FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS - All about your wedding DVD
Can't get the answer you need here? Then call us now on 01727-867454
for a free, informal chat about your requirements
What will you record?
This depends on the package you choose, but the following is a list of the
most popular elements of the wedding video:
- The bride preparing at her home in the morning, along with her bridesmaids
- The groom waiting (nervously!) at the wedding ceremony venue with the best
man
- The arrival of family
- The arrival of guests
- The arrival of the bridesmaids and the bride's mother
- The arrival of the bride and her father
- Processing into the wedding ceremony venue
- The ceremony
- Exiting the ceremony
- The guests during the photo sessions
- Arrival of the bride and groom at the reception venue
- Guests in the reception line
- The bride and groom entering for lunch
- The wedding party and guests during lunch
- The speeches
- Cutting the cake
- The First Dance
- etc, etc
Where possible, we will respond to any reasonable request to record special
moments (as long as they don't put us or our equipment in danger!)
How long will the DVD run?
This will depend on the package you select, and the amount of activity
included in your special day - for example, whether or not you chose to
record all of the ceremony. Typically, finished wedding videos can run
anywhere from about 45 minutes to a maximum of 90 minutes or so.
When will
I receive my DVD?
Due to the nature of editing and authoring, we ask that you allow up to two
weeks to receive your finished DVD. Of course, we will get it to you sooner
than that if we can!
Can You Record the
Ceremony?
This depends on the rules laid down by your venue, or by the person
conducting your ceremony. You need to check that Videography is permitted.
Some religious or civil institutions may not allow the use of video, while
others may ask for a small fee. However, given that video is a standard
accompaniment to weddings nowadays, most venues and officials are happy to
allow cameras to record the ceremony.
Do you record Civil
Partnerships?
Of course!
How far do you travel?
We aim to provide our services for our customers, irrespective of location.
However, if reaching the location requires extensive travel or overnight
stops, there will be additional charges which we will discuss with you prior
to booking.
What if it rains?
Our cameras are extremely sensitive to moisture, and exposure to
rainfall will cause them to malfunction and stop recording. They then have
to be returned to the manufacturer for repair! Thus, we will not be able to
place our cameras outside in the wet weather. We will find ways to work
around this where possible (e.g. sheltering in a church porch), but we cannot
risk missing the bulk of your wedding day through having a broken camera!
This may affect our ability to capture some of the shots we have discussed
with you.
Why does it cost hundreds
of pounds?
At first glance, the cost of a wedding
video or DVD always seems rather expensive. How can one person charge so
much money for just one day's work? The answer, of course, is that editing
your footage and then creating an authored DVD is actually a very
time-consuming activity. It can take a whole day just to create a few
minutes' worth of highly-polished material, or to create an interactive,
graphics menu. Few, professional DVDs are completed in under two
weeks - longer if there are effects to add - and so the videographer's fee
is not just for one day.
What equipment do you use?
We have a sparkly new Sony Z1 Camera, which provides stunning picture
quality. It's a '3-chip' camera, which indicates that it can store a much
greater amount of image information than a standard, domestic camera. It's
also quite a lot larger than a 'hand-held' video camera, and requires more
accessories.
Format of Recording
We will be recording your wedding in widescreen. This is the format in which
most TV programmes are made and broadcast, and the format in which most
commercial DVDs are released. It is also the format for which all modern TVs
and DVD players are designed. Even if you don't have a widescreen TV, your
set may automatically adjust to play widescreen pictures - you'll simply
notice a black bit of screen above and below the picture. Some TVs may need
the push of a button for manual adjustment, or you may be able to make the
change via your DVD player. Everyone's system is different, and you may need
to refer to your TV or DVD setup guide to find out how to watch in
widescreen mode. On very old TV sets, it may be impossible to watch
widescreen, and you will notice that the picture looks 'stretched'.
Will my DVD work?
Our DVDs are carefully produced to make them suitable for play on any modern DVD machine.
We only use high-quality, professional-standard discs to 'burn' the images,
and these discs are also designed to play on any modern system. However, it
does happen that some older or cheaper DVD players absolutely refuse to
co-operate, and it proves impossible to get the discs to work. In this
situation, we will discuss alternative ways of supplying you with the
finished product.
Do you use lighting?
Our cameras are so sensitive that extra lights are unnecessary. On a
practical note, portable lights require extra cables, and we have found that
these can become a nuisance when left trailing around the floor of your
venue! We do have a small, camera-mounted light which we can use in much
darker conditions - usually during the first dance.
Can you include footage
from other cameras?
Yes - but this will be at extra cost, as it will involve extra editing.
Also, please note that we will only be able to use material that is recorded
in widescreen format, so please advise anyone with a camera to select this
option before they start recording, as we can't change it afterwards.
Our system is designed to receive Mini-DV tape, so if your other recordings
are on Digital8 or mini DVD, for example, we will need to borrow the
person's video camera to import the material. If these cameras don't have
what's called a 'fire wire' port, then their material will have to be copied
across to Mini-DV prior to editing. Again, this will involve extra cost.
Please note that we cannot guarantee the quality of material from other
cameras, or whether it will match up with our own footage.
