To continue with this line of thought, and in order to give you my two cents to make your wedding day even more memorable, I have come up with a list of things that have gone wrong in some of my weddings:

5. Someone in your wedding party delays getting dressed until the last minute. I’ve seen this happen many times: sometimes it is one of the parents, sometimes one of the groomsmen or bridesmaids. The issue here is that they will stand out (in a negative way) in the getting ready photos or video (even in the background), because they look very different than the rest. Men usually don’t care about this detail, but when the bride sees the pics or wedding film, they not only notice but get upset and unfortunately, there is no going back.

6. Talking during moments when the bride and groom are the focus of attention. During photoshoots, during the cake cutting and especially during the first dance, if the couple is talking nonstop, this doesn’t look good. Try to stay in the present and keep a smile on your face. This will make for beautiful stills and video.

7. Allowing cellphones during the ceremony. This happens rarely because nowadays most brides know this is a mistake, but nonetheless it still happens. Yes, family and friends want to have even a short video or pic as a memory of this day, but they may end up blocking the view of a camera at the worst moment. And sometimes the place is so tight, there is no time or room for the videographer to move their camera. Please ask all the guests to be aware of these 2 vendors with cameras, not only at the ceremony but at the reception, as they are doing their best to document your day.

8. Changing the schedule without notifying one of the vendors. We vendors work as a team even if we don’t work for the same company, so if there is any change at all, please make sure everybody knows. In the case of video, the placement of tripods, microphones or some lenses for certain angles need to be decided in advance. It is also very possible some moments are missed because of this.

9. Not giving importance to details. Lastly, if you invest in a good videographer and photographer, chances are you are spending good money on details like invitations, jewelry, flowers, etc. So if you invest all this time and money into making your day perfect, I know you will appreciate these extra details to avoid: allowing anyone in your bridal party to chew gum, not cleaning up the bridal suite or groom suite before the vendors come in for pictures or video, and having loud music in the room while video is being filmed. All of these affect the way the end video looks and sounds.

I hope you find these tips helpful and end up having a wonderful wedding day. Your vendors are there for you and we all want only the best for you. Feel free to add more in the comments, if any others come to mind. Brides, let’s celebrate love! and for my fellow video and photo vendors, let’s keep shooting and giving our best! Love, Dorena