TIPS & IDEAS

Think about permits early
Many locations may require a permit to shoot. You have your dream spot for video in mind? Amazing! Make sure you get the permits as soon as possible as there are generally only a few permits per time slot.

Prioritize natural light
The more natural light you have where you get ready, the better the
video will be. Prioritize big windows, or even a pretty outdoor spot. Borrow a friend’s place or switch the hotel with an awesome loft on AirBnb!

Keep a clean environment
Make sure you keep everything you need in a corner. The last thing you will want is a messy background in your beautiful getting ready shots!

Keep the guys busy
We strongly encourage the groom and his groomsmen to do something fun in the morning. In the past we have had the guys go golfing, to the barber for a clean shave, even axe throwing! We can capture the getting ready video relatively quickly and then the guys get to do something fun that allows us to capture great candid shots.

Have the guys looking sharp when we arrive
We don't have much time with the groom so if he is not ready when we arrive this will affect the video quality/variety.

We have a lot of video to capture at the bride's location in the morning
The ideal set up is that the makeup & hair is finished by the time we arrive. We would encourage to avoid having the bride getting her make-up and hair done last in case of delay. We can also get a few shots of the wedding dress. Then you can put the wedding dress on and do any reveals with the parents or bridesmaids, followed by shots of the bride alone,then with the bridesmaids. If you are only allowing 45 minutes for this segment then the bridesmaids should already be dressed by the time we arrive. If you allow more time then we can get more.

Tips for Makeup
We always recommend the use of a professional make-up artist that has an understanding of the types of makeup to use for film. This will keep you camera ready all day. It is best to use a high-definition foundation and matte powders / eye shadows (especially if you have oily skin.) It is best to avoid glossy lipstick, high glimmer eye shadows / blushes and mineral makeup as they can cause unflattering effects with flash.

Glasses
If you wear glasses, please be advised that it is very likely you will have reflections in your glasses throughout the day. If this is a concern for you, please consider wearing contacts for the day.

Get your detail shots ready
Providing sophisticated detail shots is a lot easier when we have everything in hand. Keep an invitation or a program, the jewellery, rings, flowers, shoes and any other significant item nearby. If you would like detail shots of things like the rings, flowers, etc. make sure you add at least 15 minutes.

Be prepared for your shoot

For the bride and bridesmaids, if the shoot location is a distance to walk, we recommending bringing flats.
If there is a chance of rain, be sure to bring umbrellas that you want to see in your video.
If its a hot summers day, stay hydrated and bring dabbing papers to absorb any perspiration. We want you to be comfortable.

Discuss with your officiant
Some places have extremely strict rules that make our job very difficult. Example: some churches don't even allow us to move during the ceremony. This is rare but it does happen. Others let us move but not close to the front of the altar (where you happen to be). If you are having a non-denominational ceremony we strongly encourage you to find an easygoing officiant.

Consider a technology free ceremony
If you would like ceremony footage that isn't cluttered with your guests taking photos through their mobiles, consider having your officiant request that technology not be used during the ceremony before it begins. It keeps everyone fully engaged on your special day and allows us to get the perfect shots.

The aisle is your runway
Take your time, smile, look around. Enjoy every second of it.
For your first kiss, make it count! We have had couples in the past do a quick peck on the cheek/lips that only lasted a few milliseconds which makes it exceedingly difficult to get a beautiful shot. We recommend kissing for a few seconds. Not telling you how to kiss, just a recommendation!

Take a break
Consider scheduling a 10 minute break for yourselves before we continue taking photos of just the two of you. You get some time alone to get refreshed. If you want detail shots of the venue and set up, please make sure that guests aren't already seated when we arrive at the reception.

For your first dance
Make sure you use the full version of the song to make sure we have enough time to get all of the shots. Also, consider having a spotlight on yourselves or keeping the room slightly brighter. If it is too dark and there is no light on you the photos and videos will not look good.

Lighting for speeches
We need either a spotlight or brighter venue lights. If it is too dark the video footage will not look good. Alternatively we can bring some of our supplementary lights to help with the quality of the final product.

Unfortunate Weather Conditions. (or very behind schedule)
In the event that the weather is not cooperating, we recommend either having an indoor backup location or adding a post wedding/editorial shoot to your wedding. A post wedding/editorial shoot is our favourite option since it allows us to choose the ideal time of day for the best lighting, you get to choose your favourite location without worrying about logistics, and we get to spend more time with you without worrying about time constraints. All of these factors allow us to produce higher quality footage. The second option is having an indoor location as a backup plan, however this may require you to have a second permit on standby just in case you need to use it and there are very limited indoor location options. If you are running very behind schedule then we 100% recommend a post wedding shoot.