Well hello blog! With this blog, I not only wanted to share my films but I also want to share my experiences of being a videographer and working weddings. When I began videography, I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I was fresh out of college, with little to no experience, and when I got my first job filming weddings I was a hot mess. I worked with a company where they provided the equipment, so I didn’t have much time to get to know the camera or the audio equipment — let alone how to attach the mounting plate for the tripod.

During the ceremony, I was warm with no food or water in me, and almost passed out. And then by the end of the night, my feet had horrible blisters on them because I decided to wear new shoes. It’s crazy to think that, that night I almost decided to quit. But, to be honest, it was because I didn’t know what to expect. When I started videography 5 years ago, I didn’t know anyone else who did it. YouTube wasn’t the best resource, yet, and I only got one day of training.

And it would have crushed me if I didn’t keep pushing along and decided to quit wedding videography all together. I definitely don’t want that happening to you!

 

5 Things You Need to Know Before Your First Shoot

1. Pack Everything The Night Before

Okay, so this one seems like a no brainer. But, I never took my own advice! I am what you call…a procrastinator, and I would always get everything ready the morning of my weddings. Which, a lot of the times, caused me to panic. Don’t let yourself panic! Get everything packed the night before so the morning of your wedding is stress free. This also includes having all of your batteries charged and cards formatted. The worst thing is having an almost full card before the ceremony — trust me, I’ve been there.

2. Bring Water and Snacks

Like I stated earlier, for my first wedding I didn’t have anything to eat or drink. Now, for weddings, you’re typically running around from location to location and you don’t think about eating or drinking until, well, it’s too late. Especially for hot, summer days — drink water! I’ve actually bought a mini cooler that I store in my trunk that includes bottled water and snacks. It’s so important. With snacks too. Eat something. I typically bring granola bars, fruit, Cliff bars for the morning. Wedding days are long and the reception is a good 4-5 hours after the start of your day, so make sure you are eating.

3. Know The Timeline

The one thing that I really took away from working for another company, before starting my own, was to communicate with your couple. I would call them the week before the wedding to go over all the details. Now, I contact my couples a month before and try to meet them in person if possible. This time is so important because you will get to know their timeline of the day. You must know this, or you’re going to be a little lost on the wedding day. And trust me, I’ve been there! It’s no fun. So get to know their timeline, study it. I’ve even seen photographers and other videographers upload their timelines and make it their home screen on their phones to reference. It’s also important to communicate with the other vendors, such as the photographer and the DJ. They will be your best friends for the day! And, especially the DJ, will have the most updated list of events for the reception. So make sure you chat with them before the reception begins.

4. Practice!

This one I think is the one piece of advice that I think is most important for new videographers. Practice, practice, practice. We all want the newest equipment and once you get it, whether it be a gimbal or a new drone, practice! I’ve shown up to some weddings with brand new equipment and had no idea how to use it! Not the smartest of me, I know. And had to learn as I went. While I may have still made some great films, they would have been even better if I knew my equipment better.

5. Have Fun

Okay, this is cheesy. But it’s true! I know your first wedding will be stressful. You might forget to record something. There may be technical difficulties. But! At the end of the day, you made it! And you’re getting to film and make something for the couple that they are going to watch again and again. With more weddings and projects, you’re going to get better. Don’t worry if your first film isn’t perfect. No film is perfect. But just have fun with it! If you’re serious about this being a business, then make sure you love it.

 

If you are videographer and have questions about your first shoot or anything at all — contact me! I would love to chat.

Email: tori@toridanielleweddings.com