Tips for your Wedding Ceremony

THE AISLE ~ With more & more guests taking pictures during the ceremony, it’s best to have a nice wide aisle. At least 8′ wide is ideal so we have a clear shot of you down your aisle rather than the backs of your guests’ heads.

UNPLUGGED CEREMONY ~ As much as you love Uncle Bob, we doubt that you want his head or cell phone to block our shot of your first kiss. Consider posting a polite sign letting your guests know that you’ve hired pros to take care of photos & video and/or ask your officiant to announce that your wedding is unplugged & to please just enjoy the ceremony. We’ve also seen couples tie ribbons from chair to chair down the aisle (from front to back), with guests entering from the sides. That way well- intentioned guests with cameras won’t step into the aisle during your ceremony & block our view of you (your photographer also appreciates this!)

ALTAR / ARBOR SET-UP ~ Please leave at least 8 feet of space between where the two of you will stand and the front row of chairs. Also, please have your wedding party stand at least 3 feet from you so we can get a shot of you during your vows without them blocking you. If there will be an arbor at your altar, it’s best for your officiant to stand between the front two posts and the two of you to stand in front of the arbor (if you’re inside it, the posts will block our view of you during your vows).

SEATING ~ You might consider having your front-row guests sit opposite from each of you, rather than on the same side of you. That way they can see your face instead of the back of your head.

THE PROCESSIONAL ~ Be sure to leave a lot of space in between couples when your wedding party walks down the aisle (a good rule of thumb is for the next couple to start walking when the couple in front of them is midway down the aisle). And remind them to walk slowly. The same applies to you, of course. If you notice your photo/video team, don’t feel the need to look at the camera. Just do what you would do if we weren’t there.

THE VOWS ~ This is the key moment of your ceremony. Take a moment to really look at each other and think about what you’re saying. If you’re reading your own vows to each other, write them on thicker paper (like a notecard) since notebook/printer paper is thin and makes a lot of noise on windy days. If you are repeating vows that your officiant says, try to think about their meaning as your repeat them… that way you won’t sound robotic. We will place a small lapel mic on one of you (or both of you if you prefer) and your officiant. If you stand facing your officiant, your guests & video will see the backs of your heads, so stand with your bodies facing each other. It’s okay to turn your heads toward your officiant while they are speaking, but don’t forget to hold hands and really look at each other during your vows.

YOUR VEIL ~ If you wear a veil, try to remember to have it rest behind your shoulders instead of in front of them. That way your guests can see your face instead of your veil.

SHADOWS/SUN ~ If you have an outdoor wedding, visit your ceremony site a day or so before your wedding at the same time of day your ceremony will take place. Will the sun be in your eyes, causing you to squint? Will your arbor cast odd shadows on your faces?

UNITY CANDLES ~ As you can imagine, we’ve seen many unity candle malfunctions over the years. An easy fix is to burn each wick for a minute or so at some point before your ceremony. They’ll light much easier. A wind-safe alternative is unity sand or a wine ceremony.

SOAK IT IN ~ Chances are your ceremony will be a blur. There are a few moments that you might consider just taking a moment to let take it all in:

*  During your processional, consider pausing for about 5 seconds just before you reach the aisle (literally stop walking, and take a moment to look at your guests and each other)

*  After you’ve had your first kiss and are announced, rather than bolting down the aisle, just take a moment to look at your guests (they’ll be cheering for you!).

*  As you exit, maybe give each other another kiss part way down your aisle… this makes for a great photo for your photographer since you’ll be surrounded by your guests

*  Rather than getting bombarded by well-intentioned friends and family immediately after your ceremony, consider taking 5 minutes, just the two of you (not even photo/video), to let it soak in that you just got married.

PRETEND WE’RE INVISIBLE ~ We’ll try our best not to be noticed on your wedding day, but if you do notice us, just do your best to pretend that we’re not there. You don’t need to look at the camera (in fact, it’s better if you don’t). We’re just there to capture the moments as they happen, so the general rule of the day is if you see a camera, just ignore it.

98% of Newlyweds Regret Not Having a Wedding Video

Don’t take our word for it… Ariane Fisher from The Huffington Post will gladly tell you all about why not having a video was the biggest mistake of her wedding.

And she’s not alone. When we tell people that we’re wedding videographers, the number one response we hear is, “Oh, I wish we had a video of our wedding day!” Many couples hire a photographer (which we highly recommend) but don’t budget for videography. You wouldn’t believe how often couples call us within weeks of their wedding (and one time less than 24 hours before their wedding!), because it suddenly dawns on them that they are going to want more than still photos to remember their wedding day. You will want to hear your vows. You’ll want to see the tear on Dad’s cheek. You will want to feel the emotion that comes through in a professionally composed wedding film.

Don’t be part of the 98%. Just fill out our videography package info request form to find out how we can capture the memory of your day forever.

CONTACT ACE OF HEARTS FILMS

Ace of Hearts Films Demo Video

We hope you enjoy watching our demo video. It will give you a good feel for our style and playful nature. Please note that these are highlights from weddings we’ve filmed, but your wedding video would include live audio of your ceremony, toasts, etc.

CONTACT ACE OF HEARTS FILMS

“Ace of Hearts was a breeze to work with and produced fabulous work. The amazing day goes by so fast; we are so happy to be able to relive the day through our video. I watched it over and over until I fell asleep! The video brought so many tears of joy! We’re excited to see the full video soon. Couldn’t recommend Ace of Hearts Films more!”

– Kindee & Steffan

Suggestions for your Wedding Timeline (reception)

Reception Entrance – Even at small weddings, it’s nice to be introduced as you enter your reception since most of your guests were just at your cocktail hour. Some couples choose to go right into their first dance when they’re introduced, which can be a really sweet moment that brings everybody back to what the day is about.

Dinner – If you’re having a dinner buffet, be sure to allow plenty of time for guests to go through the line. Plated dinners don’t need quite as much time. Your caterer would be the best resource for determining how much time to allow for dinner.

Toasts – Speeches are typically given about 15 minutes before you anticipate guests will finish eating. We recommend limiting the toasts to a few key people and maybe even suggest that they limit their speech to “X” minutes each. Passing the mic around the crowd makes it really difficult for us to track who is speaking (& you never know what people are going to say!)

Cake Cutting – This usually takes about 5 minutes. Be sure to have a knife, fork, and small plate at your cake table beflower-1468820_1280forehand. It’s also a good idea to discuss whether you’ll smash the cake into each others’ faces!

Same Day Edit Video (if applicable) – Depending on the timing of your event, we typically show your Same Day Edit video after your cake cutting, however we need at least 90 minutes after your ceremony ends to put the video together. If it isn’t ready by the end of your toasts, then we suggest that you show it after your bouquet & garter toss since that’s the next point in time that your guests will all be focused.

First Dance – If you didn’t have your first dance as you entered your reception, this is typically when it is done. If your song is particularly long, you might ask your DJ or band to fade it out after a few minutes.

Father Daughter / Mother Son Dances – By the time your guests have watched 3 special dances in a row, they tend to fizzle out, so we recommend that you have your DJ or band shorten each song or fade out after a couple minutes.

General Dancing – This is usually when your DJ/Band will invite your guests out onto the dance floor.

Bouquet/Garter Toss – It’s a good idea to plan this within 30 minutes of general dancing, because some older guests like to watch it but don’t want to stay up really late.

Sunset Photos / General Dancing – If you would like sunset photos, you’ll want to be ready for them about 15 minutes before sunset is scheduled. The sun sets very late in the summer, so we suggest that you check a sunset calendar.

CONTACT ACE OF HEARTS FILMS