Ready for My Close-up!

If there’s one thing we hear over and over from our brides featured in our Real Weddings, it’s that they regret not having used a videographer. They love their still photos from their wedding photographers, but as they reflect back on their wedding day, they say that it went by so quickly and now is such a blur.

Finding a good (and reliable!) videographer can be tricky business -- and, you may be tempted into having a friend or family member act as your videographer. But in the end, will you be happy with the results?

We asked Eric Leas from Acti-Video what he's experienced over his nearly 20 years as a videographer in the Sacramento area. Here's what he had to say on the subject:

"A friend or relative might be able to videotape your wedding, but most likely, if they don't do it professionally, they won't have the same tools a professional possesses to do the job properly, and it will really show in the results.

I have had many, many couples call and show me footage from their wedding that a friend or a family member who claimed to be 'pretty good with a camera,' asking me for help to fix it or to help present it in a more professional manner. Unfortunately, the footage is just terrible and I cannot fix it for them.

The reality is that there is no replacement and no 'do overs' -- if only these couples had hired a professional in the first place, it would have saved them heartache, bad memories and in some instances cost!"

Of course, we recommend hiring a professional videographer to capture your big day (so that you can share it with your grandchildren 50 years from now!). To find the right one for you, Eric recommends checking out several videographers' Web sites, and then meeting with your chosen few. He equates finding the right videographer to matching the right director with the right movie…requires talent, vision and a good relationship between collaborators.

Check out this recent wedding video clip that Eric and his team at Acti-Video produced:





About Acti-Video Productions:

Acti-Video Productions has been serving our area for nearly 15 years, covering not only Sacramento proper, but wedding destinations as far as San Francisco, Napa and Tahoe. These guys know their stuff, getting all your most precious moments on high-definition cameras with authenticity and care, forever captured on DVD or Blu-ray. They offer a variety of packages and plenty of extras, including the “First Dance Romance” Video Edit, “Original Love Story” Video Edit, and "Wedding Day Replay," to name a few.

Visit their Web site at acti-video.com, or call them at 916-788-1690.

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid columnist Darren Elms.