Preserving the day

Arguably, the most important part of the most important day of your life is capturing and preserving your nuptials so that, years from now, you will have more than memories to help you recount your first day as husband and wife.

Your big day will no doubt be a blur and, in the blink of an eye, will all be over. Though memories may fade away, your wedding album and video will last a lifetime. A lot of careful planning goes into the details of wedding videography and photography and, with so many details to consider, the first should be budget. This will drive your decisions on every other detail, so budget wisely.

But before that first check is cut, make sure you have a written agreement signed by all parties. The most critical elements of the contract should include: date, start/end time, type of photography/videography, how much film will be shot, how equipment failures will be handled, how and when you will receive the unedited work, how and when you will receive the final product(s), and a cancellation and refund policy. You should also have a complete list of expected shots and poses included in the contract.

Another essential consideration is how well you know the professionals you are looking to hire. A lot of trust goes into a hiring relationship whose goal is to preserve “forever.” According to local shutterbug Rob Clement of rashneon.com, “A photographer should really understand who the bride and groom are.” This is particularly key in Clement’s line of work because of the way wedding photography has evolved over the years.

“Over the last five years in particular, a more journalistic style of photography has really taken hold.” It’s not that tradition is being altogether abandoned, but, as Clement says, “What the day is really about is capturing the emotion.”

A traditional photographer is typically concerned with posed portraits and grouped family shots. A journalistic photographer, however, will take a more novel approach by capturing, for example, close-ups of the bride and groom holding hands, a candid shot of a tearful father, or a sneak peak of a bridesmaid putting on her lipstick. A good photographer can combine both elements if asked. But what’s most important is yielding to the stars of the show, the bride and groom. “They’re famous for that one day and should be treated as such,” says Clement.

Still, while pictures will grace the pages of your wedding album and bring back special memories, nothing can come as close to portraying the spirit, sights and sounds of your big day as video. And with advances in technology being so accessible, imagine how easy it will be to slip your wedding DVD in with a thank-you note to all of your guests when you return from your honeymoon.

Another plus with today’s advanced technology: long cords and bulky equipment are no longer the norm, so videographers now seamlessly blend in with the use of wireless microphones and smaller digital cameras. Much like the photojournalism movement, wedding videographers are now able to move about like documentary filmmakers.

Local videographer Damon Claussen, whose work has taken him to some of the best wedding venues in the county, including the Embassy Suites Mandalay Hotel, the Pierpont Inn, the Las Posas Country Club and the Wedgewood Banquet Facility, offers his insight:

•Dueling camcorders and cameras: “I've seen some very well-produced weddings and some that had the feeling of a train wreck. I'm not speaking of the bride and groom, but the ‘professionals’ hired to capture the event. Make sure your videographer and photographer can co-exist harmoniously,” he says. “I've seen videographers get into it with still photographers because one got into the other's shot. It's not pretty. When you choose your videographer, introduce them to your photographer and have them work out their shot locations. No one needs still photos with the scary videographer in the background. Equally, who wants to see a video with the still photographer snapping pictures and stealing the attention from you and your significant other?”

•Look beyond the lace, flowers and cake: “It's wise to think of your wedding as a movie production. A closer look reveals a lot of similarities: You have a location, talent and a visual story to tell. In a real movie, each scene is planned with the camera integral to the action, not as an afterthought. Details, details, details! Regardless if the videographer has cool-looking high-tech equipment, he still can't read minds. Let him/her know what to expect; communicate to your videographer. Provide them with a printed list of scenes, breaking down what will happen, when, and where the action will be. You and your significant other are the stars in the scene, and that scene only has one take!”

The final product

Once you have hired your photographer and videographer, consider how you can incorporate still photos and video into one final product: the wedding DVD. You can even encourage your guests to snap a few shots with their camera phones. All of these elements can be brought together to create a multimedia presentation with subtitles and your favorite music to create a story-telling DVD. And with the ability to create your own Web site overnight, bringing the details of your wedding full circle and onto the Internet, the possibilities for sharing the memories of your special day are limitless.

Resources, resources

Check out these spots for the lowdown on the logistics of creating memories to last a lifetime.

• The Knot: www.theknot.com. Click on the Planning button, then go to Photo + Video, where you will find lots of ideas for getting the best shots, negotiating contracts and more.

• Wedding Photojournalist Association: www.wpja.com. Several articles chock-full of wedding photography advice for the bride and groom.

• Brooks Institute of Photography: (888) 276-4999. If you are working within the constraints of a very tight budget, before you ask Uncle Al to be your cameraman, consider hiring a local photography student.