Image by Warren Photography

During planning meetings, I ask my couples for the names of their wedding suppliers. This includes the photographer and videographer and it surprises me how few couples opt to have their wedding recorded. Recently, a bride asked me during one of these meetings if a videographer was really a worthwhile investment. After all, she said, they’d already booked a photographer – surely a videographer wouldn’t be necessary too?

My answer? Wedding videographers are not only worthwhile, they are a must-have.

When planning our wedding last year, I told my husband that hiring C2 Video was a non-negotiable.  I had worked with them on several weddings and I always ended up crying whenever I watched one of their reels, even when I didn’t know the subjects.

Dave accepted my decision, but he did say at the time that he never considered a wedding film as something we’d need. When we told my parents that we had hired a videographer, they were initially sceptical – wasn’t it an unnecessary expense? I told them they’d soon see it wasn’t, but I know they took my words with a pinch of salt.

In the lead up to your wedding, everyone tells you the day will fly. That’s because it does. One minute you’re having your hair done and sipping on champagne, the next you’re climbing into bed, exhausted, beside your new husband.

This day that you have spent so long planning and saving for and dreaming about is no different to any other day – it is over in a matter of 24 little hours.

In those few hours, so much happens.

You get ready, bubbling with excitement and anticipation.

You share memorable moments with parents and siblings as you prepare to step into the next stage of your relationship.

You walk down that aisle and go through the most significant ceremony of your life.

You are congratulated, heartily, by the people who love you.

You hear thoughtful, emotional (and often hilarious) speeches that your friends and family have sweated over for weeks.

You enjoy the most expensive meal you’ll ever pay for.

You tear up the dance floor.

And it is in those moments, and all the moments in between, that the magic happens.

The day after our wedding, C2 Video uploaded a highlight reel of the day. It was but a small snapshot of everything that happened, yet still enough to bring back the raft of emotions we felt that day (not to mention a few tears). In just a few short minutes, Marcus  captured not just how it looked, but the way our day felt.

Videography by C2 Video

We spent several days on our honeymoon talking about the wedding, nominating our favourite moments as we recounted everything we’d seen, done and heard. We realised that while we clearly remembered how the speeches made us feel, we couldn’t remember the words used in them. We each wanted to know how the other had spent the morning before the wedding and what had happened on either side of the chapel doors in those moments before they opened and I walked down the aisle.

When we got home all the uncut footage was waiting for us. We spent two evenings glued to our tv as we relived our wedding day through Marcus’ artistry. Not only did we get to see all those things we’d talked about while we were sinking poolside cocktails, we also discovered so many little moments that had either gone unnoticed on the day or had since been forgotten.

My parents, in particular, couldn’t wait to see the footage. Mum told me that the day was as much of a blur to her as it was to us and through that video, they were able to take it all in once more. Needless to say, she has now become a walking wedding film advocate, asking me each weekend if the couple I’m marrying hired a videographer.

Friends and family around the world have been able to take part in our wedding through the work of Marcus and his team and I LOVE that we will one day be able to share our wedding ceremony with our children.

If your budget can stretch to a videographer, I implore you to GET ONE. Do your research and find someone you connect with, who will listen to you and who understands what you want. Make sure they can work with your photographer and won’t disrupt proceedings for your guests. You’ll spend a lot of time with them on the day and you need to get along with them!  (As you may have gathered, I can’t speak highly enough of C2 Video. They are talented, sensitive and professional, and always manage to get the memories without getting in the way.)

 To put it simply, I have never met a couple who have regretted hiring a videographer, but I’ve met plenty who have regretted not hiring one – and by then, it’s too late.

Ms Gingham says: In violent agreement.

Koren Harvey says: “I love standing with a groom waiting for his bride to arrive and watching the emotions well up in his eyes. I love seeing the joy on a bride’s face when she catches sight of her husband-to-be. I love what I do. Being a celebrant is the best job in the world.”