On the cheap video

We love the artistic/photojournalist style wedding videos we have seen. Originally we were going to hire one of these amazing videographers at...wait, how much?

Not only is that way over our budget, we would only be able to afford 2 hours of video. So basically part of us getting ready and the ceremony.

What’s a tech-savvy couple on a budget who own video/photo editing software and a hi-def video camera to do?? A DIY documentary style wedding video!! (I am sure most of you can hear Mr. Meerkat’s sobs as he realizes that another project has been added to the DIY list.)

The plan – take a video camera with us for Mr. Meerkat to shoot everything that happens during our trip (which he would have done anyway). Then to make sure we catch all the action on our wedding day we hired videographer, Winnie Vallejro, to just shoot raw footage. By having the unedited footage we are able to have full control over the video editing process along with having the full wedding day on video from getting ready through the reception while still saving money.

I know, I know, it’s a big undertaking but if we merge our professional wedding photos with video clips, add some effects, we just might come out of this with something amazing. Here is our inspiration, from Del Sol Photography, for the style of video we are trying to achieve:

Al Cielo Hotel from del Sol Photography on Vimeo.

Now this plan may not be for everyone. To be able to make a week long documentary style video we had to ask ourselves these questions:

• Do most of our videos turn out to be of our own shoes or a lens cap?
• Do the people we might be handing the camera off to have enough experience not to video their own shoes?
• Do we know our way around a computer?

Since our videos are shoe and lens cap free along with our families' and we for sure know our way around a computer, we knew this was the plan for us! Anyone else found a way to make a wedding video on the cheap?