7 Tips for your filming atmosphere
For your big day, you’re going to want to make sure everything is perfect – especially if you’re inviting lots of guests. Here are a few filming & sounds recommendations for you to prepare for your virtual wedding.
1) Prepare good lighting
Indoor will generally be pretty dark. If you can, check to see if you can position lamps, open shades/curtains and yourselves in the brightest area of the apartment or home. If your house is naturally dark everywhere, performing your ceremony outdoors may be a better alternative.
2) Ensure the sound works
Most phones, laptops & computers will have built-in mics – however, depending on how far you position yourself, if may not be able to pick up both you and your fiancé. If you have a stand-alone mic, you may want to utilize it for your ceremony to enhance and project your sound. As well, ensure that background noise is kept to a minimum.
3) Position yourselves correctly
Similar to filming TV or movies, your standing position is very important to your filming. If you and your partner will be in the same space during your ceremony, you’ll want to ensure that as you face one another that the screen or phone captures the both of you. This may take some testing and experimentation to ensure it looks good.
4) Make your background beautiful
Everyone will see what’s behind you in your virtual wedding. Take into consideration that your guests will be seeing an intimate part of your lives – your home, space, shelves, photos, etc.! We definitely recommend being cognizant of what’s in your background.
5) Test, Test, Test, Test, Test
You don’t want to have 200 people on a zoom waiting around for you to make last minute changes. Plus the added pressure could raise anxiety levels. It’s always a good idea to test the audio, video and technology prior to inviting your guests into the platform.
6) Perform a Tech Dry Run
After working out these filming elements on your own time, it’s great to connect with your officiant & do a try run (i.e. wedding rehearsal). Whether you’re using Zoom, Facebook live or other video tools, you’ll want to ensure the video, audio and technology are all working properly. For instance, Zoom auto-mutes everyone when you enter a room if you’re not the host. Getting Facebook Live to broadcast from your phone takes setting up the platform. There may be steps included that you’re unaware of. The last thing you want to be stressing about on your wedding day is technology. Definitely make sure to perform your rehearsal the day prior to your ceremony to ensure everything flowing nicely.
7) Speak Loudly & Clearly During Ceremony
Make sure to speak loudly & clearly during your ceremony. While it may seem counter-intuitive to speak really loudly when your partner is standing a foot from you, your guests and officiant may be not be able to hear anything (especially if they’re on the older side of life). Most will be muted during your ceremony so you may not even know if there are issues. Speak with enunciation and projection during your ceremony so that everyone can feel 100% included.
