I’ve primarily written this guide for couples who have recently booked wedding videography with me. If that’s you, congratulations and welcome! This guide will share some tips, tricks, and things to consider at various stages of the pre-wedding, wedding day, and post-wedding process. These suggestions come from over 5 years of my experience filming weddings.

This guide will help both:

1. Enhance your experience on the day.

2. Help me create your dream wedding video.

This guide would also be useful to read if you’re still considering wedding videography, as it sheds some light on the process we would go through together and some of the incredible results that come from this advenutre!

Let’s get into it.

Pre-Wedding

I’m here to help!

Leading up to your wedding, if you have any questions or need help with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out. This includes any assistance with package upgrades, vendor recommendations, schedule help, or location suggestions.

I’ve written some other blog posts, which you might find helpful. These include lists of my favorite: Wedding Photographers, Queenstown Wedding Venues, Wanaka Wedding Venues, and Queenstown Heli Locations.

I’d also recommend checking out the Queenstown Wedding Association or Wanaka Wedding Collective directories. You’ll find lots of great vendors and resources there.

Follow me on the socials

I’m not incredibly active on social media, but I do occasionally post great wedding-related content that you might like. The best place to follow my latest work is on Instagram. I also have lots of films on You Tube.

Please send me your schedule/run sheet when it’s ready

It’s important for me to have a look over your schedule before the wedding day. I will double-check that everything flows well and will appropriately fit into the allocated amount of coverage. When you start building your schedule, here are some other tips or things to consider:

1. For the Bride(s): Please don’t leave your dress to the last minute. If you’d like some video footage of you in your dress during the morning prep, then I’d recommend that you aim to slip into this at least 1 hour before the ceremony begins. This might sound quite early, but I’ll need to leave and set up my equipment at the ceremony site at least 30 mins prior to the ceremony start (this is usually slightly earlier than the photographer, as I have a bit more equipment to prepare).

2. For the Groom(s): Please shower before we arrive. Before I arrive, please plan for you and the Groomsmen to be showered with shirts, pants, and socks on. We can get great footage of the remaining clothing being put on.

3. Schedule some downtime with your guests. The day will go so fast, so it’s important to give yourself a moment to catch up with friends and family. After the bridal party or couple photos, I recommend allowing some time to refresh and enjoy a pre-reception mingle/canapé session with your guests. It will also give me and your photographer a little bit of time to prepare for the reception speeches and capture your dining set-up.

4. 60-minute helicopter shutdown for ceremonies. If you’re having a heli wedding (ceremony) on a mountain, followed by a video/photoshoot at the same location, then I’d recommend booking a 60-minute helicopter shutdown. This is much more relaxed than a standard 45-minute shutdown, and it will give you a moment to enjoy some bubbles and soak in the view before we need to leave. A 30-minute shutdown is perfect for any subsequent landings and 45 minutes is perfect for non-ceremony single landings.

5. Customise your coverage. If you’re struggling to fit everything in, just let me know and I’d be happy to extend my coverage (extra hours cost $450 p/h).

I believe that every wedding is unique, so these are quite general timeline suggestions, and they might not apply to every wedding/elopement structure. Ultimately it’s about having a chat and making sure it all flows well for everyone involved.

Vows

Remember, your vows will be recorded and then creatively and intentionally layered into your film. I highly recommend writing personal vows, as this will add much more depth, meaning, and emotion to your words (and ultimately help me tell a deeper, more personal story). They don’t need to be perfect (there’s no such thing), but I do believe they should be true to you and your relationship. If you need assistance writing vows, reach out to your celebrant for some tips.

Please book me a vendor meal (if I’m filming during your reception)

I do mention this in my contract but is worth a reminder. I don’t get time for a proper lunch on the wedding day, so I really appreciate a warm meal if I’m filming through your reception. I don’t need to be seated with your guests though (unless that’s easier). A separate table with the photographer is perfect. Please ask your venue or planner about this if you’re unsure.

Wedding Day

It’s all about movement!

The best thing you can do for video is natural movement. One of the best ways to achieve this is incredibly simple: relax and enjoy yourselves! I will always encourage twirls, big bear hugs, laughing, champagne pops, dancing, hip bumps, and snow fights during the video/photoshoot. Other great video moments include confetti throws, flying veils, the first dance, and helicopter fly-bys. Thankfully all of this movement looks great for your photographer too, so it’s a win-win!

Remember, I’ve got the video under control, so I want you to focus on being in the moment and really living the best day of your life. Be yourself, be silly, dance, play in the snow, and kiss like no one is watching. I'll capture the magic as it unfolds.

Consider the alpine conditions

If were are doing a heli trip, then we’ll be going into an alpine environment. Even in summer, conditions on the mountain can get extremely cold. For brides, I’d recommend bringing stable footwear (trainers, hiking boots or snow boots are great), and a jacket. Other things I would recommend for Winter are thermals, gloves, hand warmers, and a warm flask of tea or mulled wine (whisky works too). Trust me, drinking a cold bottle of champagne isn’t as fun at -5 degrees celsius.

Also, please keep in mind that most places we go will have large drop offs, slippery surfaces, and other hazards. Always listen to the instructions of your helicopter pilot and the video/photo team, and let us know if you’re feeling uncomfortable at any time.

Don’t stress about the weather

Let’s roll with what we get and make the best out of it. No matter what the conditions are, I have the equipment and skillset to handle it. Some of my favorite weddings are actually the wet ones, as you get this beautiful soft light, and the mountains look moody and dramatic. If it’s windy, your dress and veil will dance, and this movement looks incredible on video. If it’s sunny, then the champagne will taste extra good and we’ll all get a tan (just don’t forget the sunblock).

If you have a heli booked and we can’t fly, then we are still spoilt for choice with many stunning on-ground options in both Queenstown & Wanaka. I’d also be more than happy to come back for a re-scheduled heli flight on a different day (if you’re hanging around).

Post-Wedding

You’re Married! Congrats!

I trust you’ve had an incredible day! I’ll leave you to enjoy the remainder of your trip or honeymoon, and I’ll get straight onto backing up your footage and starting the editing process. You’ll be glad to know that I do all of the editing myself, so you can be confident that I’ll be creating a film that reflects the feeling of your day perfectly. Unlike some photographers, I don’t send through any “sneak peaks”, as editing even a short video is quite an intensive and time-consuming process. Instead, I prefer to put this energy and time into your main (highlight) film and make it the best film possible.

Music

I personally select the music for the film and this music is legally licensed through an amazing platform designed specifically for filmmakers. This ensures that your film can be legally shared online (unfortunately, most other music can't be used due to copyrights).

I'll select and license a song based on the feeling of the day and what will fit in with your vows well (i.e. the song must offer enough instrumental space for the vocal layovers). It's an important creative decision and I put a lot of effort into finding the perfect song for your unique story. In saying that, if you have particular styles of music that you like, you're welcome to share some examples and I'll do my best to find something similar/in the same style.

Delivery

I’ll aim to have all your films ready to watch within 8-12 weeks after your wedding. As soon as they are ready, I'll be in touch with a link to your private online video gallery. All of your films will have legally licensed music, so you can share them anywhere online, in perpetuity.

Once received, I’d love to hear what you think, but I’m sure you’ll love it! If you feel so inclined, you can also write me a review on my Google Business Page here. This helps more awesome couples find me online, so it’s always really appreciated!

Optional Extras

There are a few optional extras that can be purchased after the wedding day. Please enquire about pricing and more details if you’re interested.

• Priority Editing: I will prioritize your film over others in my workflow, to ensure a complete delivery within 2 weeks (normally 8-12 weeks). This will not impact the quality of the film in any way. It's a great option to select if you're wanting to "reveal" the film to your loved ones at a special occasion coming up soon.

• Raw Footage: This is a hard drive that will include the entirety of your unedited video clips (and individual audio recordings). Amongst these clips, you will find unseen moments that might not have made it into the final film due to time restrictions or creative decisions. The raw footage will also allow you to have your wedding film re-edited by another editor at any time.

Some images in this blog were provided by our awesome friends over at Mountain Weddings and Alpine Image Co.

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