Blessing is very popular at French weddings. If the wedding you are working on is not a French one, never mind. Do parents’ wishes. Parents’ wishes at bride’s house are similar to ones at groom’s house.
For a blessing you need to set up a still shot as if it was a still photography. Possible scenario: put the dad on you left, the bride or the groom on your right, kneeled down in front of the dad. Place mom in the center of the frame, but behind the bride or the groom, on the background. Mom is important, but the bride and her dad are the major players in this scene. Now let the dad bless his daughter or son.
The half of the answer lies in the question itself. People happen to decorate their houses for the wedding day. The list they do - clean their house up. Some people may buy balloons. Watch for flowers as well. It is nice to decorate your video with those accents created for the wedding.
Check right up front. The house may be decorated from outside. It may be the entrance, the patio, just nice flower beds. Once I had to shoot a big heart made of the rose petals carefully laid down on the front lawn. It was pointed out in my contract; I was reminded to shoot that heart as soon as I walked in, but only blind person could have missed it. The shot of the petal heart turned to be a good opening for that segment of the Wedding Video.
Check as well for some small decorative details in the house: it may be other family members wedding photo (mom and dad? older sister?), a casual photo of a marrying couple stuck on the fridge. It may be an old clock, especially if it shows right time. You don’t need to spot and film all these element at once. It may look even better if you spread them through your video creating some rhythm.
It’s assumed that the guys are usually more outgoing, involved in sports, etc. If this is the case, try to set something of that kind outside: throwing football, riding a bike, playing road hockey with the golf clubs. If nothing from sport related activities is acceptable, just nice walk in the neighborhood will do.
For a walking shot line the guys up on a safe road near the house as you have done so for a Few Words From Ushers. Ask the groom to stay in the center, and everybody else on either left or right. Position yourself, let them walk, shoot.
Another idea might be the groom and the men leaving for a church. It might be a fake shot as well as a real one. Depending on the situation it may be a fun video, a romantic stuff or a dry documentary style coverage.
It is similar to shooting a few words from ushers. The difference is that while the guys are there to have fun, parents are usually very busy and may not have much time for you.
So the strategy may be to ambush parents while they are posing for the formal photos with their son. Jump on them as soon as they are done. Find some nice and quiet spot. If you are in parents’ house, see if you can do it outside, on the front. If you prefer to do it inside, check if there is black and white wedding photo of mom and dad hung somewhere. Use it for the background.
Give mom and dad some time to put their thoughts together, then frame and roll.
Practically it is easier to do when all the ushers are in the house, dressed up and available for a shoot. This may be a moment right before the photographer starts taking formal shots of the guys with the groom, or, even better, right after. You may film that piece by piece, but in order to reduce your chance to omit somebody, better take them all at once.
If your camera microphone is good enough for that, go for it. It is still better to provide some quietness around. You can do it by excusing yourself with the ushers to the next quiet room, or vice versa, attracting everybody’s attention to the fact of doing impromptu interview.
Ask the guys to line up, tell them what you are going to do and ask them to keep it short and nice. As soon as the person on either side is ready, start filming one person at a time. Frame it at head and shoulders, elbows or waist. After one person has finished, pan slowly to the next one and roll on the next clip. Carry on until everybody is done.
Thank everybody for great opportunity. Move along to your next shoot.
This should be cheerful, noisy, loose video. The groom, all the ushers, probably mom and dad and close family form a half-circle around the table. Everybody cheers and drinks.
Consult with the groom first if he likes that idea. Actually it is a good sense to talk to the bride and the groom about various aspects of the video coverage and discuss some key moments of the wedding day.
If both the dad and the best man are going to be present in the shot, split their roles. For example ask dad to pour drinks and the best man to toast, or vice versa. Ask the groom to take place in the center. Some guys are unbelievably shy, you really have to ask. The best man stays next to the groom. Make sure you can see everybody. You might as well ask the participants to be able to see you. If they can see you, there is good chance you’ll get them all on tape.
If you lens is not wide enough to fit in all the ushers, start on the toasting person and the groom. After the toast is said, slowly pan left; stay there for some time and slowly pan right all the way to the end of the half circle.
The idea of the shot is simple. Mother is helping her son to start his new family. For the last time she is seeing him as a single man. Show some interaction.
The best and easiest thing to shoot is mom helping her son with his outfit. Usually the groom is supposed to have a nice corsage attached to lapel. If the corsage is already in place by the moment you get to this point, ask them to redo it for the camera.
Ask mom to check her son’s tie and shirt and jacket. Then goes corsage, and ask the groom to give his mom a hug and the kiss. Some men would not do that unless being asked.
There are few moments that will make your video look solid:
The idea of groom’s house coverage is to film the guys and the family getting ready for the ceremony. It’s fun, it’s touching and it is serious. All in one.
