A Last Minute Addition

A Last Minute Addition

September 14th, 2010 @ 1:09 pm by Mrs. Sand Dollar
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I’d heard lots of bees gushing about their wedding videos, and choosing their videographers. And I have to admit, I was jealous. Very jealous. We didn’t have any wiggle room left in our budget, and have been facing financial hardship left and right on the home front, so it’s definitely not been something I thought we could swing. Mama SD offered to pay for one, but I couldn’t ask her to spend more than $1k on one and still feel good about getting Christmas presents this year! Besides, everything I found in that budget was super cheese. ’90s music, horrible montages, and grainy videos. Not something I would spend money on myself, so I didn’t want my mama to either. Yet, she was adamant that I have some kind of video documentation of our day, and that we would want to watch it someday down the line. So, that’s where this baby came in.

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An HD video camera! It looks like I’m getting an early Christmas present anyway. Plus, this is something to keep well after the wedding day, to document babies and baseball and who knows what else. I feel like this is a much better investment than paying a grand for someone’s time and a cheap-looking DVD I’ll never want to look at. Our plan is to set this baby up on a tripod and film our ceremony, then do the same for our first dances and other big moments. And to keep the do-it-myself momentum up…

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I’m going to edit it on my Mac with iMovie HD! I know. I’m crazy. I’m sewing my own quilt guestbook, making my own cake, writing my own ceremony, cooking food on-site (well, I won’t be, but it’s still self-catered!), and now I’ll be making our own wedding video. The only vendors we’ve hired are the photographer, and the band (and we all know how well that turned out!). Everything else is all being done by us.

And you know what? Instead of feeling cheap, or poor, or super-lame that we have to do it all ourselves, I feel empowered. So what if we can’t afford to hire people? We have capable hands, and a lot of friends. We’re going to have a great time, no matter how much money we spent (or in our case, didn’t spend) on this wedding. I don’t have to worry about crazy vendors, waiting on their schedules to line up with mine, or compromise my vision. This wedding is going to be exactly how we want it. And the fact that we’re the ones making this happen is a very happy feeling for us to share.

Did you decide to DIY something you thought you previously couldn’t afford? What did you do?

Tags: houston, videography |

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24 Responses to “A Last Minute Addition”

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Member

cheert16 (message) 184 posts, Blushing bee

We ended up getting a videographer even though I really didnt want one (my FI did) but the ONLY reason we got him is becasue he is a friend of a friend and took 30% off his prices. Otherwise we wouldnt have been able to afford it! I think its great that you are DIYing this, that was my orignal plan. Plus it makes it way more personal!

9/14/10 @ 1:36 pm (reply)

Member

jo.lee (message) 5,820 posts, Bee Keeper

I can’t convince my mother to fund a videographer, so I’ll be doing the same. I’m asking for a video camera for Christmas :).

9/14/10 @ 1:37 pm (reply)

Bee

Miss Starfish (message) 1,924 posts, Buzzing bee

I did a video for my aunt at her wedding, and its not professional by any means, but she absolutely loves it. I think just having any video of the day is super special. We hired a videographer, but we’re also bringing our on video camera to catch all the special things he wont get. I love hoem footage.

9/14/10 @ 1:39 pm (reply)

Member

spellbound (message) 81 posts, Worker bee

Bravo, SD! I’m filming a family member’s wedding this weekend… and will be editing it on my Mac too! I know she has seen all the insanely beautiful professional videos out there, and mine won’t even come close, so I’m a little sad for her about that. (Mainly because I feel like I need to somehow measure up!)
But I’m excited about being able to give them something they couldn’t otherwise afford, professional grade or not. Good luck with yours!

9/14/10 @ 1:40 pm (reply)

Member

missbiscuit (message) 1,050 posts, Bumble bee

I think we’re going to be going a similar route. I can’t decide whether to go the tripod route or just make a note in the program and ask all of our guests to be our videographers, though. Or, if one of my friends is able to come I may just ask him to do it, at least for the ceremony. He works on Survivor and was the sole camera man for Exile Island a few seasons ago. He knows his way around a video camera!

9/14/10 @ 1:52 pm (reply)

Member

seattlemeg (message) 538 posts, Busy bee

Yay Go SD!! My bff can’t afford a videographer either so as a gift to her, me and another friend bought her one of the new 4 hour flip cams and I will be having my then husband (!) record the ceremony (on a tripod of course). I will also edit it together on my mac. I’m asking that other family members of hers bring video cameras or shoot some video and send it to me as well so I can compile it all together. After the wedding she gets a new flip cam (which is totally user friendly for someone who has no clue how to use these types of things) and a wedding video! I love your DIY gusto!

9/14/10 @ 1:52 pm (reply)

Member

Ms. E (message) 132 posts, Blushing bee

We are buying an HD camcorder to record our wedding too. I could care less about having an professional looking video. I just want the ceremony and special events recorded for posterity. And we cashed in the points I’ve been earning on my credit card for Best Buy gift cards, so we won’t end up shelling out much money for it either.

9/14/10 @ 1:55 pm (reply)

Bee

Miss Meerkat (message) 3,216 posts, Sugar bee

*squeel* I am so excited to see another bride doing this!! I couldn’t validate the cost of an amazing videographer either. =)

9/14/10 @ 2:01 pm (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Avocado (message) 1,543 posts, Bumble bee

Advice: I’ve handed a video camera over for special events twice (wedding and babycado’s birth) and I’ve learned a few lessons.

1. Make sure those who are using your camera KNOW HOW TO TELL HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT ON THE TAPE. This seems like it would be obvious, but we have no video footage of our (choreographed) first dance and I also didn’t get my son’s moment of birth on tape because both times the person manning the camera didn’t pay attention to how much time was left on the tape and it ran out.

2. Make sure that people know that you can’t turn a videocamera sideways to film portrait style. Everything must be kept landscape..

I am happy about what I do have though!

9/14/10 @ 2:41 pm (reply)

10.

Member

PetiteCupcake (message) 52 posts, Worker bee

My FI really wanted a video of the wedding but it didn’t fit into our budget, so my mom suggested emailing the local arts college near us! We got a videography student who just wanted to gain some experience and we paid him $300! So we didn’t have to pay much and he got some experience for his resume. We live near Philly and used the Art Institute. Just contact any college’s career services center (usually on most college websites) and they’ll normally place an ad in their newsletters that go to all students! We got at least 10 responses and got to pick the one that sent us the best sample!

9/14/10 @ 2:49 pm (reply)

11.

Member

LRin2011 (message) 386 posts, Helper bee

@PetiteCupcake: @PetiteCupcake: What a great idea! We have an Art Institute in Tampa I’m looking into emailing them at this moment!

I am tempted to buy a videocamera and put it on a tripod. But I’m nervous about not being able to hear our vows. SD are you using any mic or anything?

9/14/10 @ 3:10 pm (reply)

12.

Member

LittlestBirds (message) 2,605 posts, Sugar bee

@Mrs. Avocado: Good advice, I remember how upset you were about your first dance going unrecorded!

We did hire a videographer, but I was nonetheless crazy excited to learn that my FIL had handed his HD videocamera off to SIL’s boyfriend, who captured most of our ceremony, our first dance, etc. Our pro video will take up to six months to get back, whereas the amateur footage was available for me to obsessively watch immediately when we got back from the honeymoon. Those days when your wedding is over and you haven’t gotten any pro pics or video back are hard and impatient, so it’s wonderful to have that amateur video!

9/14/10 @ 3:16 pm (reply)

13.

Bee

Miss Seashell (message) 1,713 posts, Bumble bee

Way to find a way, SD! This is like my DIY uplighting

9/14/10 @ 3:37 pm (reply)

14.

Bee

Miss Sand Dollar (message) 1,305 posts, Bumble bee

@LRin2011: I am, actually. The guy I hired to replace my old band is bringing all my sound equipment, and he has a wireless mic we’re going to use.

I’m excited from all the tips and encouragement. It’s nice to know other brides have gone this route too and are happy with the results.

9/14/10 @ 4:02 pm (reply)

15.

Bee

Miss Barrettes (message) 883 posts, Busy bee

Yay SD! I do EVERYTHING on imovie! You can doooo it!

9/14/10 @ 5:07 pm (reply)

16.

Guest

MrsMoose

Five days before the wedding we decided to hire a videographer and found a middle ground both on price and content that worked for us. We actually found him by emailing the film studies department at a local university and we ended up finding a great guy with great equipment who had never shot a wedding and so would give us the raw footage at a reasonable rate (read much less than $1000). Now my husband is editing it into a video for us. I’m so glad we did this and even happier to be able to watch all the raw footage and not have someone else pick for us. Because the guy wasn’t established in the industry he was also open to our requests that he not be intrusive or use a light during the dancing portion. Worked out perfectly!

9/14/10 @ 5:17 pm (reply)

17.

Member

gill84 (message) 725 posts, Busy bee

a family member filmed the wedding for us without us even having asked and now I’m so happy that we have it. it’s better than nothing, and we are also going to edit it ourselves. Good luck!

9/14/10 @ 5:38 pm (reply)

18.

Bee

Mrs. Trail Mix (message) 6,328 posts, Bee Keeper

I think this is a great idea, I bet it will look beautiful!

9/14/10 @ 6:02 pm (reply)

19.

Member

SandraMarie_1986 (message) 1,363 posts, Bumble bee

YAY! I’m so happy for you Miss Sand Dollar! I think it will turn out great. You are more than empowered, you and your sweetie are amazing. You have made way more than I could ever hope to make. I will be working on my DIY skills but major props to you. I can’t wait to see how everything turns out.

9/14/10 @ 6:39 pm (reply)

20.

Guest

Elizabeth

I did the same thing, had my uncle tape the wedding with a HD videocamera my in-laws gave us as our wedding present, in iMovie. It turned out really great. It’s a little homemade looking and shaky in parts, but it still takes me back to that wonderful day.

9/14/10 @ 9:19 pm (reply)

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