Most couples would love to have a photographer and videographer accompany them during the whole day, from dawn to well after dusk. The videographer would capture every special moment, from the bride’s preparation to the ceremony, the vows, the reception, the cutting of the cake, the first dance, and all the way to the getaway video.
When it comes to the reality of wedding preparations, though, many couples must make difficult decisions about their photographer and videographer. How long should the videographer stay? Should they stay for the full reception or just part of it? When should they leave?
As professional videographers, it is hard for us to say how long you should hire us. Our video packages start at a minimum of 6 hours because we think that’s the least time required to capture the most important parts of a wedding. However, depending on your wedding style and your personal preferences, you can opt for more filming hours to cover other important moments such as the reception and the getaway.
What Do You Expect from Your Videographer?
The best thing to do is to sit down with your wedding film coordinator and the wedding planner and discuss what your wedding means to you. Here at Reverent Wedding Films, we have filmed thousands of weddings. Even so, every time we talk to a couple we see a unique love story unfold in front of us.
Some couples wish to focus on the ceremony. Others want us to highlight the closeness of all family members, so they prefer to film from the moment they start preparing for the wedding. More casual weddings concentrate on the cozy atmosphere of the reception, when people are unwinding, dancing, and feeling more like themselves.
As wedding film specialists, we want to hear from you about what makes your wedding exceptional and how we can make the most of our filming time.
The Size of the Wedding
Whether the wedding is indoors or outdoors, bigger weddings require more filming time. When you have plenty of loved ones surrounding you during your special day, you obviously want to immortalize this connection.
An average wedding consists of 100 to 150 guests. Smaller wedding parties, such as elopements and more private weddings, are easier to film. Our videographers will finish filming the ceremony faster, which leaves us more time to spend at the reception while still keeping to the wedding package you have chosen.
Larger weddings demand more time to film parents, cousins, uncles, and family members as well as friends and other loved ones. You want to capture all the significant moments of your wedding party, since these people are there to celebrate your love. Why should you miss out on a favorite uncle singing at your reception? Or your mother’s tears when your father dances with you?
That is why, with larger weddings, you may wish to choose a more inclusive wedding package in order to include more takes of the reception.
What Do You Want Filmed from the Reception?
There’s so much that makes a wedding reception special. It’s the moment for the first dance, cake cutting, emotional toasts, and guests dancing. To us videographers, it is unimaginable to miss these meaningful moments. Our highlight films almost always include these moments of pure happiness and joy.
To better understand what each couple expects from a reception, we like to go through every wedding well in advance and discuss all details, from the ceremony’s duration to the wedding venue.
Some couples get tearful during the toasts because of the love and companionship on display. For others, the first dance is crucial because the song means something special to them.
While we can film many distinctive moments during the wedding preparations and the ceremony itself, we feel that the reception should be part of your wedding film. The wedding ceremony is formal and solemn but the reception allows you more personal touches and freedom. It gives you more space to celebrate your love in your new roles as husband and wife.
How Can You Minimize Filming Time During the Reception?
If you are pressed for time, there are several ways you can minimize filming time during the reception and still have plenty of memories immortalized on film. For instance:
- You can arrange to have your film crew for a few hours during the reception. In that case, you may wish to push forward the cake cutting to include it in the film.
- It is great to dance and unwind at a wedding. After an hour of dance footage, however, it is safe to assume we have all the footage we need. People who like to dance will do so the moment the couple finishes their first dance. Don’t necessarily expect people to wait for two hours into the reception before they get in the mood and show off their dancing prowess.
- If you haven’t planned for a spectacular getaway or exit, perhaps you don’t need any footage of that particular moment. The videography crew could leave earlier.
- If your wedding and reception are taking place at the same venue, you may have enough time to film both as the videography crew won’t need to drive from one location to the other. Having it all in one venue is a time-saving arrangement.
Reverent Wedding Films Have the Right Wedding Film Package for You
Here at Reverent Wedding Films, we have several wedding film packages to choose from. You can select the coverage that best matches your expectations and fits your budget.
Because we believe in love stories, ask us how we can accommodate your wedding dreams in the most productive way. All our wedding films are cinematic, filmed by professional videographers, and as unique as you.
Call us at 832-536-1897 or check our availability online to book us for your wedding day. We film in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana, as well as destination weddings all over the world.
