As a wedding filmmaker I know that for a bride-to-be planning her wedding, what I do is low on her list of priorities.  First comes choosing a wedding date, then finding the perfect venue to have the wedding/reception.  Next she has to find the perfect dress, if she doesn’t already have one in mind.  Now you need to focus on all the other important things like the officiant, a caterer (because you have to feed everyone), cake, flowers, photographer (everyone wants pictures), picking bridesmaids and their dresses, block hotel rooms for out of town guests, the list goes on and on.  As a wedding videographer I am usually the last punch list item if there is money left over in the budget.  On most wedding planning to-do list we are listed as “book a photographer/videographer” and we usually get forgotten about.  But we live in a digital age, and not having a good wedding filmmaker is a huge mistake.  Here are 5 reasons why a wedding film is as important as pictures:

1. After the food and cake are eaten and the flowers wilt, all you have left of the day are pictures and video.  With a quality wedding film you can rest assured that you will be able to relive the events of your special day in on your 50th wedding anniversary.  Your wedding film is a live-action documentary of one of the most important and cherished days of your life. It allows you to remember the day in more detail than pictures.
2. Most people describe their wedding day as a blur. Spending thousands of dollars on a day doesn’t really seem worth it if you aren’t going to be able to remember it well. A wedding film allows you to remember all those moments you would forget otherwise.
3. The most intimate and special moment of a wedding are the vows.  Standing face to face and saying those words to each other is priceless.  Wouldn’t you want to see that again?  Why not be able to relive that moment and hear the emotion in each others voice.
4. Most brides and grooms don’t get to see each other get ready, and if they have a gift exchange they don’t get to see their reaction after opening the gift, or reading a letter they wrote to each other.  With a wedding film all of these moments can be captured.
5. The number one regret I hear from people who have gotten married is that they didn’t have a wedding film, and that if they could do it over again that would be the first thing they would book.  One bride even told me that after her wedding her grandfather died, and even though she had pictures she would have loved to be able to watch her and her grandfather dance again for the last time.

There are many wedding videographers out there, and some do exceptional work.  The main advice I can give is make sure you do everything in your power to budget for one and hire one you like.  I promise you will thank me!!

Red Leaf Films is a NC based video production and film company specializing
in wedding films, real estate tours, and commercials.  Red Leaf Films services
Charlotte, Asheville, and surrounding areas.