Wedding Reception Video

Much like the wedding ceremony or quinceanera, video coverage of your reception is an ideal enhancement to your wedding ceremony video and photos.

Whether its basic highlights lasting only 5 to 10 minutes or a complete 2 to 3-hour video which covers every minute of your party – you will be glad it was videotaped. And your children and grandchildren will thank you also.

The basics to remember about the reception video, generally speaking, is to keep it relatively short and simple. When I first started in the wedding video and photography business 27 years ago I would hand the newly-weds a 2 to 3 VHS set of their wedding which covered every second of the wedding and reception. One of the remarks I would often get is: “The video was great – but – it was too long.” I would literally keep the camera(s) rolling from the moment the couple arrived at the reception venue and until there final departure some 4 to 5 hours later – and most of that footage was included in the final-edited master video tapes. Not necessary!

I learned very quickly that shorter is usually better and more entertaining. You can only watch a limited amount of dancing. After about 2 to 3 hours it becomes a little overwhelming for most. That’s why we cover a limited amount of general dancing and key areas, which are: the couple’s first dance, farther-bride dance, groom-mother dance, toasts, special presentations, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, dollar dance (limited), and other special entertainment segments (such as mariachis at quinceaneras).

Another item that many couples request are “guest interviews.” First, convincing people to speak on-camera at a wedding reception can be challenging. We’ve videotaped weddings where hardly no one wanted to speak on-camera and in other instances we’ve had to limit comments to 3 to 5 minutes because so many people were standing in line to share their well-wishes and advice for a successful marriage. Second, in the post-production process great care must be taken when deciding who ‘not” to include in the final edit. There have been weddings where ex-boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses wanted to share words that are not appropriate for the family heirloom. Also, we’ve had instances where the parents of the bride and groom, relatives and close friends expressed words that were not very family-friendly.

For the most part, video coverage of the wedding reception is key to having a complete wedding-day package that future generations, close friends and relatives will be proud to view for years to come.

American Video Productions (http://www.americanvideoproductions.net/) has been producing videos for weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners and other events since 1982. Visit our web site to view sample video clips, learn more about our services and read testimonies of others who have utilized our services. You may call us toll free at: 888-433-6554.