1. KEEP THE SPEECHES ON TOPIC.
Great speeches do the heavy lifting in terms of telling your ‘story’, and can really hold the flow of your film together. The best results come when couples give their speakers a bit of direction in telling the story of who they are as partners, not just as individuals.
Some ideas to get you started:
Parents: It’s probably worth mentioning to the parents that though this is certainly a perfect opportunity to brag on their child (we know they’re dying to), often the best and most heartfelt part of any speech is when they take the time to describe their personal take on you both as a couple and what you bring to each other, rather than a blow by blow of your childhood achievements. Stories that include the first time they were introduced to your partner, how they’ve seen you change since you’ve been together, and their favorite things about you together which can be very moving - and usually pretty funny! (Insert joke here)
Bridal Party: These guys are going to be the best for the “how you met” stuff. Ask them to talk about how they first found out about their friend’s new love interest, any funny or touching stories of watching their friend fall in love, and a bit about the proposal if they were involved. Your friends generally have the most insight into what you guys are like as a couple day-to-day, and your quirks and differences, which is often the best material!
Often times the Celebrant will cover some of the story of how you met, but we’d really encourage you to ask your speakers to tell their versions as well. Guests will have forgotten most of what the celebrant said by the time speeches roll around, and while it's ok to use some of the celebrant's content in your film, it's always much more meaningful coming from a close friend or family member. As an alternative - typically, there are also special guests who are asked to get up during the ceremony to do a 'reading'. Why not ask them to make this a 2-minute mini-speech instead? Something far more personal, and a chance for your friends and family to tell parts of your story as well.
This list is neither comprehensive nor entirely necessary - don’t stress if your speech crew can’t touch on all of these points within the time allowed. This list is more intended as a general idea of what we’ve seen work best in the past.
2. PERSONALISE YOUR VOWS. It can definitely be daunting getting up in front of everyone you know and declaring your love for each other, but it's totally worth it! Particularly for Brides (if there is one), who traditionally don’t make a speech on the day, this may be your only moment on film where you, face to face, each get to express the depth of your love and commitment to each other. If you prefer to go with traditional vows, then we’d encourage both of you to get up on the mic during the speeches to say some words to or about each other - short and sweet is totally fine!
3. CHOREOGRAPH YOUR FIRST DANCE
This doesn’t mean learning the choreography of the BACKSTREET BOYS "I WANT IT THAT WAY" or spending 6 months practicing the Dirty Dancing lift. Although feel free! More likely though, you’ll just want to learn a few simple moves and practice dancing together to the song a few times. So that on the day, you’re not awkwardly swaying and shuffling around waiting for it all to end. A few gentle spins you learned on Youtube or a cute Jive you picked up at an evening class can make for some beautiful footage. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll look with each other, and the less you’ll look (and feel) like a pair of deer caught in the headlights.
A side note - a number of previous couples who spent time taking choreographed lessons with a professional dancer have said that the experience of learning a new skill together was super fun in and of itself.
4. BE OPEN TO SHOWING EMOTION. A lot of us find public displays of emotion uncomfortable at the best of times, let alone when all eyes are on you. But if you’re ever gonna drop your guard and feel all the feels, this is the day to do it. The excitement, happy tears, the nerves - share it all with your partner and loved ones. This is your chance to fully express your love and appreciation for the people who have been along for the journey. Just let it all out, baby!
5. SPEND TIME WITH THE (EXTRA) IMPORTANT PEOPLE. Because our films are narrative-based, not content-based, we set out to capture the atmosphere and the feeling of the day. Rather than staging family shots to check them off the coverage list, we aim to film you and your loved ones in your natural interactions on the day. This means the films have lots of hugs and kisses, laughter, dancing, and genuine moments of connection with family and friends. Hopefully, you’ll have noticed this moment-based approach already, and that’s why you’ve chosen to work with us on your wedding film. Of course, we will always do our absolute best to include all important guests in your coverage, but if there’s someone you really want featured in your film, then we’d encourage you to make sure you spend a bit of time with them on the day.
6. GET YOUR LIGHTING RIGHT.
Living in beautiful sunny Florida, it's pretty common for couples to have amazing open-air ceremonies. Be mindful, though, that daylighting around 2/3pm in the full sun can be very harsh. It’s not the end of the world, but the shadows are harsher and the overall look is less forgiving so if you have the option of finding a shady spot under a tree, or if you can push your ceremony back to late afternoon, you will usually get more flattering results on film. Also, outdoor or marquee receptions are where we love most. A combination of festoon lighting, diffused lighting, and natural light makes for a gorgeous ambient atmosphere that looks fantastic in person and through the lens. We’ve found in general that indoor reception lighting can be a little patchy and at times, quite unflattering, depending on the venue. Having said that, we’ll work with you to make sure that whatever your set-up, you and your guests look as beautiful as possible.
7. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER.
Usually, couples have already have booked a photographer, or at least have a pretty good idea of who it might be, by the time they get to booking a videographer. That's completely fine, and often couples end up booking photographers who share a similar aesthetic and attitude to shooting to our experts here, which is great. We shoot in a very natural way, capturing the ‘in-between’ moments. While all photographers have to do at least some posed shots with you on the day, it's important that the photographer you choose leans more towards directing you in an attempt to bring out some genuine, less staged moments. This will ensure you get not just better photos, but that your film and photos will complement each other stylistically. If you're undecided on a photographer great! As we do have experts on the team and offer exclusive packaging for such needs.
8. LEAVE THE MUSIC CHOICE TO US, PLEASE.
Of course, we're always open to suggestions on music style from you both, if you’ve got particular music preferences (e.g. hate folk music, love floaty indie tracks), and/or if there’s a track or two you especially liked from a previous video of ours, make sure to mention it. However, if you’ve watched a few of the films on our site you probably already know that we have like to diversify. In order to further differentiate each video. Really making them your own unique production. We do like to make sure you're aware that if you're looking to post your video over any social media pages, having a popular artist's song featured will likely get flagged. Leading to the social media giants removing your video for copywriter reasons.
9. HIRE A STYLIST/PLANNER.
This is more something for an overall awesome day, not just an awesome video. If you have the luxury of engaging a stylist/planner, we strongly recommend utilizing their services. We’ve noticed considerably lower stress levels of the couple and bridal party when a planner is on board.
Ideally, it’s best if you guys can concentrate on being present with each other and your guests on their wedding day. The last thing you want is to be worrying about why the wine barrels haven't arrived yet, and why are the chairs facing the wrong way, and why is the DJ running 20 minutes late…. If having a professional planner is not an option, consider asking a friend who is not part of the bridal party to oversee the nitty-gritty things on the day, because a relaxed couple makes for a great day and a wonderful film.
CONCLUSION
To be upfront we're not your average wedding filmmakers and photographers. We do not carry around heaps of cameras and lenses, and we do not pose you 80% of the time.
So what does Tally Entertainment do?
Simply put, we capture intimate weddings, from Georgia to Florida, to Connecticut. We focus on capturing the unique narrative of your love's journey.
Formating your production in such a way that 30years down the road the film has as deep of an impact as it will the first time you see it via a downloadable emailed link.
With a combined total of 20 plus years in the event and multimedia space, Tally Entertainment was built to capture such stories. We certainly hope to be allowed the opportunity to capture yours.