Is the do it yourself aproach right for you?

"Hey my uncle Jack or my aunt Jane has a camera and said they can video my wedding" Yes that is true, but as I often tell people I dont just setup a camera and hit record. The novice is just that...a novice. and they will bring that level of expertise with them. There is a saying that goes " You get what you pay for " never is that more true than in the world of video.

Ask yourself if you would have your family take your wedding photos or bake a 5 tier cake or cater a meal for 300 people. The answer is likely no. More likely "NO WAY!"

Why professional video is important.

Equipment: The consumer level cameras are not capable of capturing good quality video in low light.

Experience: The novice shooter doesnt know what to get so instead just lets the camera run hoping to get the "good stuff". They also will likely be in the way of the photographer and be a distraction.

Editing: Who is going to edit the video? Does he or she know how to use the software. Do they know how to make it entertaining? What do they keep and what do they cut? Can they out put to DVD?

Why I believe professional video is important.

I will tell you this. I thought 5 years ago that I could do this myself for my wedding. It was a huge mistake. I grabbed one of the guests and said here run this camera. I put the capturing of my special day in the hands of a novice and got the expected results.