In the Twentieth Anniversary Issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, Editorial Director, Darcy Miller, points out a very important fact: “Film is forever.” She goes on to explain, “while we love our gorgeous [wedding] photos, it’s fun to show our daughters the video – and we get to relive the day, too.”

That’s why we do what we do.  Photos capture a moment, a smile, a dress, but a video will allow you to relive your wedding over and over again – not just the sights of the day, but the sounds and the movement also.

In her “Spotlight on Lessons Learned” article, Ms. Miller, shared some other insights and though all of them were not specifically directed at videography, we think they help make the case for wedding videography.

• “Set aside a time to take photos after the ceremony.”  We agree with Ms. Miller.  Even if the bulk of your formal photography is taken care of before the ceremony, take time for some photography after the ceremony, because “That’s when you (and everyone else) will feel relaxed and excited,” Ms. Miller points out.  After twelve years of experience, we can tell you she’s right.  We always continue to record right through the post-ceremony photo sessions and that’s the part many of our couples enjoy the most.  Grooms who were nervous wrecks before the ceremony are suddenly ad libing jokes.  Nervous brides who couldn’t even smile thirty minutes ago, beam at the camera after the ceremony.
• “Stop and soak it in.”  This is really good advice, but like most advice it’s easier to give than to follow – especially on your wedding day.  There are so many people clamoring for attention then that stopping is one thing you can’t do.  If it’s not the officiant or the wedding coordinator barking orders at you, it’s sweet Aunt Adelaide coming to give you a hug.  Perhaps it would have been better if Ms. Miller said, “After you stop, then soak it in.”  A wedding video will allow you to do that.  At the wedding and in the days and weeks following, you will have more to do than you can get done.  That’s no problem if you’ve hired a wedding videographer.  While you go on your honeymoon and get settled into your new life, he’ll be working on your video.  When you look at at the video for the first time, that’s when you’ll stop and soak it in.
• “The early bird gets the stress-free celebration.” Booking your videographer early helps insure that you’ll get what you want.  The earlier we know that we’re filming your wedding, the better prepared we can be.  Different venues require different equipment.  When we’re booked early-on, you can catch us up with details all along, instead of having to try to remember to tell us everything in one desperate meeting.

Ms. Miller also says,” No one ever regrets hiring a videographer, and my friends who decided to skip it often tell me they wish they hadn’t.”  Don’t wait until it’s too late.  Capture your wedding on film and enjoy it forever.

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Whitney and Dave at Dallas’ St. Pius X Catholic Church in Videography Wedding Dallas

Before Whitney and Dave had their wedding ceremony at St. Pius Catholic Church they shared a few moments together in a touching First Look.  The beautiful Whitey chose that time to give Dave a sweet gift which expressed her love in words she had written for him.  The gift brought them both to tears.

Whitney looked lovely in her beautiful ball gown with a sweetheart neckline and empire waist.  The fitted bodice of shirred satin was gathered into a bouquet of silk flowers.  The bride wore a cathedral length white veil.

The church’s unique contemporary styling and beautiful stained glass window provided a magnificent backdrop for the wedding.  After the ceremony the wedding party stayed behind for photographs. During the session Berrett Photography asked the flower girl to hold hands with the ring bearer, but she was reluctant to do so.  The little guy put on a big smile and his touch was so gentle that he earned a hug.

The reception was decorated in brown and turquoise.  The brown matched the guys’ tuxedos and the turquoise echoed the bridesmaids’ one-shouldered dresses.  The cutting of the cake was followed by several heartfelt toasts from family and friends.  When the dj invited the guests to the dance floor for line dancing, the wait staff took a break to do some line dancing in the kitchen.

At the end of the evening the bride raised her bouquet in a fond farewell to the guests who lit the way to the couple’s car with sparklers.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

Capturing the words of the couple’s vows as they are being made is one of our most important jobs at a wedding.  To help get it right, we put a lavalier microphone on the groom’s lapel.  It’s a good thing we did, because as Dave promised to love until death separated him from his bride, his voice got softer and softer with each phrase.

We also like to record the expressions of the bride as she listens to her groom’s vows and makes her own.  In a church like St. Pius with minimal décor there is nowhere for the videographer to hide.  That’s why we developed a special camera just for the situation.  We’re able to put the tripod out of the line of sight and lift the camera up high.  Then the cameraman actually sits at the back of the church watching a monitor and uses remote control to manipulate the camera.  We get our shot and there’s no videographer at the front of the church to distract the congregation.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To 

LeniCam Video Productions – Videography Wedding Dallas   

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 Carola and Joseph at Christ the King Catholic Church and Park Cities Hilton in Videography Wedding Dallas

Carola knew her parents would think Joseph was the one, because he was a nice Midwestern Catholic boy.  On a camping trip, Joseph’s sisters decided Carola was the one, because she didn’t flinch at his smelly hiking boots.  The families were right.  Carola and Joseph were married at Christ the King Catholic Church in Dallas.

The exquisite jewel-box church was the perfect background for the beautiful Carola in her ornate lace-encrusted fit-and-flare gown, with cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline.  A lace-trimmed cathedral length veil cascaded from a small pearl cap and a beaded belt highlighted her trim waist.

With her veil covering her face, Carola seemed to float down the aisle on her father’s arm.  Giving his daughter to Joseph, the father expressed his joy at their union.  When the priest declared the couple man and wife, Joseph grabbed Carola up in an enthusiastic embrace and the audience broke out in an extended round of applause.

The celebration moved to the Park Cities Hilton where live musicians entertained with hits from the Big Band era for the formal spotlight dances.  The tall wedding cake looked as if it had been covered in lace and the final tier was topped with flowers.  Single guests battled eagerly for the chance to catch the bouquet or garter.  The party really heated up when a dj inspired everyone to get out on the dance floor.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

The LeniCam videographer arrived at Christ the King Catholic Church an hour and a half before Carola and Joseph’s wedding to capture the sights and sounds of their special day.  The first job was to set up the professional-grade HD video camera.  The unique design of the church allowed our cameraman to hide up close to make close-ups of the vows without creating a distraction at the front of the church.  We also used a variety of microphones and audio feeds so we didn’t miss any of the sentiments expressed.

Throughout the celebration we went everywhere and recorded everything, but our goal was to remain invisible and avoid distracting from the stars of the day, Carola and Joseph.  Recording the audio and video footage is only part of our job.  We took the recordings back to our studio and in the ensuing weeks edited and mixed the material into a wedding video for the couple to cherish all the days of their marriage.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have To    

LeniCam Video Productions – Videography Wedding Dallas

Gladys and Paul at The Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Videography Wedding Dallas

Just before the lovely Gladys arrived at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadelupe in Downtown Dallas via white stretch limousine, Paul confessed, “She’s genuine.  I love that. You can’t find that anywhere else.”  His smile, as she came down the aisle, filled in the details.

Gladys’ white satin gown with a sheer overlay encrusted with crystals ended in a long train.  Her tulle veil, also crystal-trimmed, was the same length as the gown’s train.  For the ceremony she wore a lace-trimmed sheer jacket with embroidered short sleeves.  Her bridesmaids wore short turquoise dresses with crossover bodices.

The couple incorporated a lasso communion ceremony into their wedding, during which honored guests bound them with a beautiful rope of crystals.  Sincerity was in both the bride’s and the groom’s eyes as they said their vows. Over the bride’s shoulder you see the stunning colors of the cathedral’s stained glass windows. Outside, after the ceremony, the couple stopped at the top of the steps, so the groom could deliver an enthusiastic, bride-dipping kiss.

The bride shed her sheer jacket for the reception.  As she entered the Addison Event Center on the arm of her new husband her guests could see more of her splendid gown including, intricate beading and a crystal halter strap.

The wedding cake was a white confection of icing-formed petals amid large crystals.  The chocolate groom’s cake was made to look like a football helmet.  Guests could also enjoy a buffet of sweets; treats like colorfully striped canes, bright jelly beans and pastel mints in be-ribboned crystal jars.

During the fun-filled reception, the groomsmen dressed the groom in an apron and delivered his clothes to the bride, joking that he would soon be hen-pecked.  The lively groom, back in his own clothes, showed he wasn’t hen-pecked yet, when he used his teeth to remove the bride’s garter.  Conga lines wove around the dance floor.  Glowsticks lighted up the night.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

Gladys and Paul chose to use three cameras for their wedding and with all the decorations and columns in the cathedral, it was a wise decision.  Having three vantage points allowed  the camera to record the couple together at the altar and to see both the bride’s and the groom’s faces during their vows.

There were also two cameras during the reception – one to keep an eye on the bride and groom, while the other roamed the Addison Event Center, capturing the action in other parts of the room.

We sweat the small stuff, so you don’t have to.

What Gladys Said on The Knot:

“It felt good not to have to micromanage at least one of my vendors on my wedding day. LeniCam was that vendor for me. Let John know what is important to you to be captured on your day and it will happen. I barely even knew he and his crew were there, they were so professional and prepared.

After our wedding my husband and I were surprised by a series of unforeseen events which put our wedding on the back burner for several months. So we had no time to see any video footage or pictures, send thank you cards, even open our gifts! John was so courteous and accommodating with us and gave us as much time as needed to be in a good place to review our video and make all my extremely detailed video editing requests. This alone meant so much to us.

I would very much recommend LeniCam to everyone. ”

Grace and Jim at Rose Chapel of Ft. Worth in Videography Wedding Dallas

Jim was Grace’s ballroom dance instructor and she was his best student.  Whirling around the dance floor they learned to dance well together and then they discovered their harmony extended beyond the dance floor.  Jim and Grace were married at the historic Rose Chapel in Ft. Worth.

Rose Chapel began its life in 1911 as the Central Methodist Church.  Many lovely weddings were held in those days.  Since then, the congregation moved on and the facility served other purposes, but today, they’re back to performing weddings in the chapel, like Jim and Grace’s.

Grace wore a form fitting, halter gown studded in crystal. It was complimented by crystal chandelier earrings, a stunning crystal necklace and fingerless gloves encrusted in crystals.  Her groom looked dapper in a morning suit, with tails and ascot.

Candles and bouquets adorned Rose Chapel.  Each pew was graced with a flowing decoration of white tulle and purple ribbons.  Jim grinned widely as his bride appeared. Joy could be seen in the couple’s smiles and heard in their humorous quips during their vows.  The lighting of a unity candle symbolized the lives they were joining together.

After the wedding, Jim and Grace’s friends gathered on the stairs of Rose Chapel to cheer them into their new life together, but it was all for the cameras.  The doors opened and the couple charged into sunlight for a bright beginning.  Then everyone turned around and went back inside for the reception.  Jim and Grace wanted a “going away” shot, but since they planned to dance late into the night, they wanted to get the shot before they shooed away the vendors with cameras.

The reception was held in the adjoining Grand Ballroom.  No train hampered the movement of this bride as she stepped into a special pair of dancing shoes and onto the floor for an elegant dance with her husband.  The dance had been specifically choreographed for this occasion. Tulle swags were added to her gloves, emphasizing the grace of their performance and the ethereal quality of the music.

The tiers of the white bride’s cake were decorated with deep burgundy orchids and the chocolate groom’s cake was topped with chocolate covered strawberries. The bride and groom shared bites of both cakes without a smear of icing or a single crumb going astray.  Jim and Grace changed into less formal clothes for the balance of the reception, because a live band was on hand to provide dance music.  The floor stayed full, because most of the guests were fellow dancers and the party continued into the night.

Behind the Scenes with LeniCam Video Productions

LeniCam brought two kinds of experience to Jim and Grace’s wedding which helped us capture the details of the day.  We’ve been making wedding videos for more than a decade and we also record many recitals and dance events.

LeniCam Video Productions – Dallas Wedding Videography

We arrived an hour and a half before the ceremony to set up our cameras and capture Grace as she decked herself out with sparkling crystals and bright white.  We attached a lapel mic to Jim and hooked up to the audio feeds around the chapel so we wouldn’t miss a word of the entertaining vows.  After the ceremony we hurried over to the ballroom and recorded the sights and sounds of the couple’s lovely performance.  During the ceremony and the reception we tried to be everywhere, recording everything while remaining invisible to the guests and participants.

Then we went back to the studio, editing and mixing the sights and sounds we’d recorded, and in the coming weeks produced a video that will remind Jim and Grace of their special day in the years to come.

We Sweat the Small Stuff So You Don’t Have to  

LeniCam Video Productions – Dallas Wedding Videography