Video Killed The Radio Star

“It was all a big blur!”
A. What Helio Castroneves said when he won Formula 1.
B. What a bride says when you ask her to describe her wedding day.
C. What you say when you watch wedding videos circa 1988.
If you answered B or C, then that’s five stars for you! Answer B is precisely why your day needs to be recorded for posterity and all mankind. You will vaguely remember all the sparkling, memorable and unique details. It’s not a hard sell to get brides to see the importance and value of a photographer. Many times, the photography budget will trump line items such as flowers and décor. We all know very well the virtues of capturing your wedding celebration on film. As a professional wedding planner, I’m here to tell you that videographer services are just as important. Long gone are the days of the shaky video filmed by your great-uncle Ray-Ray with the garbled music and words. Wedding videography has transformed into a true art form. Today, videographers are known as cinematographers and will condense your fourteen hour day into an impeccably edited fifty minute movie or even an artistic fifteen minute short. Video captures the feeling, sounds and words of the day. Your children’s children will be able to see and hear grandma giving you wise words as you’re getting dressed in your bridal room. You will be able to view the video months after the wedding and hear the emotion and love in the voice of your betrothed as he recites his vows. Photos alone cannot capture this.
When looking for a reputable videography company, view a collection of their work. Always observe the lighting of the video—it should not be too bright or too dim. Is the sound clear? Does the accompanying music complement the images on the video or does it compete? And by far, make sure your personalities mesh well. The videographer will be as close to you on your wedding day as the photographer, capturing all of your intimate moments. You should feel extremely comfortable with this person.

In my never-ending quest to find the best vendors Indy has to offer for K Sherrie clients, I was able to spend some time with Geoffrey Chandler of Geoffrey Chandler Videography at the Five Seasons. I was first impressed with the passion that he seems to possess for his craft. In describing that “one look, side smile or first glance” that he is always trying to capture in his videos, I could feel how into wedding videography Geoffrey was. And this is exactly the type of person that you want to capture one of the most important days of your life. I’ll let you eavesdrop a little on our conversation:

KSCo: How long have you been doing wedding videos?
GC: I was a wedding photographer for 20 years before I switched over to videography. I have been filming for 8 years. When I was a photographer, I would watch the videographers and their end product and I thought I had a better vision of what wedding video could be. And because we’re in the digital age, it made switching over that much easier, so I changed over.

KSCo: What makes your product unique?
GC: My videos capture the day and the history of those who were present that day. Would you rather show your children a picture of grandma or would you rather be able to let them hear and see grandma? My product is cinematic and I have been doing cinematic video since I’ve started in this business, although that’s the hot buzz word right now.

KSCo: What are the most important elements of a great wedding video?
GC: In each of my videos, I make sure I have three elements: something beautiful on the screen, meaningful music and narration. I also try to capture the atmosphere of the wedding, be it romantic, fun, whimsical, or sometimes, even tense.

KSCo: What type of packages do you offer?
GC: I only offer one package—and that’s the best package. I stay from start to finish to be sure that none of the important items are missed. Of course, we can customize our services to meet the needs of the client.

Please be sure to visit Geoff’s website for samples of his work. Did any of you out there skip the wedding video for your nuptials? Do you have any regrets? Please post your comments—we’d love to hear what you think!
Photo credits: Geoffrey Chandler Videography