Weddingbee Blog

Hive, prepare yourselves for some lovely videos to pore over! If you’ve been hit by snow-maggedon 2011, I hope you’re safely curled up under a warm blanket in the company of a cup of hot chocolate.

Epic Motion 2010 Promo from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

When we first started planning our wedding, the term “videographer” conjured up images of Christmas past, with Papa Tartlet tottering around with a camera, trying to be obscure but failing spectacularly in an endearing way. The resulting videos were the kind that come with a motion sickness warning. Plus, anyone else hate the way their voice sounds on a recording? At any rate, I clearly needed to be schooled in how far things have progressed, and this crazy beautiful film did just that:

Kate + Mike: The Trailer {re-mix} from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

I teared up. I couldn’t help but smile. By the time the bride and groom entered the reception hall, I was mock ringing a bell while sitting in my chair. I’m gaga for films like this one where not only the moment is captured, but the feeling, too. So many people say that the day goes by faster than you can imagine, and I’m positive that we’ll land into that category of couples who have a difficult time recalling the details (I have a hard enough time remembering what I did yesterday). And, it’s not that there will be a shortage of video cameras at the wedding; my family in particular is notorious for being camera-heavy. Don’t ever volunteer to take pictures—you’ll quickly end up with a noose of a dozen cameras hanging around your neck and a few more piled in your arms. It’s just that with a video…you only get one take to get it right.

Our choice to hire a videographer goes a little deeper than that, though. I’m of Chinese heritage, and the term “family” doesn’t necessarily equate to a blood relation. I address my parents’ close friends by those titles, and the line is even further blurred on Mr. Tartlet’s Vietnamese side of the family. For example, Mr. Tartlet’s mother’s cousin’s brother-in-law’s son is considered his “big brother.” I kid you not. Because we chose to have a smaller wedding (and because it’s so far away for many of our friends and “family”), a good number of these people won’t be present. An idea gradually started to formulate in our minds: what if we could find someone to film and artistically edit an 8+ hour day down to a meaningful, poignant short video clip that we could send to those unable to travel, or play at our home receptions following the wedding? Something full of win, like this:

Amanda + Ben’s Wedding Trailer {wakeboarding included} from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

At any rate, the second video was what prompted our meeting with Epic Motion. Honestly, we were sold before we even walked through the door, but the meeting totally blew us away. Zero cheese factor, off the charts on the hip, laid-back vibe we want our wedding to have. We were introduced to delicious extras like the wedding trailer (what you’ve seen above) and a highlight reel (your entire wedding day edited down to a 4-6 minute film). And, while our budget won’t stretch quite this far, there’s even more possibilities like out-takes/bloopers, Super 8 mm film, and same day edits. Oh, why not—here’s another one of my favorites:

Renu + Rajeev Wedding at MGM Grand Casino Detroit, Michigan from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

How about you, guys ‘n’ gals? Did you plan for videography from the beginning? Is it an investment you’re considering if the price is right?