Here’s the Step: Get on the good side of the church wedding coordinator from the get go! She has power over life and death in her venue and she will shut you down if you break a rule.
Every church that does weddings is going to have a set of rules for videographers that spell out what’s permitted and what’s not. Church regulations can be very restrictive, and in conflict with what the videographer would like to do to get the best results for the bride and groom. The trick is to find out ahead of time what the rules are, and where the wedding coordinator will allow them to bend. Don’t be afraid to ask. She’ll appreciate knowing that you’re not some kind of renegade videographer that’s going to disrupt the service.
I arrived at Delmy and Bernard’s ceremony early, introduced myself to the coordinator, let her know that it was my first time recording an event at St. Andrews and that I would appreciate knowing where I could record from and set mics. (Better to know up front than to make a mistake and get shut down seconds before the bride walks down the aisle). She took time to answer my questions and, in the process, showed me a place that made an excellent 2nd camera position. She went into some detail about what the obstacles might be working from that location and I planned for them. The results were no less than amazing. Here’s a short highlight from the ceremony. Enjoy!