Why should you have a wedding video?

Well, you could take the advice of a father who said, “I definitely want a wedding video, because I want proof of where all the money went!” 

You spend a tremendous amount of time and money to create a wonderful day to celebrate a very special marriage.  And it would be a shame to enjoy it only once. Even though getting a wedding video is usually the last thing on your list and the first to be cut from the budget. It is the only way you can preserve many of the elements of the wedding that would otherwise fade away in time.

When you create your wedding celebration, you are bringing together everyone who has made you who you are -- your family, friends, and relatives. Your wedding is unique and that uniqueness is what your videographer captures. It isn’t just a ceremony or a reception or a lot of pictures; it is an extension of you.

When thinking about having your wedding videotaped, you should ask yourself some questions.

What style of video do you want? 
One that preserves the day so you can enjoy it over again, just highlights of the day, a fancy video production like a TV show, or do you want it to preserve the personality of the day?

After meeting your videographer, do you think that they will fit in with the rest of your guests?
This may seem like a strange question, but during your reception your videographer will be close to many of the events as they happen. They need to be so that they can record good sound and so that the people watching the video can really experience the event. Bottom line – will your videographer be unobtrusive?

How the videographer handle sound recording?
Will the microphones be close to what is going on during the ceremony? If it is just highlights, will they use the natural sounds or will they replace it with music? Will the music be appropriate to what is going on?

Do you get the impression from the videographer that your wedding is the most important event ever to occur or is it just another wedding job?

Do they have an time limit? If they are telling the story of your wedding day, how much of it are they willing to capture?

Remember your wedding is unique and a once in a lifetime event. Make sure your wedding video is also.

State College wedding videographer, Charlie Gudeman is the owner of Creative Media Group . He has 38 years experience in professional video production and 30 years experience doing wedding videography.  In addition to producing wedding videos, he is a Senior Producer-Director on the staff of Penn State Public Broadcasting and has won two regional Emmy awards for his work. Charlie lives in Bellefonte with his wife and has had the honor of being the father of both a bride and a groom, with one to go.