Written By: Therese Farrow, Owner Therese Farrow Films

Recently I met with a Bride and her mother. The mother of the bride related a story to me about a wedding she had attended some 15 years ago. She recalled sitting at din­ner attempting conversation with family and friends. All of a sudden what looked like an alien appeared before her- some­one who seemed like they were from another planet- annoying the guests at the table by shin­ing a bright light in their faces, and asking them to speak a few words for the Bride and Groom. Remembering this to be the videographer, she explained that ever since, she was wary of having video at any event she planned. The idea that video may inter­fere with their affair by being obtrusive is a very real concern of many couples because of past experiences like these.

Video from that era called for huge equipment and bright spotlights which were not only obtrusive but a distraction for guests that many still remember. At the time, Corny techniques such as microphones shoved in guest’s faces (usually the one’s who had drank too much) and a final boring product that possibly had some cartoon cupids fly­ing across the screen were pretty standard. Amazingly, even in this new digital age, there are still companies leftover from that era that have not updated equipment and continue to use these intru­sive and age old techniques. Old habits die hard for some. This is very bad for the professional videographer industry because many brides and their families may attend these weddings and mistakenly believe that that is in fact modern day videography - but it is not.

That being said, the truth of the matter is that modern digital video eliminates the need for huge equipment and station­ary lighting. Think about your cell phone for example. Do you remember what they used to be like back in the day? Is there any comparison in the size, qual­ity or features of your phone today with your very first cell phone? Probably not. The same advancements you’ve seen in other technical equipment have also been made with professional cameras used to film weddings and events. Not only has the picture quality and lighting needs greatly improved and advanced with the onset of digital formats, but cameras have gotten much smaller and extremely light­weight. This very fact opened the door for many women to enter the field. Many people feel this was a wonderful asset in help­ing to boost the industry greatly by applying the woman’s touch! Currently, both the President and Vice President of the Greater Philadelphia Videographers Association are both women, which would have been unheard of in the past.

With the coming of afford­able digital editing systems, (the computers and software used to assemble the footage to make DVD’s), many creative and talented people were able to start video businesses that were never able to afford the expen­sive linear systems of the past. Advances such as these opened the door for many enthusiastic and energetic videographers to enter the wedding videographer field. Over the last five years or so, educational opportunities have been available to profes­sional wedding and event vid­eographers that simply did not exist previously. Associations, at both the local and national level, such as the Greater Philadelphia Videographers I just mentioned, have been behind the educational advancement of professional wed­ding and event videographers all over the country. Like any other businessperson, videographers must stay informed of the lat­est advances in their trade, and must be able to implement new concepts and styles. A lot of the corny techniques you may have seen in other videos through the years have gone by the wayside.

Why aren’t bridal couples more aware of these changes and advancements? Usually the deci­sion to forgo a wedding video or possibly settle for an outdated company with untrained person­nel is due to the fact that they aren’t aware of the choices they really do have.

Weddings are not an event constant in ones life and because of the nature of video itself; it’s a lot harder to be compared. How many weddings does one go to on a yearly basis and not get the opportunity to view the video unless it’s a family member or close friend? Guests at the wed­ding hear the DJ -everyone sees the flowers- but many people see only the photographs, as they are a lot easier to pass around at work and in other casual situa­tions. A video is not so simple. Many people only have a few memories to go on and if one of those memories is negative- they may end up neglecting this very important aspect of this very spe­cial and memorable day. Indeed, many details of the day are for the guests to enjoy- the DJ, the food and flowers. However, your memories are for you! Nothing can replace the sights and sounds of this important milestone in your new family’s life- and the memories you can relive over and over again, enjoyed for years to come.

With all the technical advance­ments and training, you and your guests do not have to sacrifice the class and ambience of your day in order to make that a reality.