frequently asked

QUESTIONS

 

  • Storytelling is how I differentiate my films from others. I focus my shooting style and edits on creating a story with lots of emotion that eventually leads up to the climax. I love using ambient sounds to set the tone and mood of my films and I focus on creating clean transitions. If you observe closely, you will find that most of my films are not set in chronological order.

  • On the day of your wedding, the majority of my captures will be candid moments. For the most part, I try to avoid filming staged moments as I prefer to keep things natural. I understand that your photographer will already be guiding you throughout the day so it is best that I am less obtrusive and more observant in my captures. Be yourself and let things happen naturally!

  • I love to travel so the answer is yes! I am based out of Ottawa, Canada but I frequently travel to Toronto and Montreal to capture weddings. I enjoy travelling on my free time so filming a wedding while exploring new cities is always something I look forward to. To see where I will be travelling next, click here. If I happen to be in a city nearby your wedding location and you’d like me to be there, we can chat more about reduced rates and extras.

  • To book and secure my services for your wedding, I require a 50% non-refundable retainer fee along with a signed contract. The remaining balance is collected three weeks prior to your event date. If you prefer a different payment plan, feel free to reach out as I am very flexible on the terms.

  • I won’t get into the nitty gritty of what equipment brands I use however, I will tell you this—in short, if I am shooting solo, I use up to five different cameras throughout the day. All of these cameras are set to capture 4K resolution to ensure a quality highlights film is produced. I try to keep my footprint minimal so the gear I use is carefully chosen to reflect this—think lightweight cameras, tripods, and light stands. You won’t find me flying around with a gimbal (camera stabilizer) very often either as I prefer to shoot handheld to capture those raw emotions. For the speeches and dances, I will typically use lights to brighten up the subjects.

  • Raw footage can be purchased as an add-on before or after your event. All footage (including audio) deemed viewable and audible will be delivered on a hard drive. Please keep in mind that this footage may appear unedited and will be compiled of hundreds of individual clips.

 
 
 
 

07. THE DAY OF YOUR WEDDING

Things to consider when you’ve hired a videographer

 
 



getting ready

For my style of filming, I recommend to my couples to budget time for the early preparations. This portion of your day adds a lot to the storytelling of your wedding film. As I typically solo shoot most of my weddings, I almost always start with the groom prep which lasts a minimum of thirty minutes. Next is the bridal prep in which I will spend a minimum of sixty minutes here. Things that are great to capture on film during this stage: Getting ready (of course), first look with parents, receiving of gifts, toasts, letter readings. Side note: It is important to factor in travel time from one location to another if you are not getting ready at the same venue.


First look

If you decide to do a first look, it always looks great on video. I love capturing authentic, emotional moments between you and your partner and the first look does just that. I will always mic up your partner to capture the interactions that occur. If you prefer not to do a first look, don’t worry! I’ll be sure to capture your partner’s reaction while you walk down the aisle for the first time.


Ceremony

Let’s make things official. The ceremony is pretty straightforward however, it requires a lot of preparation on my part. I typically need to be on site thirty minutes before the ceremony starts so please factor that into your timeline. During this time period, I will be setting up tripods, tapping into soundboards with the DJ, mic’ing up the officiant (and any other speakers), and filming details of the space. If your venue and location permits, I’ll also try to fly my drone to capture aerial footage. During your ceremony, I highly recommend an unplugged (no electronic devices) wedding ceremony. All your guests will be more present in the moment and you won’t have cellphones showing up in your professional videos and photos. I promise, you won’t regret it!


Reception

The party is just getting started. This is likely the first time of the day that you’ll get to interact with your guests and loved ones. If at any time, the two of you feel like taking a breather, I recommend running off with your photographer and videographer for a short session around sunset / golden hour. At this time of the day, the lighting is gorgeous and it makes for some wonderful photos and videos. I also love blue hour, just after sunset, so if you feel it might be too dark, trust me, its not! A few recommendations for planning out your timeline for the reception: 1) Consider having either a podium or a microphone stand for the speeches. When your speakers are free to move around, it becomes increasing difficult to capture on video 2) If possible, try not to stagger your schedule in such a way that a speech is followed by a dance and then followed by another speech. Remember, there is a lot of preparation time involved for video setup so try to stick with having all your speeches first and then all your dances after that. Budget five to ten minutes between different events. 3) Most venues do not serve meals when a speech is given however, some venues may not always follow this rule. I recommend kindly speaking to your venue beforehand to ensure servers are not out and about during the speeches. The noise and movement can be distracting to your reception video. 4) Get on the dance floor and party it up! Your guests will follow along and it will make for some exciting footage.

Remember, these tips are just recommendations so feel free to do what is best for the two of you!

 
 
 

Have any other questions?