Tips For Filming Your Outdoor Wedding

By Author: Rudy Longarini
Total Articles: 4762
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A great deal of planning is involved with any wedding but no matter how much effort you put into planning every last detail, you simply can't plan for the unexpected. An outdoor wedding has an extra layer of unpredictability due to Mother Nature but indoors or outdoors, you'll want to remember the unexpected, extraordinary moments and all of the small details. This is where your wedding photography and videography plans come into play.

The rule of thumb for filming any wedding includes creative planning to capture every important detail and moment but an outdoor wedding involves a bit of extra planning. The two major components that come into play for outdoor filming are weather and power sources. If you trust a friend or family member with the task of filming your wedding, make sure they have a video camera with a fully charged battery and at least two others, fully charged, as backups. If it's possible to arrange a power source, it's wise to do so. Batteries sometimes fail to hold a charge, especially if they're old, and you wouldn't want anything missing from your cherished wedding video.

The other major concern ...
... with outdoor weddings is weather. Weather can not only impact the execution of the whole ceremony but any electrical equipment used during it. For instance, high levels of moisture may affect the performance of a video camera, especially cheaper models. The weather can also drastically impact lighting. Natural lighting is different from indoor lighting but the levels of natural light can create shadows and cast colors that may seem unnatural. Be sure your videographer knows how to adjust the white balance settings on the camera to allow for lighting conditions. You may want to switch from "auto" to "cloudy" even if it's bright out to keep the color warm throughout the video.

If you are planning an outdoor wedding, it's likely you chose the location for a specific reason. Much like a videographer captures footage of the church from the outside as well as inside, ask your videographer to get footage of the landscape and scenery surrounding your chosen wedding spot. In fact, it's best to sit down with your videographer and go over the details of scenes you would like to have filmed and give any creative input you might have. From beginning to end, there is so much going on and so much to look at, your videographer needs to know which scenes and moments are most important to you.

Using a videographer who is familiar with the camera is essential. If you are supplying the camera, ask the person filming the wedding to take it and practice with it for a few days ahead of time. This allows them to become familiar with the camera's functions and allows them to practice level framing and taking steady shots. You might suggest using a tripod for the ceremony itself to avoid shaking and unleveled framing. They should also experiment with sound quality outdoors, as outdoor acoustics are different than indoor.

Plan for the unexpected as best as possible. If you've asked a friend or family member to undertake the task of filming your wedding, you might want to suggest a backup in case they get sick or some unexpected event prevents them from attending. Unlikely as this may be, if you have no one prepared to film your wedding, the day is lost forever. Make sure you also remind the person filming to take plenty of footage. It's better to have too much than not enough and you can always do creative editing afterwards.

For some couples, pictures are more important than the video but for others, the video is essential. Capturing the day in portraits and film is equally important but if you have special family members who can't be there, you know you'll want to share the entire event with them later. If a wedding video is important to you, you might want to consider hiring a professional.

If you're on a really tight budget, then by all means proceed with asking friends or family to help but it doesn't hurt to get pricing from a professional. There are several advantages to hiring a professional videographer. They will have the equipment, including multiple power sources, tripods, and lenses to film an outdoor wedding in any lighting or wind conditions. They are familiar with the equipment and have experience with capturing each moment in professional quality framing. You don't have to worry about whether or not they'll show up so you can focus on other details. Additionally, you can opt for a professionally edited video

The important thing to remember about filming your wedding is to have someone available with camera in hand to permanently capture every important detail so you can revisit your special day and share it with others for years to come.
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