Collecting the greetings from the guests is a tricky part. We have talked earlier about recording messages from the bridal party. This post is about getting messages from the guests en large during reception.
I would not recommend doing this it unless upon the marrying couple request. You would naturally get some reaction from the guests while covering the cocktail hour. In this case camera microphone would do the job.
If the couple insists on the “carpet bombing”, you will need 2 things:
- stick microphone;
- good organizational skills.
Stick mic will let you ignore ambiant noise, sometimes significant during reception. You can use either wireless (preferable) or hardwire mic.
As for being organized, it’s important to miss as few guests as you can. In order to achieve that, look at the room layout and plan your route. Start from one corner and cover table after table, methodically going through. You will be drawn away to cover other events of the evening. But getting organized will help you to come back to the right spot and continue with collecting the messages.
The way you ask the guests for a short clip will depend on your particular situation, how close you know the people, if you are part of the family, etc. In any case, be polite and patient. Don’t push if somebody is camera shy or does not feel like talking on camera. You may offer them a chance to speak later when they feel more comfortable, and carry on to the next guest.
Hehe! Good work!
I’m completely with you on this way of sorting through an entire guest list for a sound byte. When you come across a guest who’s hesitant, instead of saying “OK no problem, ” I usually say “If you change your mind just let me know. I know the happy couple would love to hear from you!” Let that simmer in the guest’s mind for an hour, and you will see that 3 out of 4 times (my best estimate), they will search you out before the end of the reception. I also would go one step further in organizing who to hit first. I believe that if you have a pretty fair understanding on who is part of which party (as far as the happy couple’s family and inner circle), you should make sure to go up to them first. That way when you start going towards friends of the family or the couple, you won’t get the cold shoulder from relatives like you would if you try to get their sound byte after friends.
Thank you Linda.
Prioritizing is essential. That’s why I recommend to deal with the bridal party and the close relatives beforehands, preferably before the ceremony and definitely before the reception.