VideoPro

Your wedding day will be one of the best and most memorable days of your life. It is important that you screen your vendors well. There is an old saying in construction measure twice, cut once. It will save you money and time in the long run. Before you even schedule and interview with a wedding vendor, pay attention to the response time that you receive from that vendor. If it is slow (over 24) hours getting back to you then don’t bother to meet with them. This usually means one of two things: The vendor is disorganized or is too busy to take care of their customer

Once you have made your selections, it’s time to start interviewing your vendors.  You   should interview no more than two to three wedding vendors in each category (florists, caterer, photographer, videographers, decorators, etc.) . If you find 8 caterers in your area, look at each vendors website and narrow it down to the final 2-3.  Interviewing  more than three vendors can become confusing and overwhelming.  When meeting with your selected vendors, be prepared to ask questions!  Questions suggested are:

• How long have you been in business and how many weddings have you worked?
• How many weddings have you done per year? (This can be tricky. Too many weddings a year may not be a good thing. Some vendor price their services high in order not to do too many weddings in a year. Others only work weddings part time, so listen closely to the answer that the potential vendor gives and decide.)
• Wedding date availability are they available for your wedding date?  If not, what are alternate dates and solutions?
• How much services (according to wedding size) and what is the deposited required? When is the remaining balance due?
• What is your (the vendor) cancellation policy? You should want to enter into a contract so that everything that is discussed is binding.

Remember,  trust your  instincts during the interview.  Make sure that the vendor is interested in your wedding details and that they have a full understanding of what you would like.  If  a vendor seems standoffish or just plain rude,  walk away.  All vendors should treat prospective clients in a kind, professional manner.

Some excerpts are from the following link

http://www.yourbridalstop.com/selecting-a-wedding-vendor-how-to-choose-a-wedding-vendor

The Author of this Post Bennie Cheatham of J and J Digital Media, http://www.jandjdigitalmedia.com/

More times than not, the decision to have your wedding recorded to DVD will come after you have selected the photographer, the caterer, the DJ, and the venue. In most cases it is the last selection that a bride makes. At that point the budget is exhausted and you may hire someone who may not be of the same quality you would find if you had a higher budget. In any case there are 3 vital considerations that come into play when selecting a videographer for your wedding video. Your wedding video is an investment that you really should not take lightly. I will give you 3 questions to ask of your wedding videographer in your initial interview with him or her.  While these are not all inclusive, it will make you somewhat of a more educated consumer when it comes to wedding videography. I am always happy to answer bride’s questions about video. Even if not using my company (J and J Digital Media) http://www.jandjdigitlamedia.com for the wedding.

1.       Do you shoot in high definition? Thankfully, with today’s technology videographers no longer have to worry about generation loss. Most videographers today, shoot in at least digital format. This means that from the time the video is captured with the camera, transferred to the computer to have the editing done, to the time it is burned to a DVD it remains in digital format so there is very little if any “generation loss.” If the video footage is shot in high definition, it will remain in that format and should be delivered to you in that format. When you play it back on a high definition TV, you can see a noticeable difference in quality.

2.       Do use a cordless microphone? Good quality sound is arguably as important as quality video. You will want to hear your fiancé say, “I do,”and not someone who is coughing in the background. A UHF microphone (ultra high frequency) will eliminate background noise and feedback from other electronic devices that may be in use at the wedding venue or from nearby work crews, garage door openers etc. which commonly occur with VHF cordless microphones. So, if the videographer says he uses a cordless microphone it may not be a bad idea to ask him or her, “vhf or uhf.” A good videographer will know the difference or how to work around the weaknesses that may be posed by VHF and some lower frequency UHF microphones when it comes to sound.

3.       Do you attend the rehearsal? You have you ever heard of the five P’s. I won’t mention them here, but something to do with planning and performance and the lack thereof. By attending the rehearsal, one can plan the major shoots in the wedding, some may be spontaneous, but the major ones must not be blocked by flowers or the back of someone’s head. It is essential to ensure that the most important shots are not obstructed by something that was not planned for during the rehearsal. The wedding party needs to be aware of where the videographer will shoot from so he is not getting the back of the best man’s head for half of the ceremony. If something does come up like that, is there an alternate shooting location that the videographer can identify during the rehearsal or a way to communicate without being noticed during the ceremony.

I can answer yes to these questions and many more questions related to producing high quality video.

You can reach me at ProVideo@jandjDigitalMedia.Com or call me at 678-310-8278. I would be happy to consult with you about your video.

About the Author

Bennie Cheatham
Professional Experience
1.    Staff sports videographer, Alabama A & M University, Athletic Department, 1987
2.    Bachelor of Arts Degree Telecommunications (Television Production),1988
3.    WAFF, Huntsville AL. (Internship) Camera Operator and Producer 1986 to 1988
4.    Volunteer Church Videographer and Producer, Brown Baptist Church, Southaven, MS 2002 to 2007
5.    Owner of J and J Digital Media, Wedding Videography 1994 to Present