Reliving the day

WE’RE INTO double-digit countdown for the wedding now (arggghhhhhh!) and it’s making me wonder where the past year has gone and how fast the Big Day itself will go.

Once we had settled on a wedding date and place I was quick to book a photographer and very soon after that, a videographer.

Now while older generations baulked at this (‘‘A what? You’re not a celebrity.’’), to me it was a no-brainer.

Everyone loves to say to you how fast a wedding day goes so why would we not want footage of it to add to our memories?

It’s not about replacing a photographer, just about a different element to the day.

Like most things associated with weddings, there are people who do it well and others who should be given a wide berth.

I used a simple technique when researching potential video operators. Find video. Watch. Check cheeks. Dry? No go. Wet. Dingding-ding. Folks, we have a winner. The cry factor is crucial. The handycam operator must have the ability to tell a story, to capture the vibe and compress it into something meaningful.

Don’t get me a wrong, someone standing with a handycam in a corner is still valid, you don’t need to get a full-on professional to capture special moments but that adage of getting what you pay for rings true.

Here are some of my favourite wedding videographers (and no, they haven’t paid me to mention them. I like them because I like them).

Check out their videos to see what I mean about the cry factor. They are: BubbleRock, Jono Tucker and Perspectives.

There are a few reasons I really like the idea of filming our wedding day.

First, we have a bunch of friends and family who can’t make it for various reasons but mainly distance.

Having a DVD we can send to them afterwards almost makes it okay. Almost.

Second, because people often talk about one of the best things on the Big Day is having everyone you care about it in one room, so I like the thought of photos coming alive in film so that you have precious viewing memories for the future.

You never know how long you or the ones you love have got.

Recording happy occasions is important.