I’ve learned a lot and filmed a lot of weddings in the 15 years of Maui wedding videography experience I have.
Here are my top 6 tips to help you enjoy your day and get the best wedding video possible!
Stay on schedule. Being on time is crucial for the video to be its best. This helps insure that there will be time to get good coverage during each part of your day. Hair and make up are two of the biggest factors in a late start so make sure you allow plenty of time for these!
Ceremony. Have your minister make a request to the guests prior to the ceremony to leave the photos and videos to the hired professionals. In the past, guests have blocked our shots. Here’s a video about guests blocking shots at weddings: https://vimeo.com/75820951.
It would be great if the bride took her time coming down the aisle. You can enjoy the moment and this ensures we get many good shots and angles of this! During the ceremony, if there is an arch stand in front of it, not under it. The posts can block your faces.
Audio. There’s a lot of background noise in Hawaii from the ocean, wind, waves, palm trees and everything else. To insure perfect audio we mic both the minister and groom. I also recommend to mic the bride as well. This is not necessary but highly recommended. This mic is about half the size of a deck of cards. It straps around the leg just like a garter. The mic wire attaches inside the top of the dress. It is completely hidden. This ensures the best audio from the both of you.
Have Personal Vows. We want to create a very personal and unique story of your wedding day and capture the love you two share. If you aren’t comfortable saying your personal vows at the ceremony, another option is to do it during your first look or to exchange cards when getting ready.
All of these options are great and will make for a better film and a more meaningful day!
Photo Session. The photo session is where we get a lot of great shots of the two of you… Though our style is unobtrusive, we like to get involved in this portion of the day. We will work with your photographers and reach out to them prior if we haven’t shot with them before. Be patient with
video as it can take longer than photography for us to get our shot. Smile, laugh and focus on each other. We don’t shoot a lot of the family/wedding party as you have the pictures and this gives us time to cover other details of your day.
We want to know what is important to you. We do our best to capture all the moments but if something has extra special significance, let us know — a song, a particular shot of the two of you, a person, picture, performance, item or any other special request.
Comfort Tips. The bride’s feet can get really uncomfortable in heels all day especially during the photo session, If your dress covers your feet then have something comfortable you can wear for photos as you can do a fair amount of walking. I typically recommend the groom not wear an undershirt because the seams can show. He should also carry a handkerchief for sweat. Most
important of all, your day could go by in a blur so be sure to take moments to really soak it all in and enjoy the day to its fullest!
By Jordan Nagasako, owner of
HI FOCUSED Cinematography
10 Years of 5-Star Service
Awarded Hawaii’s Best Wedding Cinematographer
If you have any questions or comments please ask I’m happy to help!