This is a popular Kent venue that I know very well having filmed there many times now.

Our photographer for the wedding was Emma Hall, a delightful person to work alongside and she brings smiles to everyone’s faces. She has a carefree attitude to her work that relaxes everyone including me.

I arrived bright and early to check the conditions and set up my equipment. It was an outside ceremony in the gazebo which always requires a good knowledge of lighting and sound. A gazebo can cast shadows on the couple, even on a sunny day. It’s my job to even out the conrast that occurs when the subject’s face is in shadow with a glaring sunny background behind them.

Audio quality

I automatically assume that this will be the view so setting up early is crucial. A gazebo can also affect the air around it resulting in wind noise. I tend to use a lapel microphone on the groom and a remote mic above their heads. I’ll tape this to the awnings in the roof. Both microphones will have wind muffs to counter any wind for clear audio.

Audio quality is just as important as the video itself. Bad audio is unforgiving to the viewer so I ensure that doesn’t happen. As nice as a gazebo ceremony is, it tests the skills of any videographer. If this was a movie set, there would be strong lights all around but that’s not practical for a wedding and it’s not something I would care to inflict on the couple.

Hannah and Ryan were the perfect couple and once the ceremony was over, their nerves vanished and the party began.

Most weddings tend to run smoothly and predictably. I’m normally thirty minutes or so ahead of the proceedings in my mind and always know what’s about to happen and where I need to be.

Hannah and Ryan had the perfect wedding. It was my privilege to film their special day for them.

Any questions you might have regarding your upcoming wedding, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Read more about wedding highlight videos.

You can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay well,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

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You get what you pay for

I had a call recently from a very distressed lady. She had just received her wedding video shot by a different videographer.
In her words, the whole thing was a disaster and she was distraught. Could I help or salvage what had been done?

I asked her to describe what was wrong with it. Here goes…a lot of the footage was almost black, it was so dark. Most of the video footage was very shaky and the sound was full of hiss and hard to make out what people were saying. That was just the worst aspects.

A deal to good to be true?

She told me that she had paid £300 for the videographer to film her wedding. That was my first alarm bell ringing. I said that this person obviously didn’t have much value regarding his work if that was his price. There’s an old saying; “You get what you pay for” and unfortunately, she has found that to be very true. How much is your wedding worth to you? Are you prepared to risk everything to an amateur?

She told me that the videos on his website looked great so I had a look. The first thing I noticed were the locations. They didn’t look much like England to me, more like southern California. I checked a few more videos. Same thing. It was America.

I guess the videos had been downloaded from a wedding video company in the USA and re uploaded here in England on to this chap’s website as his ‘own work’.

Professionalism

Yes, it’s despicable but no big surprise. There is so much dishonesty out there and unfortunately, I’ve heard many similar stories. She was told that that’s what the conditions were on the day, dark and noisy. Well, no, sorry, I would never accept that. A professional would know what to do in those circumstances. You do your homework and react accordingly.

It’s a big shame that this lady was taken advantage of. There was really nothing I could do. The damage was done. Had I filmed her wedding, there would have been no issue at all. I know the venue well and would have made a great job of it all.

Like all my professional peers, we know that a wedding day is a one-off, not to be repeated. We don’t allow anything to create problems because we are skilled in what we do. That’s why we don’t charge £300. You want the best. So do I. I take a lot of care with my work. I always treat each wedding as my first and that’s what you deserve.

As always, you can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay happy,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

The post Cheap wedding video. Don’t do it! appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Light is everything when it comes to filming a wedding. You might think that’s a given or we’d be filming in the dark.
It’s the quality of the light that matters to me. In many venues, I find yellow tungsten lighting and that’s not the type of light that puts a smile on my face.

Summer is a friend in that area. Natural daylight is good but it can also be a problem. Especially when the sun is shining right into my lens. Fortunately, there is always a choice. Moving the camera to a better position so the sun is behind me is key. If that’s not an option, raising the camera to a higher level so it’s looking down is a help.

Years ago when I worked for a national television station, I trained as a lighting cameraman. I learned how to control light. That means that lighting was never something that had the better of me. In fact, I found light to be the be all and end all of how the video picture looked. I could use lighting to get the exact creative look that I was after and it then became a passion for me. It allowed me to build the knowledge to create my own style. That is something that is very plain to me when I look back at all the wedding highlight videos that I’ve made since I began to film weddings.

I could never film someone’s wedding and not consider what the best light source is and how I’ll edit a week later. My thoughts on the day are how to maximize the quality of any lighting, is there enough and what could be a problem.

Is there enough light?

The possibility of a venue being too dark is always there. That’s why I always scout out a new venue, one I haven’t been to before. I then get the opportunity to find out what lighting sources there are and what will be the source on the day. I don’t like surprises when I’m working. It would be unprofessional of me not to do my homework before filming.

Light can be many things. It can be harsh, too bright, too dim. It can be a horrible colour and it can be flickering.
For me, light is my main tool when it comes to capturing beautiful video. It can make the difference between an average video and an exceptional one. Knowing how to use light as well as your camera and how it works and a creative mind is all you need to know.

As always, you can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay happy,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

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Sound…we tend to think about video when it comes to anything we watch on a screen. Sound is something that we take for granted but here’s the thing. Good sound is just as important as the video we watch.

Try watching your TV with the sound turned off or even way down. The whole experience becomes difficult, doesn’t it? Now imagine the opposite. No picture but you can hear great sound. Guess what? You can still follow what’s happening, you can hear every word, every sound effect. You can tell what’s going on more so than if you just had a silent picture to watch.

So what am I trying to convey here? Well, we as videographers tend to buy the latest cameras with all the high specs and that’s great. We get a fantastic picture and it all looks marvelous. Now, that’s all well and good but this is what I’ve noticed. I’ve seen many wedding highlight videos where the video itself looked brilliant but….the whole experience suffered from poor recorded sound.

What is sound production

Anyone can throw a song over a video, that’s the easy part. Getting great source audio is another matter. You have to really know your subject. There are sound levels to consider, radio frequencies, the physics of audio, e.q., distortion, interference, cables and leads, compression. You get the idea…

You may decide to record your wedding with a smart phone. OK, you’ll get something you can watch back later.  Shaky video and sound that just isn’t in the ball park. When I record a couple saying their vows, chances are they’re going to talk pretty quietly. I want to hear them breathe….I want anyone watching their DVD to hear those words as clear as day. You’re just not going to get that without good sound recording equipment. So I’ll say it again. Good sound is just as important as good video.

How I learned to make good audio

When I worked in commercial television before setting up East Kent Wedding Video, I was fortunate to begin my career at a small regional television station. It was there that they trained me in all aspects of TV production; camera, lighting, editing and audio. That was a great grounding to have working with broadcast equipment. When I moved on to a national broadcaster, I was a lighting cameraman. That was it. It didn’t matter that I was also qualified in other areas. They had people for those niche areas. The experience wasn’t wasted though. My manager knew I had that grounding and it held me in good stead for the future.

Now, a wedding videographer has to be a jack of all trades and here’s why. He or she has to be a good camera operator, a good audio recordist, a good editor and a good lighting op. Remove any of those equations and you are severely compromised.

In life, the old saying that you get what you pay for and pay for what it’s worth to you is so true. How much is your wedding video worth?

As always, you can view our wedding highlight videos here.

Stay happy,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

The post Sound! It’s important. appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Wedding speeches during the wedding breakfast. For some, it’s a great opportunity to stand up and address the crowd while having a few jokes at the groom’s expense, especially if you’re the best man. For others, it’s a moment to dread, all eyes on you and you’re hoping to just get through it all without any mistakes. No matter the type of wedding, the following advice still applies.

Yes, I see a lot of nerves while the clock ticks down to the wedding speeches. A few wedding days kick off the speeches before the wedding breakfast is served. That enables the speech makers to get it out of the way so they can enjoy the meal. Mainly, however, it is far more common to make the speeches after the meal. I’d like to give a few hints here from my experience as a wedding videographer.

Be bright, be brief, be gone!

There is one golden rule and it is this: “Be bright, be brief, be gone!”

Hopefully, you as the speech maker are going to get a few laughs as well as those emotional moments. If you do, then you’ve done well. The worst thing you can do is look for Dutch courage. It really doesn’t help and actually builds you up for a fall, sometimes.

There’s an old cliche…”Always leave them wanting more”, and you could say the same here. In my experience, wedding speeches have been as short as twenty seconds and once or twice, as long as ninety minutes. I would say that five to ten minutes is great, short enough to hold attention and long enough to get your points across.

I once experienced a power failure during the wedding speeches. All the house lights went out. Fortunately, I was able to keep recording in the pitch darkness as I use batteries. The best man, who was speaking when the power cut hit just carried on like the trooper he was, without missing a beat. Another time, the (very loud) fire alarm went off and no one had the key. We just carried on and everyone made their speech. This has actually happened twice to me, once during the ceremony and once during the speeches.

Past, present and future.

There is another golden rule for wedding speeches. Past, present and future.

It’s great to say a few words about how the bridal couple met. How they have proceeded to get to today and hopefully, the wonderful years ahead for them. And if you’re the groom, always, always say something nice about your new wife. It’s so easy to forget the simple but crucial things when you’re standing in front of a hundred people, knowing they’re all looking and listening to you.

If you’re super confident, you can wing it without notes. You can also Google wedding speeches and no doubt, you’ll find some good ones. No one expects you to speak like a professional so reading from notes is fine but do try to look up occasionally to the people you’re speaking to. They will appreciate it.

If there is a microphone, do use it so everyone can hear you. It would be a shame if no one could hear a word you say, it does happen.

The best man’s wedding speech.

Traditionally, we get to see the father of the bride, the groom and the best man make wedding speeches. The best man probably has the hardest job here but tends to get the most laughs because he can can throw the rule book to the wind, it really is an open slate for him and secretly, I can tell you that his audience is probably hoping that he has the ability to make the groom blush…within reason. There is a line that even the best man can’t cross, especially if it is embarrassing to the bride and her family. It’s always a good idea to run your prepared speech before a friend in the days before a wedding.

I’ve filmed hundreds of wedding speeches over the years and I can say this…I can count on one hand, the times when a wedding speech has gone wrong, a speech that had people looking at their hands and it was usually down to way too much alcohol.

It really is quite difficult to make a mess of your speech because everyone there is rooting for you, your friends and family, me too so just relax and enjoy the occasion.

Follow my advice and you’ll do very well. If you are having your wedding filmed, have a look here.

Stay well,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video.

The post Wedding speeches appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Long or short wedding video? Recently, I’ve noticed a trend for short wedding video over full length long wedding video. Especially in the USA but it’s catching on here, too.

What makes it very strange to me is that there are wedding video companies, not all, that actually charge more for the short length. When I film a wedding, I’m there all day and I film everything. Regardless of whether I present a long or short wedding video, I need to film it all in order to get the shots.

It’s always been my way to give my clients the whole wedding day on DVD and Blu Ray at an average length of around two hours. But…I also give them a five minute highlights video at no extra cost. Clients can use this for social media, phones and tablets. I do this because it presents their whole wedding day summarised down to a bite sized length. That also makes it dynamic and in-your-face, if you like.

Editing the highlights is usually the last process in the editing chain for me. When I get around to editing the highlights, everything else is completed and I now have a very good feel for that particular wedding and it also allows me to put the icing on.

So, when you book me to film your wedding, you’re getting the best of both worlds without having to pay more.

What’s best for you?

Given that I give you both versions of your wedding video, without charging extra, you can still ask for just the short version. At the end of the day, your wedding video will be what you want it to be. That is so important to me. I want you to be happy.

Editing a wedding video takes me about six days total. I spend that time because it’s my name on the cover and it doesn’t leave here until I’m 100% satisfied. It’s a cliche, I know, but a true one…I treat your wedding as if it’s my first. They’re all different in many ways and I never, ever assume your day will be a typical western wedding. That’s why it’s vital to meet up and go through all the details before your wedding.

I know how important your wedding is to you and nothing less than perfection is allowed here at East Kent Wedding Video.

You can find out  more here.

Stay well,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video.

The post Long or short wedding video? appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Why your wedding matters to me

Your wedding is probably the most important day in your life and that goes for me too when I’m filming you on that very special day. No two weddings are ever the same and that has to be rule number one in my book.

You might think that a wedding videographer works to a routine like a conveyor belt passing by. The ceremony here, the speeches there and later on, the first dance. But you’d be wrong in my case. I always meet up with the couple, long before their wedding day. And yes, there is an element where I’m finding out from them what happens when and where on the day but for me, there’s so much more than that.

For instance, if I know a little about their history and how and why they got together, it begins to paint a picture in my mind. It tells a story which is a canvas for me to work on when the cameras start recording. That might sound a little cliched but it’s true. Everyone’s wedding day deserves that, especially when they have chosen to put their trust in me.

You don’t get second chances when filming a wedding. The action happens and then it’s gone so I’m on my toes every minute of that day. I’m checking and double checking the schedule so the next event will see me ready and there.

Saving the day

Melissa and Charlie’s wedding during August was a case in point. The ceremony was at a church in Saltwood and the reception was to be about thirty miles away near Canterbury. The couple had the loan of an impressive green sports car. It had been driven down from Wales especially for the drive between the two venues. I wanted to get every minute of that journey on film so I could choose the best parts for the final edit. I had to film them leaving the church and also arriving for the reception a half hour later while always staying a few yards behind them. It was a potential problem but one we solved by mounting a camera on our car. The video footage turned out smooth as silk, not a bump on the way.

That road trip is now a permanent reminder on Mel and Charlie’s wedding video.

That is just one example of getting things right before the big day.

We also had the pleasure of working alongside David Fenwick, a fantastic Kent based wedding photographer that we don’t get to see enough.

I really love my work, it is what I make it and I always make sure I do my very best. Read more here

Stay well,

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video.

The post Melissa and Charlie’s wedding appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Once in a while, we film a wedding that is just so enjoyable and different from anything we’ve done before. Jaimie and Simon’s wedding at the The Duke of York’s Royal Military School in Dover, Kent was such a wedding. So, what made it so, you ask?

As a wedding videographer, I feel blessed when magic happens as it did at Jamie and Simon’s wedding. The school was a world within a world which meant that we could just put our camera gear down and forget about it and get on with filming the day. Being closed off to the outside world and with the school students on holiday, the atmosphere was very relaxed and the guests very amicable. I had already filmed some of the wedding rehearsal the night before which I often do and I knew that I would include that in the finished wedding video.

Simon, a police officer was also a very talented musician and it was this that brought the house down later in the day when it was his turn to make a speech after the wedding breakfast. He had a list of popular songs that he had changed the lyrics to and once seated behind his synth keyboard, away he went. The words were projected onto a large screen behind him for the guests and family to read as he played. To say the reaction was hysterical would be an understatement. Song after song, we had tears rolling down our faces, he was so funny and I really had to concentrate on what I was doing, getting those reactions down on camera while my other cameras were on him and also Jaimie on the top table. I knew by now that I had everything I needed to make this wedding video extra special and it was Simon that made it so.

When it was time for the first dance, half way through the song, the setting summer sun just lit them both up in an orange glow as it beamed through the open doorway. Absolute magic! These are the things you can’t script but you just hope for. Jaimie, despite it being her wedding day, looked after us and made sure we didn’t go hungry or thirsty. Being a wedding videographer can be tough sometimes, you sometimes have to be two places at once but days like these are welcomed.

Wedding video is a fantastic occupation for me and when you get days like this, when everything comes together, then I just know that I’m in the job I love. I was a little unsure about using ‘The Rainbow Connection’ as music for their highlight video but a voice inside told me to go for it….and they both loved it!

Chris
Wedding Videographer
East Kent Wedding Video

The post Jaimie and Simon appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

No two weddings are ever the same, but more importantly, no two wedding couples are ever the same. For me, that is a golden rule and that’s why I treat every couple I meet before their wedding as if they’re the first. That’s why no two wedding videos are ever the same.

Meeting up before your wedding is so important for me and also for you. It gives me a chance to get to know you both a little and also gives us an opportunity to discuss what you want and don’t want from a wedding video, the choice of music, the style that you may have in mind and so on.

By the time our meeting is at an end, I’ll have a very good idea of how I’m going to shoot the day as it unfolds, I’ll know what is happening and when, who is family and how many so I can make sure to get lots of film footage of them. You may have children so it’s vital for me to know who they are.

In other words, I don’t leave anything to chance. That’s when a videographer can lose control and that has never happened to me because I do my homework. Weddings are a once-in-a-lifetime event for most and filming such a day gives you no second chances as a videographer.

I pride myself in my work, I have been a lighting video cameraman all my working life as well as a professional television editor and all these skills come into play in order for me to create a brilliant and visual memento of your wedding day.

I absolutely love shooting wedding videos, it’s not just my job, it’s how I make my living.

I’ve been filming weddings for so long now and it’s all I do.

I believe that I’m only as good as my last wedding film and that’s what makes me strive to make each film better than the last. I look for that spark, the emotion between two people who have taken this huge and brave step to spend their lives together, to create a family and that’s my real script!

The two of you are what makes it all happen, the magic ingredient and my eyes are tuned to that for every second of your wedding day.

So…if you think I’m just there to film the day as it unfurls, having read this far, you now know that for me, it’s so much more than that. Years of experience behind the camera lets me see what so many others might miss and when the edit begins a few days later, I can then add that extra magic to turn your wedding day into the epic you deserve. That’s why I get so many recommendations and that’s great!

Chris
East Kent Wedding Video

You can read more here.

The post Why I love my job! appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.

Recently, we had the pleasure to film Sophea and Dane’s wonderful wedding video on the other side of the world in Perth, Western Australia.

It’s amazing how incredible the power of the internet can be and we jumped at the chance to fly over to Perth, film the wedding after meeting up with the happy couple to go through what they wanted from having their wedding filmed and as a bonus, a chance to have a few days holiday while we were there.

Fortunately, the sun shone, the day was warm and the wedding was perfect for everyone.

I have to say that filming their wedding was easy, all the guests were full of character and very friendly indeed. Now, you’re probably wondering why on earth an Australian couple would fly me all that way when surely Perth has wedding video companies of their own.

Well, Sophea had a recommendation from a friend over here in Kent, England. It was a long shot, but when she had watched the videos on this website for East Kent Wedding Video, she told Dane that she wanted us and that’s all there was to it. Being winter here in England, things were quiet on the wedding video scene so really, there was nothing to think about.

Thanks guys, you made us both very happy indeed!

The post Far and wide – a wedding video down under. appeared first on East Kent Wedding Video, wedding videographer in Kent and the SE.