? Rightly,
you want to know the answers to these questions, and the intention
of this article is to show you how to get them.
Without question, a modern, professional and imaginatively produced
wedding film is the perfect way of capturing all of the most
magical moments in one document, to be opened and viewed again
and again whenever you wish. You will never again collect together
the same selection of relatives, friends and colleagues in the
same room, and that alone is worth recording in a documentary
that captures sound and movement, atmosphere and ambience, laughter
and life.
As television and cinema illustrate perfectly, when moving images
are creatively set to a backdrop of evocative music and live
sound; atmosphere, emotions and memories can be re-created to
rival any other presentation, even your day itself. You will
truly be able to relive, relaugh and relove your day again and
again, not only as if you were there again, but as if you were
everywhere again. A good wedding film will reveal and capture
more than even you captured on the day, it will weave a kaleidoscope
of memories and sound together to create a timeless memory you
can share with friends, relatives, children and grand children.
By now you may be remembering a wedding film you have seen before.
Was it too long? Did it lack imagination? Did it have a ropey
soundtrack? Were there effects that made you cringe? Was it
more Horribly Tragic than Hollywood Magic? Quite possibly you
have answered yes to some or all of these questions, but you
may also be unaware that you watched a film made by an ‘Uncle
John’. Ask yourself a simple question – will Aunty
Mary be making the wedding dress? And why not?
Professionally produced wedding films are a breed apart nowadays,
and at the very least you should seek out a truly representative
example so you can be well informed about what they can offer
and what you might be missing. As with every other wedding day
service the secret is to find the right film maker for you.
There are many to choose from and there are a wide range of
styles, attitudes, prices and, if we are honest, qualities.
The good news is, though, that there is someone (in fact, many
people) who will make the perfect film for you – your
ideal documentary to compliment your individual tastes. You
want fast paced, snappy editing with a dance soundtrack? Done.
Romantic slow motion with romantic music? Sold.
Interviews with guests and innovative filming? It’s yours.
The wealth of companies who are dedicated to creating your dream
film are as diverse and inspired as any professional industry.
You are spoiled for choice.
You want someone who will create a magical memory for you, so
ask and expect them to prove themselves. Many companies can
be found on the internet or by advertising and promotional literature.
Try wedding fairs. Ask friends for their recommendations. Most
importantly of all ask companies to supply you with samples
of their previous work. All reputable companies will be more
than happy to forward you a free sample (on VHS or DVD) of their
work to be judged against others. You also need to consider
– do you like them? They will spend more time around you
than anyone else on the day, so trust your instincts. Are they
a qualified member of a professional organisation such as the
Institute of Videography? This at least gives you peace of mind
that others in the profession value their work and that it conforms
to an industry standard for quality of sound and picture. Do
they willingly spend time to answer your questions? You want
them to care as much about your film as you do, and even if
you don’t fully understand the technicalities in some
of their answers, you will get a feel for whether they know
what they are talking about.
When you look at their promotional film in the comfort of your
own home, compare it to your own standards. Does it look like
a television programme, or a home made video by one of your
family? Does it create an emotional reaction in you? If the
answer is yes and you are watching a film about people you don’t
know, imagine what it will be like when the entire cast are
recognisable as people you know and love….
Once you have examined all of the options, you will of course
need to consider price. As you do, think on this. No matter
what you are spending on any other aspect of your day (with
the exception of photos), everything will disappear at the close
of your wedding. Your wedding film is the only way to ensure
that the years, months, and weeks of effort and work that will
go into this one day in your lives will be captured forever.
Although prices, deals and packages vary considerably, you only
get what you pay for, and although your professionally finished
and created film is unlikely to come cheap, it will become priceless
just minutes after you have watched it for the first time.
By choosing to commission a wedding film, you will literally
be making an historic decision –the capture of your history
and the birth of your married lives together. Wedding films
have grown over the years and now they offer an exceptional
opportunity to suspend the magic of your day in time in a style
that suits you and your partner perfectly. They are unequalled
in their scope, and uncompromising in their emotional value.
Years from now you will not be wondering why you decided to
have a wedding film made; you will be looking forward to the
christening of your children, or your next birthday party, so
that you can invite the company back to create another piece
of gold dust for your film archives……
Are you like the couple who supplied this quote to our UK wedding
film company?
‘Before our wedding we were leaning more
to photos than to film, but since we have seen your documentary
we now know that the film is king!! We are so, so glad that
we had a film made…’
Jeremy
Wicked Days Productions
Article kindly provided by those lovely people at Wicked Days
Productions
(Click
here to e-mail Jeremy at Wicked Days)
(Click here
to visit Wicked Days Productions)
