Wedding cinematography: Top tips from our favorite videography experts

This week we interview three of our favorite wedding videographers! Steven of Wild Light Films, Rafael of Amora Cinema and Lauren of ML Photo & Film. We wanted to take a deep dive into what makes a wedding video special, get into the details of what you need to know about wedding cinematography and why you should always hire a professional videographer. Our weddings are only as good as the vendors we work with and we can’t recommend these three highly enough!

1. How did you begin your company?

Carlee & Sean’s romantic Texas wedding: Wild Light Films x Wild Sky Events

Steven of Wild Light Films: I started out Wild Light Films in 2015 with just a cheap camera and an eagerness to create special videos by using unique, organic videography mixed with stylish, creative and fashion forward editing. I actually started out in photography and after making the jump to video, I never looked back!

Rafael of Amora Cinema: I guess the story starts with our own love story, we met almost ten years ago now. We were just kids back then, little rascals to be honest. We loved driving around at night, our camera always in hand, taking pictures of empty streets and night skies. That early shared love for photography eventually turned into our little side gig, shooting landscapes, portraits, and handful of weddings too! A few years later Rafa landed a Videography job at one of the top Wedding Video Companies in Hawaii, and he quickly became one of their lead videographers.

Amora Cinema x Wild Sky Events - Epic New Year’s Eve wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, TX

Fast forward a little bit, we packed our bags and moved up to the great PNW! We fell in love with the mountains, the lakes, and all the beautiful nature up there. Taking everything that we had learned from our time shooting weddings in Hawaii, we decided to start our own company in Seattle, Amora Cinema was born!

Lauren ML Photo and Film: In college my major was sports management, and then towards the end of my college career I had a change of heart and went to work in non-profits so I spent years working in non- profits doing videos. I really loved it but it did not really pay the bills. And then Marissa was doing photography. Friends had asked me to shoot their weddings over the years just because they knew I did video and so we decided we should start our own photography and videography business. That is how it became ML Photo and Film.

2. What year did you open?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I started WLF in 2015

Rafael of Amora Cinema: We officially opened June of 2016, but it wouldn't be until 2017 that we really dug in and made it our full time thing.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: It started in 2013

3. Did you have any doubts or fears about starting a business?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I think when I first started WLF I didn’t really see it as a business but more as just an extension of myself as a creative outlet, a hobby/fun way to make some extra money. It wasn’t till I found myself being contacted by tons of couples seeking my work that I really realized that this thing I enjoyed and loved had turned itself into an actual business.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: No. We knew what we wanted to do and had confidence in our talents as a team. In our mind it was just a matter of putting in the work and the time. It also helps that we were young starting out, no kids (besides a bunch of fur babies), not a ton of responsibilities at the time.

ML Photo & Film x Wild Sky Events - Modern and romantic fall wedding at Mattie’s - Austin, TX

Lauren ML Photo and Film: What’s interesting is that it was scary but also at the same time one thing I’ve learned over the years is the more I do this the less I know. So we went in not knowing much but now I’m like, “Wow we didn’t know anything.” We didn’t really know what we were getting into so it helped us not be too scared.

4. How would you describe your style of videography?

Wild Light Films Mexico

Steven of Wild Light Films: I would describe my style of videography as stylish, trendy, fun, fast, never boring music video based wedding videography.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: Our style is hard to define because it is always tailored to the energy of our couples and the vibe of their wedding day. We highly recommend that you watch at least a few of our films to see what we mean! What we CAN say is that the common thread in our style is that it’s very story driven and dynamic. Often carefully selecting parts of your vows, speeches, or the officiant's message to tell your story.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: I would describe it as candid and light and airy. My goal on a wedding day is to capture the couple’s personalities as well as the personalities of those in their wedding party and their family & friends. I’m not big into posing or staging. Natural, candid, light & airy are the keywords.

4. Many couples are torn on whether they should hire a videographer or not? Personally, why do you think videography is so important to have on a wedding day?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I think that videography is super important because your wedding day really does go by quickly and there are sooo many moments that you just miss. Photos capture a moment but video captures an entire scene. I think for a long time videography was 2nd fiddle to photography but now I feel that has almost switched because people are really seeing the value of watching back your wedding day in a non-boring way.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: There's really nothing else that captures your wedding day and your story like a Wedding Film can. The emotions, moments in time, the beautiful vows that couples will exchange, all these things that will go by in the blink of an eye, many will likely become a blur in time, but a well put together film can really immortalize all of that. Just imagine being able to fully experience your wedding day again in 5, 10, 20 years!! It's an investment in the truest sense of the word, it's value will increase over the years for you and your family. Your children and grandchildren will be able to experience it as well, seeing you in your youth, getting a glimpse of an older time, seeing family members they maybe never had the chance to meet. Your wedding film is truly an heirloom.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: One thing I love about video is that not only do you get to kind of relive your wedding day through visual, you also get to relieve it through audio, getting to hear your vows, getting to hear speeches. Photos are super important and I love that. Video just gives a whole other dynamic to remembering your wedding day. And there are different moments like you walking with your girls out to go get your photos taken. Usually photographers don’t take a photo of that but it’s fun to get the in-between moments.

5. Do you meet with couples before they book you or how does that work?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I always try to meet with my couple, usually via FaceTime (I travel for 100% of my weddings). The reason I like to meet/talk/shoot the shit with my couples is because it’s important that we click and get to know each other. To me, it’s the start of a friendship so that when the wedding day comes, we feel like we’ve known each other for years!

Rafael of Amora Cinema: Because most of our weddings involve travel nowadays, we're not always able to meet in person, but always encourage a call or a video chat. This chat for us is not a sales call in our mind, it's more about getting to know our couples a little bit better. These conversations, and of course what we see and hear on the wedding day really informs all the decisions we will make in putting together your wedding film.

Addison Grove Wedding ML Photo & Film x Wild Sky Events

Lauren ML Photo and Film: I always like to set up a FaceTime call with our clients because I feel like it’s more personal than just a phone call. During the call I want to learn all about them, not just go over ok these are our packages and this is what we do. I want to learn about our couples. We are really big into learning about them, hearing their stories, and becoming friends with them. Then we are able to tell their story better rather than ok yeah you booked us, cool, see you on your wedding day.

6. What are three important questions a couple should ask when they are hiring a videographer for their wedding?

Steven of Wild Light Films: That’s a difficult question because every couple is going to have different concerns, questions and priorities when hiring a videographer. I will say that something I find really important is making sure that you and the person you’re looking to work with, click. I personally always want to make sure that I vibe with the couple I work with. If a couple is just lookin for any videographer you can tell. Search out what you’re looking for out of videography and style then reach out to those who’s work you really enjoy and love. At the end of the day, that videographer is gonna be with you all day and it’s gonna be super important that you trust that person and their style.

Amora Cinema: Alissa & Justin | The Ritz Carlton Maui Wedding We feel like fate brought us to Alissa & Justin.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: 1. What are you like on the wedding day? - We rarely get this question, but I think personalities are super important. And different videographers will bring varying levels of production.

2. What is your process for backing up the footage? - red flag if they make less than 3 copies (one of them being off-site or in the cloud)

3. How do revisions work? Are we allowed to make any changes after you have delivered the wedding film?

Lauren ML Photo and Film: 1) One question is “what are the deliverables,” so what do you get from them. Make sure you are both clear on what you are receiving. 2) Another question would be is the videographer more into posing moments or are they more into letting moments happen naturally. That coincides with does the videographer want their own time during portrait time or are they able to film while the photographer is photographing. For us or any photographer I am working with I am filming while they are doing portraits and I am able to capture everything I need so I don’t need the couple to redo anything or do anything that’s cheesy or doesn’t seem natural whereas I have found that some videographers want their own time. There are a lot of videographers who even have it in their contract that they get an extra ten or fifteen minutes after the photographer. Some couples do want that to be totally separate and to be able to spend a ton of time but some couples don’t. They want to get in, get their pictures done and want to go enjoy their reception. We do it when they immediately inquire but another thing couples should do is ask to see a couple full wedding films or whatever you are being delivered. Anyone can make a highlight film look good. The key is to see the full product. During the ceremony, for example, are you going to be up in my face?

7. Are there any red flags couples should be aware of when hiring a videographer?

Steven of Wild Light Films: Another hard question to ask because sometimes you can’t tell someones shady right out the gate. Just make sure to ask any questions you can think of and if anything starts to concern you, continue your search.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: I encourage couples to have a phone conversation with the people you are considering, if you are getting a less than ideal vibe then maybe consider other filmmakers. The one other big thing, there are a few companies that are really just booking agencies, meaning they'll book weddings and just send out whatever shooter they can find on craigslist or some other place. So you don't really know what you're gonna get. If you are unsure, just ask! "Who will be team filming my wedding?". Nothing wrong with a bigger company that has a big team of videographers, as long as you see that their quality is consistent across the board. That brings us to another point, make sure to watch more than one wedding film from the companies you are considering. Styles may vary across a range of different weddings, but the quality should feel consistent.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: One red flag is if they’re not willing to provide samples of their work because they usually means they’re hiding something. Two, if the couple is focused on a candid & natural style and the videographer they are talking to says they are into posing & setting up everything that might be a red flag for that particular couple. Third, whether it’s the actual person you’re talking to who will be filming your wedding or if they hire associates. If you are talking to a company who hires associates to film, you should request to see video from whatever associate is going to be shooting. There are some great associate wedding companies, but also at the same time an associate shooter isn’t taking as much care of providing a top-notch service compared to a business who only has one shooter.

8. What has been your favorite destination you’ve been to for a wedding?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I think my favorite destination wedding was one I did in Nov of 2019 In Oaxaca, Mexico. I was really nervous at first but it was such a beautiful area and everyone was soo amazingly nice.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: Definitely our recent Maui wedding. Of course Maui is beautiful & so much fun to explore, but what stood out is having the opportunity to join the couple on their boat excursion with their family a few days before the wedding. Not only did we capture some really fun & personal footage, but we had the chance to sit out on the deck with the couple while chomping down a burger and talking about all the things. Life, love, dreams, all these different things that gave us a deeper understanding of who they were as people. Ultimately this guided the way we approached their Wedding Film in the editing room.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: One of our favorite was a wedding in New York City in February. It was amazing, and the couple was amazing. The venue overlooked the Manhattan skyline and it was gorgeous.

9. How does the videographer/photographer relationship work on the day of? Does one of you take the lead?

Steven of Wild Light Films: It’s team work at the end of the day but I usually let the photographer take the lead because to be honest, that’s what most of them are use to. It’s just about communicating with them on what I need for my shots but also making sure they get what they need as well. It’s all about balance.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: We love to collaborate with photographers! We bring ideas, they bring ideas, the final products of the photos & videos are all elevated through putting our minds together. Also, since we're hanging next to one another all day we more often than not end up becoming fast friends with the photographers.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: For me, I always let the photographer take the lead because typically whatever works for the photographer lighting wise and location wise works for me. I also never want to step on anyone’s toes so I take a very laid back approach. It’s all about communication so I always communicate with the photographer beforehand. We talk through where are we going to do a first look, where are you going to be, where is your second shooter going to be. Ok cool, this is where I am going to be, this is where my second shooter is going to be. The nice thing working with my sister and working with a photographer a lot I try and ensure that my camera’s or my second shooter isn’t going to be in the background of the photographer. Our whole goal on the wedding day is not to be in the photos or the video.

10. Do you bring a second shooter for your weddings? What are the pros of having another videographer with you?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I film all of my weddings solo but that’s because it’s just how I’ve always done it. I’ve had 2nd videographers with me in the past (2 weddings over the last 5 years) because the wedding’s where extremely large (500+ guests) but I found that when I edited those 2 weddings, I only ended up footage that was filmed by my camera.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: We are lucky to be a husband-wife team, always shoot weddings together and it's hard to imagine being solo on a wedding day now. There are a ton of pros of a two person team! Throughout the day we split up tasks, for example we might split up in the beginning of the day (Shy films in the girls getting-ready room, while Rafa films the boys). Rafa will head over to the ceremony area early to set up tripods and our audio capture, while Shy can keep filming the moments that are happening in that time. During the portrait session with a couple, Shy might put on the director's hat to come up with some cool ideas and work with the location, while Rafa focuses on the cinematography aspect. The list goes on!

Lauren ML Photo and Film: Our packages always include a second shooter. That allows us to be able to fully capture the day. I’m usually with the bride as she’s getting ready and my second shooter is usually with the groom as he’s getting ready. For a first look I’m able to focus on the bride, my second shooter focuses on the groom so we can get both reactions and the same with the ceremony. When she’s walking down the aisle my second shooter is focused on the groom and I’m focused on the bride. It really allows us to be able to capture everything. Even into the reception the second shooter is getting cocktail hour while I’m getting portrait time. Second shooters are key.

11. What advice do you give to couples who are nervous to be filmed or think that having a videographer will be like having the paparazzi with them all day?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I think this goes back to just making sure you find someone that you feel comfortable with. If your videographer has a good vibe with you then after an hour or so of the day starting, you’re gonna forget that they’re even filming!

Rafael of Amora Cinema: It's actually WAY easier than you might think! Because for the most part we're not really posing you like a photographer might do, we're really just capturing natural moments throughout the day. During your portrait session is when we might direct you a little bit, but the direction usually involves some action or movement rather than holding a still pose.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: I can completely relate because I hate being in front of the camera. I use long lenses when shooting so I step back on the wedding day and don’t want to be intrusive. I don’t want them to even realize that I’m there. I also become friends with them beforehand so then on their wedding day they’re not as nervous.

12. What is your favorite wedding day moment?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I think my favorite wedding day moment have to be the special, unique and unplanned moments that happen at weddings. Whether that’s the couple getting on stage to singing with the band, doing a drinking game on the dance floor, jumping into the pool or doing a surprise choreographed dance, I love when things like that happen! Most weddings tend to have a similar structure and timeline so when a couples break from that and show their personality, those are my favorite and most memorable moments.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: We are both suckers for any sweet daddy-daughter moments, whether that is a father's first look, a funny toast, or a first dance, hard to not tear when witnessing those moments.

Lauren ML Photo and Film: We had a moment where the bride did her first look with her dad. She had made a handkerchief & had it embroidered with a poem. We’re filming it and I’m holding it together, tears are streaming down my face, but I’m holding it together and then the second they finished and turned and looked at us I lost it. We told the bride the story of our dad passing away so she knew but truly that day was so cool to be a part of and to capture. Even there were some sad moments the overall feeling of joy and happiness and celebration that they had that day was amazing.

13. How are you dealing with the current COVID situation? Will there be any changes to how you work?

Steven of Wild Light Films: COVID has been a tough and unpredictable situation because we still don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s pushed all of my March - Aug weddings into next year which has really hurt my business but I’ve been doing anything and everything I can to make it all work as easy as possible for them to move their dates (which it has been so far! - yay)

Rafael of Amora Cinema: Flexibility: with our current and future clients we are being as flexible as possible and allowing rescheduling without any fees if a couple's plans are affected by COVID.

Deposit: Our booking deposit remains non-refundable, as we will turn away other clients for the same date, BUT we are reducing that deposit from 50% to 25%.

Safety: we are lucky that most of our work is done from home, in fact not much has changed for us with this social distancing thing. In the worst case scenario that we are infected ourselves, We have associate filmmakers that can fill in.

14. What excites you the most about the future of your business or wedding videography in general?

Steven of Wild Light Films: I’m just excited to get out there and start filming weddings again, thanks to COVID I’ve had some time to catch up on edits but I’m just ready to get back in the wild. Weddings are just an amazing day and I always enjoy them just as much as all of their family and friends do.

Rafael of Amora Cinema: The quality of Wedding Films has skyrocketed in recent years, and the younger generations understand that video is a MUST HAVE

Lauren ML Photo and Film: Marissa and I have used this time to really shore up our business and set some really big goals for 2021. We’re working on redoing our website & our logo so we’re super excited for the future and what that will entail. I’m excited to see because of COVID-19 how weddings will change. Will they be smaller ceremonies, more intimate gatherings. I’m excited to see what will happen.

Kate GoddardJuly 10, 2020Comment