Weddingbee Blog

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!

It was just a few weeks ago that I thought we wouldn’t be able to afford a cinematographer. Today I can officially announce that Jon from Well Spun Weddings will be filming our wedding!

Let’s start at the beginning. A few months ago I entered a wedding photography/videography package giveaway on Brooklyn Bride. Unfortunately, I didn’t win. However, a few days after the contest ended I was contacted by Christine Best at WSW and asked if I would still be interested in working with WSW. Basically, they asked me what I could afford and, despite my nonexistent budget, they agreed to do it! It obviously doesn’t hurt that Jon will get to spend the weekend in Costa Rica!

To be honest, everyone at WSW has been so A-MAZING! I don’t know anything about film or filming a wedding, but Jon was just super patient and super nice. He explained things that I hadn’t even thought about (e.g., getting there early to get time-lapse film of sunset/sunrise…yeah, that’s how they do that! I just assumed it was all canned film!) and was just really easy to talk to.

Much like the moment when Julie (my photog) said she was a ninja, I knew Jon was “the one” when he said, “I really like to plan down to the minute, from the time I leave the house until the time I have to fly back home.” L.O.V.E. He’s even beta-testing a program that will allow all your vendors to sync up their various schedules into one document, which you could print and review! If I get my hands on the program I’ll be sure to see if I can pass it along.

I really couldn’t be happier. I know they haven’t actually DONE anything yet, but based on my experience thus far I couldn’t be happier!

Here are my final thoughts on picking a cinematographer:

1. Make sure that you really like the people who are going to be there the entire day! It doesn’t matter as much if you hate your florist or your caterer, as long as they do a good job. But your wedding planner, your photographer, and your cinematographer—they will be there for the most intimate moments of your big day, so you want to make sure that they aren’t a black cloud but an extra star helping YOU shine bright.

2. Ask questions! Don’t be afraid to ask, even if you think they are stupid questions! If they aren’t willing to answer even your stupidest questions now, who knows what it’ll be like once you get closer to the day!

3. Do your due diligence! Don’t just take their word for it. Google is your friend. Double, triple, quadruple check! It’s your wedding and your money—make sure it’s what YOU want, at a price YOU can live with!

4. Be yourself! Let them know who you are so they can know what to expect and how to meet your needs. It’s a two-way street, so don’t make it too hard on your vendors.

I guess that’s all…

After the week I’ve had, I really needed this! It’s been one of the most exciting developments of the entire wedding-planning process.

What has been your favorite moment in the wedding-planning process? Have you had any unexpected surprises?