Do I really need video of my wedding? Will it just sit on the shelf gathering dust? It depends on your future and the quality of the video. If the video looks bad, you will never want to watch it. Will your children want to see it? Will you want to hear the ‘I do’ or see the first dance ever in the future? People that did not get video do not know what they are missing so it is hard for them to say. Very few that received good video ever regretted spending the money. Look at what the cake, flowers and DJ cost - they are gone the next day. The video, like photos and rings, can last a lifetime. With the advent of DVD, you can now skip directly to the section you like without waiting for fast forward.

Do not fall into the trap of having Uncle Bob try to tape your wedding. He may have a great camera but does he use it professionally? How many weddings has he done? The audio will be bad, the video shaky, out of focus and the result not properly edited. Professional videographers learn their craft through years of experience and membership in associations such as WEVA.

Why is there such a wide range of prices for wedding videos? Generally you get what you pay for. One factor is that videographers just starting out tend to charge less to start getting demo material and experience. This is where watching examples is so important. Make sure you are watching a DVD of their work. Some videographers started out showing demos they got from other professionals by posing as potential clients. Also, a demo only shows what they want you to see, watch a finished video to be sure. Most of the experienced wedding videographers started out working a couple of years for someone already established in the business. The other factor is time. The more time spent taping and editing the video - the better it looks and the more it costs.

High Definition (HD) or Standard Definition (SD)? 16x9 wide screen or 4x3 standard screen? The decision is not only an economic or aesthetic one . SD cameras have much more light sensitive sensors for capturing beautiful images in the near darkness of many churches and receptions. In many cases this means dim or no distracting camera lights to deal with. The HD cameras have six times more pixels so each pixel is six times smaller and 'sees' much less light. HD cameras do a great job in good light but can be a challenge in the lowlight conditions of a dim church or candlelight at a reception. The solutions for HD are either raise the light level in the room such as during the first dance, deal with camera lights or accept video that is only suitable to watch in a darkened room like some Hollywood movies are.  The wide screen aspect ratio is now becoming very common, most Hollywood DVD's now come in Wide screen (16x9) and almost all TV's being sold now are wide screen. If you have an old style TV, you can tell your DVD player to letterbox (black bar on top and bottom) any widescreen DVD video.

Make sure you know how many hours you get the videographer. Some charge by the hour past a certain fixed time. Some do not have any limits. If you have a limit you might want to schedule the cake, garter, bouquet, etc earlier in the event to save money.

Church rules and the layout are very important considerations for video. Some churches do not even allow any cameras forward of the last row of guests. Is the church well lit? If the church is very dark, the video will be noisier (looks like moving grain in the picture). Is there room on the right side of the altar in the back for a camera on a tripod? This location is good for shots of the bride during vows.

The layout of the reception can also effect the quality of the video. Having the head table at the reception back up to a large window with a view is great looking live but looks terrible on video if it is bright outside. The video must be set so high to see the dark faces (the light is on the back of their heads) that the windows end up bright white with no detail. A professional can get the shot but it is difficult to pan into the reception hall and get a smooth transition because the brightness of the video must be manually controlled between the extremes.

Make sure your videographer will be appropriately dressed. A tux should not be required but a suit or tasteful dark clothing is a must to blend in. The videographer is working hard carrying equipment, etc. so comfort is a consideration.

Wireless microphones or mini disk recorders are a must. Good clean audio is just not possible from across the church. The microphone must be close. Usually the groom gets a wireless lavaliere microphone that picks up both the bride and groom’s vows. Some videographers mic the priest/rabbi and the podium also. More is better because nothing is worse than weak audio with lots of room echo.

If possible, the videographer should attend the rehearsal. This will make sure there are few surprises on wedding day. The camera and wedding party locations are mapped out, the videographer can meet the wedding party and you can even have the videographer come to the rehearsal dinner. Sometimes some of the dinner can be taped and included such as a toast.

The schedule should be communicated to the videographer so no important shots are missed. When and where is the bride getting ready? Is there a limousine arrival at the reception? For the reception, the DJ and the videographer should coordinate timing so that both are ready for the events such as the speech. If you start the speech while the videographer is in the bathroom, you loose recording the moment forever.

Staged shots can make a much more entertaining video. Examples are poses by the sunset, the ring being slipped on the finger, etc. The downside is you will be very busy on the wedding day and time will be limited. Plan ahead and have fun with it - be part of the creative process.

Steady tripods are necessary for ceremonies. Flimsy tripods make shaky video. Make sure your videographer is not using a tripod from Walmart.

Interviews can add life to a video. Usually the bride and groom’s parents and some of the wedding party are sufficient. Make sure to make prior arrangements as no one likes to be put on the spot and it will allow them some time to think about what to say.

It is customary to feed the photographer, DJ and videographer at the reception. If not, make sure you tell them in advance so they can pick up some food between the wedding and reception.

Love stories are an option worth considering. There are different styles but usually the bride and groom describe how they met, cute stories of the first date, how the proposal went, etc. These are taped in a picturesque setting such as a park. The edited result can be projected during the reception while the guests eat if the reception hall is not too bright from window light. There is a cost though, the 10-15 minute video must be taped and edited which takes time and money.

Growing up montages are common, consisting of childhood photos being put to music. The result can be put at the beginning of the edited video and/or projected at the reception. Look at sample videos and decide for yourself. Some consider them cute and want them, others consider them cheesy and want a more artsy video.

There are many video and editing styles. This is why it is important to see some samples to see what you like. Most videographers have a formula or a style they prefer because they would not make much money if they took too much time in editing and they want to be consistent with their demo. The two basic types in wedding video are the documentary or long form and the highlight or short form style. The documentary style records the event chronologically and completely. The one-hour catholic ceremony might be one hour on the video. The short form wedding video tends to be more artsy and Hollywood with lots of editing and short clips put to music. This type can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as 20 minutes. Although both can be generated from the same raw footage at a higher cost, the good short form videos are shot somewhat differently so they should be planed on in advance. People that do not think they want video of their wedding because they will never watch it, should consider the short form. Most of the award winning wedding videos are short form these days.

Some do not like video because it can be harsh and too ‘real’ looking. If desired, the video can be made softer through the use of camera filters or in post production if a non-linear system is used.

Some of your video can be in black and white. It adds visual variety and impact. Let your videographer know how far to go with it.

‘Getting ready’ video is sometimes acquired to put in the montage. This is usually the bride being primped by the bride’s maids. This type of footage will help you remember the nervous moments prior to the ceremony.

Video of photographer posing people is good for the montage but do not expect the videographer to capture the entire photo shoot, that is what you pay the still photographer to do.

Taping the guests signing the guest book is also a good shot or two for the montage. If you want to have a great deal footage of the signing in, a second camera will be required as people arrive over a long period of time.

Some receptions have a long receiving line that can take almost one hour. This is not practical to tape in its entirety. You can have the videographer standby and shoot certain special people greeting you on a given signal if required.

Contracts are necessary to avoid any misunderstandings. Will your videographer be willing to make any changes to the video once delivered? What type of changes are included? How long do you have? What are the payment terms? Exactly how many tapes and/or DVDs will you get?

An information sheet should be supplied to the videographer listing the locations, telephone numbers, names for credits at the end of the video if desired, etc.

Payment methods vary somewhat but the basic standard is that 90-100% is usually required by wedding day. The reason for advance payment is sometimes money runs out right after the event and the photographer/videographer would be left holding the bag. To make matters worse, the videographer and photographer may have turned away other business for the same date.

DVD is available from most wedding video professionals now. Some charge extra for DVDs and some include them in the package. The reason DVD costs extra is that it can take hours to compress the video, several hours to author the DVD (build chapters and menus), and an hour to burn and package the disk. DVD has many advantages: The shelf life is much greater than VHS tape, the picture is much better (higher resolution) than VHS, and if properly authored - has menus and chapters that make watching DVD much easier. You can pop the disk in the player and go instantly to the ‘kiss the bride’ section.