Wedding Preparation
with Photographers & Cinematographers
With months of planning ahead of your big day, it can be difficult to envision what the process will look like, or how the final product of your wedding film will come to fruition.
We want to remove all uncertainty and guess-work from our client experience. On the day, you should feel in safe hands with your chosen vendors and trust them to create an unforgettable experience.
So, we’ve mapped out exactly how our team of skilled videographers will be involved in the process before, during, and after your wedding. But of course, this process takes two! There are some important factors that you should think over in the planning process so that we can create the best film and images possible. And importantly – we’ll tell you how just how long each of these steps will take.
Booking your Wedding Suppliers
The booking process could not be easier with DreamReel Films. Just let us know the date of your big day, and we’ll get in contact to secure a consultation and get started! We know you’re busy people, so we use the simplest contact methods possible – via phone or email, at each major point in the process. Of course, we welcome any questions or concerns that you may have along the way. We are here to support you through the process of creating the video of your dreams.
On confirmation, we’ll send you an across-the-board proposal of how we will approach your wedding film. Alongside this, we’ll ask you to sign a contract and place a deposit down, so that we can mark the date on our calendars and put aside time to develop our plan.
To capture your wedding just how you’d like, we need to keep every detail in mind. To do so, we’ll send you a wedding questionnaire to fill out, with information such as important dates, locations, key members of the bridal party, and more. We won’t miss a thing.
Planning Your Wedding
Now the exciting part begins! Planning your wedding can be stressful and time-consuming – with so many vendors to choose from, how can you know who will deliver on quality, price, and experience? For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of the best Sydney wedding vendorsthat we’ve worked with throughout the years.
On our end, we’ll be busy sketching up a storyboard for your wedding video, based on the details you’ve provided in your brief. With your permission, we’ll reach out to the rest of your chosen wedding vendors to say hello, and make sure everyone is on the same page for the big day.
Something that mightn’t have crossed your mind is the lighting and season of your wedding. In both film and photography, we aim to capture our post-ceremony footage and images within “the golden hour”, to nab the most stunning lighting possible. This happens after the ceremony, before the reception. If your ceremony falls in winter, we recommend this time is between 4– 6 pm. If it’s a summer celebration, then 5– 7 pm is ideal. During this time, we will also coordinate our drone shots. The scenery of a birds-eye-view sunset over your venue will truly set the tone for a magical film.
Pre-Wedding Preparation
Time Frame: Up to 2 hours
Location: Bridal or Hotel Suite
Time of Day: Morning or Early Afternoon
In our films, we love to begin by showing candid shots of the bride and groom getting ready for the day! It sets the foundation for the rest of your film, so we delve into the details and capture the raw emotions of preparing for the occasion.
We suggest allowing a couple of hours for us to get footage of the pre-wedding preparation. In this time, we’ll be skilfully capturing the brides and bridesmaids’ make-up, hairstyles, and jewellery. We capture stunning shots of your dress, the rings, the tux, and of course, the shoes!
Whilst you and your friends are the stars of the show, the intricate ornaments and location you’ve selected will set the mood for the film. Ensuring there is enough room for us to take these detailed shots make our lives much easier, and your film even more beautiful. If your room is next to any scenic landscapes, we’ll take our cinematic footage to the next level by featuring you and your partner amongst nature.
We don’t run back and forth in a rush. To get the most of this footage and your valuable time, we generally have one videographer with the bride and another with the groom. Natural lighting is perfect for creating a beautiful film, so the more windows the better!
Here’s an example of how all of this comes together. Watch an example of one of our pre-wedding shoots here.
The Ceremony
Time Frame: Up to 1.5 hours
Location: Ceremony Venue
Time of Day: Morning or Early Afternoon
This is easily the most important part of the day. We recommend that we are able to allocate up to an hour to set up our equipment, lighting, and film footage of the venue before any of the guests are in the area. This way, we can capture the location before everyone is seated. We’ll also take the time to speak with your celebrant and mic up both the bride and groom so that your vows will be crystal clear when playing back your video.
Whilst your marriage is taking place, we always follow our promise of minimal interference in your special moments, whilst capturing the best footage possible.
The Post Ceremony Photoshoot
Time Frame: 1-2 hours
Location: Ceremony Venue
Time of Day: Afternoon (Post Ceremony)
Congratulations, you’ve officially tied the knot! Afterwards, we always gather some intimate couple and family footage. In this stage, we’ll need a couple of hours to arrange shots for all the bridesmaids and close family members. The length of this stage can vary on the size of your family. We work in sync with the photographer, so we can capture those heartfelt moments. But don’t worry – your guests will still have the time to enjoy themselves freely!
Many of your guests will be eager to get into the shots and be the first group up, so we recommend enlisting a family member or a trusted friend to help coordinate people and keep the line in order.
The Celebration
Time Frame: 4-5 hours
Location: Reception Venue
Time of Day: Early/Late Evening
Now it’s time to celebrate! As the longest part of the day, we usually pre-allocate 4-5 hours total. We arrive 30 minutes prior to you and your guests, as we will need to arrange our equipment, lighting, and speak with your DJ, MC, and event manager. Together, we work out the logistics of the shoot. We will also want to take some footage of the venue’s décor and setting before the guests arrive.
When it’s time for the bridal party entrance, we will be located inside the venue so we can capture the moment! We will next film all speeches. We highly recommend that this occurs before or after food is not being served. This way, there won’t be any disruption in sound quality from the clunks of cutlery and plates in use.
From here, we’ll film the first dance, the cutting of the cake, and you and your guests celebrating a beautiful day. If the time permits, we will also sneak you away briefly from the party to take some more photos and footage of you and your new life partner during the evening light.
Post-Wedding
Time Frame: 2-3 Months
Whilst you’re in post-wedding bliss, we’re busy working away at completing your photo editing. Our founder and his team work in a dedicated video studio, where they will carefully select music, apply effects and create a truly cinematic experience.
We will deliver you your wedding highlight reel within two to three months, and your completed feature film within 4 months. We craft feature films that run from 30 to 60 minutes long, so we want to make sure each detail is perfect for you and your loved ones to enjoy.
Our delivery methods depend on which package you selected prior to the wedding day. If not specified as otherwise, each of our wedding packages includes a high-quality digital delivery.
With our digital delivery option, we will provide you with a downloadable link via Mediazilla. From here, you can store, share, and send the file for viewing by friends and family, on the go, or in the comfort of your own home.
We also provide a media box delivery option, in which we will directly send you a physical copy of your wedding film in USB format – it’s entirely up to you. You might even find a little extra gift in there from us!
Working with people to capture the happiest time of their life is our greatest passion. It’s reflected in our intricate process, attention to detail, and our final product. We strive for perfection in our creations, so that you can cherish it for a lifetime. We bring our experience, skill, and expertise together to create art and memories, and it brings us just as much joy as each moment brings you.
