Top 10 Moments You’ll Definitely Want To Include On Your Must-Have Shot List

When you hire a videographer to film your wedding, it’s helpful to clue them into the aspects of your day that are most important to you to make your film exactly everything you’ve dreamed of! These are some of the most essential moments to include on your “must-haves” list, and the best way to relay them to your cinematographer team!

Getting Ready – Guys AND Gals

The time spent getting ready on your big day is arguably a favorite. It’s the “calm before the storm,” when everyone is relaxed and brimming with anticipation for the events to come. Make sure to ask your videographer about your timeline – that way they can capture BOTH parties in pre-wedding mode. It’s one of the only times you spend apart on your wedding day, and you will treasure watching the love of your life get ready for the big moment!

Details

Chances are, you spent months and months if not even years planning your wedding to make sure every detail was perfect – from the escort cards to the favors guests took home. Be sure to cue your videography team into any extra-special details, but don’t be afraid to include the usual stuff too! Create a little box with a copy of your invitation suite and let them know you’d love shots of your engagement ring, the custom champagne flutes, etc.

Aerial Footage Of Your Venue

If it’s permitted at your venue to capture aerial footage, this can be one of the most stunning and theatric moments of your wedding film. Seeing your venue from an aerial perspective is so special and the most dramatic way to take the memories of your day to the next level!

First Look

Whether you are doing a “first look” or seeing each other for the first time as you walk down the aisle, you’ll want to capture all of the romantic feels! And don’t forget any other “first looks” throughout the day – consider your bridesmaids, father of the bride, siblings, etc. The looks of surprise and love are something you’ll definitely treasure.

Vows

It doesn’t matter if you wrote your own or are using traditional vows, you’ll want them captured on film! Give our team a heads up so they know the general timeline of your ceremony and whether your vows will be personalized or not so they can best capture them.

First Kiss As A Married Couple!

How could we leave out the first kiss? This may seem like an obvious one, but consider the moments surrounding the kiss. Do you want your film to feature “I now pronounce you…” Are you going to stop at the end of the aisle for a fun dip or fist pump? Let us know!

Toasts

Believe it or not, the order of events during different wedding receptions varies a LOT! The more detailed your timeline is, the more likely it is that our filming team will be able to record every important moment. Providing a detailed list of who’s speaking when is extremely helpful!

First Dance

Your first dance with your new spouse, parent dances, and any other features dances are essential parts of any wedding film. Planning a surprise choreographed dance? Don’t let it be a surprise to your cinematographer!

Breaking Down The Dance Floor

Speaking of dancing, make sure your filmer knows to get out there on the dance floor. It’s where your guests will be letting loose and having a great time – so you’ll love all the different expressions they will capture!

Anything Totally Unique To Your Day

Are you doing a meaningful cultural tradition on your wedding day? Do you have custom details that took hours and hours to coordinate? Are you surprising everyone with a burger delivery at the end of the night? The more information your videography team has, the better footage they can get to create a truly holistic vision of your day!

Most Importantly…

Don’t Forget The Candid Moments!

The candid moments throughout your wedding day WILL be your favorite – trust us! If there are people you especially want candid shots of, don’t be afraid to provide pictures ahead of time. But for the most part, this is where you let your filmers do their thing. They are experienced professionals who’ve done this a time or two and know what to look for. Put your trust in them to create an incredible cinematic representation of your day.

5 Reasons Why You’ll Regret Not Hiring A Cinematographer For Your Wedding

If you ask couples about their biggest wedding regret, an alarming number say “not hiring a videographer.” For some reason, capturing your day on film doesn’t come as a priority for a lot of brides and grooms. But after all of your guests have gone home, and your delicious wedding cake goes stale, you will crave the ability to watch and relive the happiest day of your life over and over again. We’re diving deeper into the “why” of hiring a professional cinematographer for your wedding, starting with these 5 (big) reasons.

Video captures what pictures can’t

Wedding photos are an absolute necessity and something that you’ll treasure for years to come. That being said, a wedding film adds an extra dimension to your memories. Imagine watching your groom’s reaction during your first look, or your dad’s single tear during your first dance, or the way your Maid of Honor’s voice cracked when she recalled watching you fall in love. With today’s technology and editing expertise, not only can you watch these moments again, you get to experience them with cinematic quality when you hire an experienced cinematographer. Our sole purpose here at Blue Ridge Film Productions is to provide you with a heart warming cinematic story of your big day… Something that literally makes you tear up each and every time you watch it. .

You get to experience moments you missed on your actual wedding day

You’ve definitely heard it before, but your wedding goes by in a flash! You will be torn a million different ways, and there’s just no way it’s possible for you to witness every incredible moment. A wedding film will allow you to see your groom getting ready, your guests’ reactions as you walk down the aisle, your wedding party dancing the night away. Being able to watch your wedding day in full, from start to finish, will give you a complete vision of everything you worked so hard to create!

You are at your most vulnerable on your wedding day

There are very few times in your life where you will wear your heart on your sleeve as much as on your wedding day. Through tears and laughter, hugs and kisses, rewatching those moments when you are most vulnerable will remind you of why you decided to get married in the first place (and give you ALL the warm and fuzzy feels!)

It preserves more than just your wedding

Your wedding is one of the few times in your life when all of the people you and your partner hold dear are gathered together. Of course, you want to capture your wedding, but you’ll find that you cherish the footage of your loved ones just as much! From grandma holding onto a teddy bear made from grandpa’s shirt as she is strolled into the ceremony, to your mom tying your dress up just moments before you say, “I do”. These are moments that you’ll cherish forever.

Lastly Follow the Statistics

Huffpost research claims 98% of brides that budgeted for photo, but not video regretted it. With a 75% increase from 2015, brides now budget for professional cinematography. We at Blue Ridge Film Productions understand wedding expenses accumulate quickly. Offering affordable cinematography makes us happy! The estimated bride in 2019 spends $3,000+ for a luxury film cinematographer. Blue Ridge Film Productions has packages starting at $2,000… Blue Ridge Film Productions does not take our profession lightly. Bringing in close to $15,000 of equipment per wedding, gives you the piece of mind that your wedding is getting captured on some of today’s best equipment on the market.

So You're Thinking of Hiring A Wedding Cinematographer?

Wedding Video’s may not be a new thing, but we are loving the trend of more and more couples adding talented filmmakers to their wedding vendor team. Wedding cinematography is an investment, one that we think at Blue Ridge Film Productions is worth it if you have the budget. After all is said and done, your wedding photos and film are what you have to remember your day by! Whether you’re interested in hiring a filmmaker for your wedding or hadn’t considered it yet, we wanted to give you a starting place of what to expect as you begin to browse portfolios and take meetings with potential suppliers.

Why Hire A Wedding Cinematographer?

When it comes to looking back on your wedding, having a film brings the day back to life just by pushing play. Having video to accompany your photos can give you a more full experience to look back on, but it can also be amazing to have this piece of art — starring you!

I myself have been planning my own wedding with my beautiful Fiancee. We are so in love with the idea of being able to share this special day to our children and even grand children for years to come. We are completely in love with wedding videography and it became a top priority for our big day.

Hiring a wedding cinematographer was an important process for me and my fiancee because we want to be able to re-experience our wedding in motion. There are so many moments that occur in between photos being taken, and that extra experience adds to the authenticity and depth of a memory. A video of my wedding day will allow me to revisit my vow readings and remember all of the jokes my older sister cracked in her speech and actually see the tears fall from my face and hopefully my brides! (Hint… hope you’re reading this babe!)

Equally as important was our selection of the wedding cinematographers style we wanted. My fiancee and I have somewhat-unconventional styles, so we knew a traditional wedding video wasn’t quite the right fit for us. After going through plenty of wedding videos, we decided that a modern cinematic style was perfect for us. We absolutely love the trendy dark and moody style that’s big right now! We were happy to find a filmmaker that “got” our styles, and we trusted enough that we wouldn’t have to worry about the finished product.”

Packages

Like with any other wedding vendor, cinematographers offer a variety of packages to help you receive exactly the services you’re looking for. Packages can be great because you can choose the services that both align with your expectations and your budget. The most common misconception about film-making is that you will receive full-length footage of everything that happened on your wedding day. While some cinematographers offer this as a package option, most likely your final product will be a stylized and edited masterpiece to remember the best parts of your day by.

Here are some of the most popular package options you’re likely to see when hiring a filmmaker:

Trailer/Teaser Film (60-90 seconds) – Have you ever watched a movie trailer? This is the same concept, but for the movie of your wedding! Often accompanied later by a short film, this trailer or teaser film is created by your filmmaker while they continue to edit and craft the final product. Some filmmakers include a teaser video as a part of their package, while others offer it as an add-on.

Highlight Film (3-8 minutes) – With many filmmakers, the highlight film is the final product you will receive. More commonly, this film is non-linear and takes a more modern approach, where the filmmaker has truly created a piece of cinematic art out of the events and moments throughout your day.

Short Film (10-20 min) – If you decide on a package with a short film, you will receive an edited version of your wedding footage that takes a more linear form, often including a portion of your vows, reception toasts, etc. Depending on how long you book your wedding cinematographer, the film may also include getting ready footage, first look footage, and grand exit.

Add-ons –  Most filmmakers offer options to receive additional footage from your day. A few popular add-ons include:

• Full ceremony film/reception– Edited footage of your wedding ceremony or of toasts/speeches during your reception. Blue Ridge Film Productions provides this free is selected packages.

• Raw footage – Unedited footage from your wedding day Raw footage can be purchased from Blue Ridge Film Productions for an additional $300.

• Rehearsal dinner coverage - For an additional $750 Blue Ridge Film Productions can capture your rehearsal dinner!

• Trailer film (mentioned above, as an add-on)

• Love story – Similar to an engagement session, this footage is filmed before your wedding day, usually in plain clothes, which may include an interview with you as a couple as well as a lifestyle shoot

Styles

While each filmmaker puts their own artistic touch on their work, there are a few styles by which most filmmakers can be categorized. These are the most common styles to look for in your search:

Cinematic – Cinematic is the most popular style of wedding film you will find in your search. These films are most like a real movie, edited and stylized as a piece of art. There are two main styles within cinematic videography:

• Modern Abstract – Modern abstract style is characterized by a non-linear approach. These films are created to make the viewer feel something, both in the way the footage is arranged and the music used. This is what we at Blue Ridge Film Productions specialize in. The footage used in a modern abstract film is more likely to include atmospheric footage, or B-roll, which helps to capture the mood of the day.

• classic – While modern abstract films are almost entirely non-linear, classic cinematic films may provide a stylistic edit of events from the day in between bits of B-roll.

Other Things To Consider

Budget – If a video is a priority on your wedding day, it’s a good idea to incorporate that into your wedding budget as early on as possible. The price of having both a photographer and cinematographer isn’t cheap. Depending on what your budget situation is, you may have to make cuts in other areas of your day to afford having it captured the way you want. For a good filmmaker, we recommend budgeting as much (if not more) for their services as you would for your photographer. In essences you get what you pay for. We typically bring upwards to $15,000 in equipment to your big day. You can rest assured that your wedding film is getting captured by the leading brands in the film-making industry today.

Coverage – How many hours of coverage you want is also an important budget consideration. How important is it to you that the filmmaker films you getting ready or your grand exit? Having less hours of coverage and focusing on the most important parts of your day can be a good way to keep your budget down and still book the filmmaker of your dreams. We have packages that start with 3 hours for elopements and extend upwards to 10 hours for our deluxe package. (Package info can be found at www.brfilmproductions.com)

Delivery – Another thing to consider when choosing a Filmmaker is how the film and footage will be delivered. Different filmmakers have their own system, but you may want to keep these delivery methods in mind when choosing which vendor is right for you.

• USB Stick - is the most common and is formatted in higher quality than CD-rom.

• External Hardrive - all our raw footage captured by Blue Ridge Film Productions is presented on an external hard drive.

• Online File Drop - Be sure to check in your contract how long online viewing will be available. Some filmmakers only offer one year of online video hosting, while some will host it indefinitely. This is a great question to ask in your interviews, as well as what options they have if the video will be eventually taken down.

• CD-rom

In addition to receiving your film or footage to use, your cinematographer may make your video available for viewing online. Typically, filmmakers host their films on sites like, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and their personal business web-page.

Just started looking at vendors for the first time?

5 Ways of Tell Your Guests To Ditch Their Phones

While cell phone photos admittedly have come a long way over the past few years, they have no business capturing the main event at your wedding! Your guests will probably want to capture their own footage during your wedding ceremony (who can blame them, you’re gorgeous!) And although they mean well, the cell phones (or digital cameras, or even iPads…) they use while trying to get the perfect amateur shot can get in the way of the professionals you hired to capture beautiful photos and videos of your special day. The last thing you want is a guest blocking the stunning frame of your first kiss from the people you paid to do it! This can be awkward, but don’t worry, there are nice ways to tell your family to put their phones down and leave it to the professionals.

Signs

Putting signs at the entry points is a quick and easy reminder for guests to put their phones down as they walk in. You could also include something on your wedding website or in any announcements you sent out prior to the wedding.

Announcements

You can have the officiant remind everyone to keep their phones put away during the ceremony before she/he begins. You can also have the DJ or MC mention it as they are telling guests to find a seat for the ceremony.

Programs

If you are handing out programs for guests then you can include a note about putting cell phones away during the ceremony because the professionals have got it covered.

Seats & Benches

If your guests didn’t read the signs at the front or forgot what they said by the time they find their seats this would be a great reminder. Leave a note on each of the seats (or spaced out on a bench) so they have to pick it up before sitting down. You could even attach it to a favor bag or find a sassy pun to convey the message. Guests will think it’s fun and remember to keep their phones hidden away.

Aisle Phone Bowls

For those guests that just can’t control themselves, you could incorporate a jar, bowl or container into the decor at the end of each aisle for people to place their phones in. As long as the container isn’t clear, it could fit right into the ceremony decor and you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a bowl full of cell phones for those naughty guests.

To be honest, it might not be a bad idea to do all 5 of these! We have heard (and unfortunately seen) some real well-intentioned horror stories. Ready to hire a professional to capture your wedding day on film? We have filmers in your area (not a cell phone in sight!)

We hope you found this blog helpful. If you have any questions that you feel we could assist you with or have questions about availability, packages and rates please contact us by selecting the tab below!

Booking The Perfect Wedding Filmmaker!

It’s booking season here in Western North Carolina and couple’s are on the hunt for the perfect wedding Filmmaker! It can be a lot to take in at first, there’s so many styles and so many things to consider. But fear not! This post will help guide you to finding the wedding filmmaker of your dreams (us, duh!).

MAKE SURE YOUR STYLES MATCH

This is *almost* thee most important thing on this list! When you reach out to a wedding cinematographer, make sure you’re in love with their style, because you’ll get exactly that in your wedding film. It’s always better to pay a little bit more to get a better product, than to pay less and get something you don’t absolutely love.

MAKE SURE YOUR PERSONALITIES MATCH

We all have that one person from work no one likes right? Well imagine having that person with you all day on most important day of your life! It’s always best to book someone with a great personality. Your day will go by sooooo much better.

 LOOK AT THEIR STYLE OF EDITING

Most cinematographers have a unique editing style. Some cinematographers edit the whole day in linear order, while others take some liberties and edit out of order. Both can be beautifully done. I edit more on the linear order side, as it allows me to build up your day from beginning to end!

 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO THEY USE

Audio of vows, speeches, first looks, and card readings is so so so important to crafting a story in your wedding film. Make sure your cinematographer uses the type of audio you like, otherwise you may end up with a wedding music video, and not a wedding film with emotion!

ASK IF THEY HAVE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT 

Ask your cinematographer if they have the necessary equipment to capture what you’re wanting. Lots of cinematographers are at various points in their career, price can vary greatly between cinematographers because of this. You can expect Blue Ridge Film Productions will provide at upwards to $15,000 of equipment per wedding. (We defiantly have done our research when it comes to providing our Bride & Groom top notch quality.)

ASK ABOUT THEIR FILMING PROCESS

Everyone knows planning a wedding is quite a process! You put lots of planning into your special day, and your cinematographer should put some planning in too. Always touch base with your cinematographer at least a month before the big day and make sure filming times and locations are known to the both of you. It’ll make the day go so much smoother! You can do this a number of ways… Meeting up for coffee, Facetime or a telephone call.

DO THEY USE LIGHTING?

Lighting is such an important thing when it comes to any kind of film making. Many venues here in Edmonton get darker as the reception goes on, and by speeches time, it can be quite dark. A good wedding cinematographer will have lights that not only make everything visible, but also set a little bit of mood and atmosphere! Blue Ridge Film Productions comes equipped plenty of LED lighting to make sure your venue and ceremonial location is well lit.

BE WEARY IF THEY DON’T WANT TO MEET IN PERSON OR TALK ON THE PHONE

I’ve heard a few horror stories from brides about cinematographers who go missing a month before the big day. One thing that they almost all have in common is they always communicated with them over email, and never in person or over the phone. Always meet in person or talk on the phone. You’ll have a much lower chance of being swindled! Also check for referrals and testimonials from previous brides to hear about their experience.

DON’T GHOST THEM

Always be open with your cinematographer! Even if you ask about pricing and don’t want to book with them in the end, just let them know!

Got questions for Blue Ridge Film Productions?

Keep These Things In Mind For Your Wedding Day Timeline

Everything starts to get a little more real when you start building that wedding day timeline. But it’s important to keep in mind all of the logistics of your wedding day and vendors in order to build a timeline that will be perfect for you and your guests! These are a few of the essentials that we work on fine tuning with our couples when going over the breakdown of their wedding day!

Locations

Are you having your ceremony and reception at different locations? Don’t forget to build in ample travel time between the two! If they’re in the same location, how do you plan on filling dead time in between the ceremony and reception?

Photos

Usually, your videographer will tag along for photo sessions to capture some great footage of the bride and groom with their loved ones, so this one is important to us! When do you plan on taking family, wedding party, and solo photos? (Hint: this is when many couples decide to do a first look – allowing you to take a ton of your photos before the ceremony!) We always encourage couples to pad photo sessions with extra time so you don’t feel rushed and can enjoy the process!

Toasts & Coordinated Dances

During the reception, you’ll probably have a lot of “activities” to plan around. The most important of these are the toasts and coordinated dances. Make sure everyone involved in these mini-events know when they are expected and how much time they will have. This is also where having a great DJ/MC comes in handy! Making clear announcements for the big moments ensures that no one misses out!

Reception Ending And/Or Grand Exit

If your wedding has a hard stop time (many venues do), you’ll need to have a tighter timeline. Will you be doing a grand exit and if so, what time? Do you want your photographer and videographer to stick around to capture the sparkler procession or your decorated getaway car?

Of course, every wedding is unique and yours will have specific elements that are unique and special. Start by building a general timeline and keep adding details as you go. If you’re working with a planner or day-of-coordinator, they will be a huge help when it comes to developing a successful timeline. Remember, the goal is to create as little stress as possible on the day of, so the more time you can build in, the better!

Reserve Blue Ridge Film Productions On Your Wedding day

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First Look or First Moment

DO OR DONT????

Due to the fact that I create cinematic wedding films, I love the concept of a first look. However, I do understand a couple not wanting to see each other before the wedding ceremony; this is why a First Touch is an exceptional alternative.

Both First Looks and a First Touch create a romantic drama in a featured film. Its a very intense moment that you defiantly want captured on film and I highly suggest one of the two.

What Is A First Look?

According to The Wedding Central a first look is described as … A moment staged and set up by a wedding [filmmaker]/photographer for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony. Normally, bride and groom would agree with your wedding photographer on site away from family and friends to give them privacy and to make that moment just for them. Ok, not really away, but a few feet away. The groom would be looking away -at the wedding [filmmaker]/photographer – while the bride starts walking down towards him. She will tap his shoulder, and he will turn around and see his beautiful bride for the first time.

After they have had a moment to themselves, we head to take some bride and groom /portraits, then of course we take /pictures with the family and the bridal party. We tuck away the bride before guests arrive. That pretty much sets you free to relax and enjoy your wedding.

What Is A First Touch?

A first touch is also a moment staged by the filmmaker/photographer. The location of the First Touch will normally be a corner of a building or the couple will be separated by a door. The couple will have a few choice words together and this occasion will ultimately be the last professional picture that the couple has together as single entities.

For more info please feel free to visit our “Contact Page”. We would love to talk more about your big day with you!

Happy Wedding Planning,

-BRfilms