In wedding videography, a wedding day doesn’t have a ton of control. You don’t have control over the weather, the choice of venue, or even when things happen.

Photo Courtesy of Will Hawkins Photography

You can influence the timeline, but you can’t control the timeline. You can’t control a lot of things, but there is one thing you can control; the one on one time with the client. Some people refer to as the portrait hour, while some refer to it as couples portion. Regardless of what it is referred to, it shouldn’t be skipped. It is the only creative time you have in wedding videography, other than the preparation portion.

Photo Courtesy of Justin Hankins Photography

It isn’t something we should be skipping. Wedding videography is all about maximizing your time and having a set plan. If you have multiple shooters, it should be easy. One shooter in cocktail hour, another with the couple. If you are shooting a wedding solo, I have a recommendation on how you can capture all the moments without missing a beat.

Optimize your time, but paying attention to the timeline. Most weddings have a full hour cocktail hour. You have to use that hour wisely. One of the ways you maximize that time is communicating with the wedding photographer. If you know the wedding photographer has a ton of family portraits to capture, find out how long he or she anticipates it taking to get it done. If he or she is unsure, ask them to text you or send his or her assistant to come get you when that time is over.

You will need that time later in editing. If you are tying to tell a story, what shots will you use outside of the formal moments that will take place. The one on one time is where you leave your stamp and showcase your style of wedding videography