Month: April 2009

wediquette :: videography

A wedding video is a “visual heirloom” – something to be cherished and watched again and again. It becomes more treasured year after year. Survey research shows the importance brides put on video. After the wedding a majority of brides tend to move wedding video planning into their top ten list. This is after they learned that they should have paid more attention to it.
Couples can select either a wedding video or wedding photography, or both. Video captures audio. A good wedding videographer can include static photos in a video to capture the entire range of visual and auditory experience.
Wedding videography is not as set in tradition as other wedding practices, so it is mostly at your discretion. Here are some options and general common sense guidance that will help you make good decisions.

Professional vs. Amateur
The choice is a professional wedding videographer or your friend / family member. You walk the fine line between cost and quality. A professional wedding videographer does not have to be extravagantly expensive – most professionals have multiple wedding packages and can negotiate various deals with you, making the cost very reasonable and affordable. A professional will always provide you more photographic awareness of the nuances of weddings – they can capture things an amateur cannot. Always ask a professional for their resume, portfolio with final edited demos, references, and standard price schedule.

You should work with your videographer early in the planning process, so they are aware of lighting, sound, and logistical issues at the wedding location.

Video Options

Wedding videographers can provide options to produce interactive wedding products on the web, CDs/DVDs, and even games. Some videographers offer an option of vignette stories sometimes called a “Love Story”. This includes a personalized story about the couple including some history of how you met, dating, the engagement, and experiences leading up to the wedding. The couple may be video taped at some of your favorite locations, walking hand-in-hand or spending fun and romantic time together.
You should provide the videographer with some guidance about using trendy animated effects (zoom, panoramas, transitions) and sound effects. If you want something simple, tell the videographer to control their creative urges. If you want something extravagant, tell them you want “the works”. Here are essentially the three types of video options you will find.

Point and Shoot
This option is the least expensive and is simply pointing and shooting at the event to record it as it happens. No special effects or treatments are included unless specifically requested. This can be like a U-Tube type of video, which looks spontaneous and raw.

Documentary
This option is moderate in cost and plays like a tasteful television or movie documentary. The videographer thoughtfully records the event like a storyteller, weaving in dramas, beautiful images, and fashionable transitions and special effects. Extra time is spent editing and arranging the video into scenes and stories. A documentary-style videographer may refer to themselves as a “videojournalist”, may have a degree in visual arts, and works with elaborate editing and sound equipment to achieve their effect.

Extravagant Extraordinaire
This option is the most expensive in cost and captures your wedding on official motion picture film just like Hollywood movies. It is sometimes referred to as “cinematic”. Significantly more effort and time is necessary to setup the actual filming and in the editing phase. This is an extravagant splurge, but this product can result in a remarkably dazzling masterpiece which is almost movie-like.

May your wedding video provide an interactive, dramatic, romantic, and fun touch to your special day.

wediquette :: toasts

There are generally two wedding occasions where formal toasts will be made – the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception. Though there are many people who may participate in the wedding toasts, it is important that two people do it well – the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Others might include the parents of the Bride and Groom and the Bride and Groom themselves.

The Preparation

• Prepare ahead of time – this is an event at which you want to be careful. Your words will be remembered and may even be captured on video for eternity. Preparation will make sure you don’t say something negative which may spontaneously slip into your mind like, “I hope your marriage doesn’t end in divorce like mine.” Practice the toast so you don’t stumble or say things you later regret, especially if you will be drinking before the toast. Read your toast to a friend to polish it.

• Identify your relationship to the bride and groom. Everyone may not know your significance in their lives.

• A quote is a good beginning. Look at quotes online for some ideas.

• Tell a brief touching, personal story – such as how the bride and groom met, how you met either of them, or some other memorable event. Use a few descriptive adjectives, hitting the most important points (i.e., she’s lovely, warm hearted, and gentle). Don’t give a long list of characteristics. Use tasteful humor and not trendy jokes that only a few people will understand. Be inclusive for as many as possible, not exclusive to a few. Stay PG-rated in case children are present. Do not talk about past romantic relationships or past marriages.

• End on a serious and highly positive note with a wish, a blessing, congratulations, or cheers!. For instance:
o “To the bride and groom”!
o “Please join me in toasting to Mr. and Mrs. [name].”
o “May you live a long and prosperous life together.”

• Things not to do – it could get you into big trouble.
o Use one liner jokes that get laughs at parties.
o Tell risqué jokes.
o Tell trendy jokes that many people won’t understand.
o Tell ex-girlfriend / boyfriend stories.
o Make fun of the bride.
o Make the groom or bride look like a slacker, loser, or drunkard.
o Ramble on about the good old days.

The Toast

1. The crowd will usually be called to attention using a traditional attention getter like clinking a glass with a utensil or the DJ, bandleader, or Master of Ceremonies announcing that toasting will begin.
2. Stand to deliver – in honor of giving a toast. Sit to receive – if a toast is given to you, sit as a spectator.
3. Make sure all the glasses are full before you begin and indicate everyone should have a glass to participate. Those that don’t drink alcohol can have water or sparkling cider in their glass.
4. Limit your toast to about 3-5 minutes long.
5. Keep eye contact with the bride and groom as you deliver – everything is done in their honor.
6. End with raising your glass, prompting everyone else to do the same, with your closing toast.
7. Sit down promptly so the next person can proceed.

The Order of Toasts

Rehearsal Dinner…. The rehearsal dinner is a less formal than the reception, so there is more leeway to telling more humorous or memorable stories about uncles, aunts, etc. You also want to thank all the out of town guests for coming.
Wedding Reception….. The Wedding Reception usually has a degree of formality about it, so take more care in what is said and the length of your toast.