The Value of the Wedding Film

Wedding and marketing expert Alan Berg, who used to work for the Knot, has “posted” his support for wedding videos in his blog post: Let’s Watch our first dance… oh, that’s right, we can’t": 
As Alan tells the story:

"I was recently helping my parents clean out their house when I came across a box of old 8mm movie reels. Most of them were shot with the family movie camera when my sister and I were kids. One of them was larger and in a nice, plastic case, not a metal canister. I couldn’t remember seeing it before and was curious about what could be on it.

So, I dug out the movie projector (that’s what we had before DVD players and VCRs), blew the dust off and fired it up. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. The images were of my parents’ wedding in 1954, but they didn’t look like the home­made images of my youth, they looked better. I was speechless as I watched the silent images of their ceremony and reception.

There stood my parents, happy and youthful, sharing their wedding day with friends and relatives, many of whom were no longer with us. I saw their first dance. I saw my grandparents, who were probably my age now. I saw my great-grandparents, who were probably the age my parents are now.

I asked my mother about the film and she said that they had hired a professional for the wedding. While that’s commonplace now, I’m sure it was very progressive in 1954.

Fast-forward 18 years and I’m approaching my own 29th an­niversary. I would love to be able to pop in a DVD and watch the highlights from our wedding. I’d love to hear our vows, see our first dance and watch our friends and family getting down on the dance floor, but I can’t.

You see, when we were planning our wedding, B.I. (Before the Internet), no one asked us if we wanted video, so we never really had a chance to decide. We were the first of our friends to get married and we didn’t have anyone to ask. All my fiancé had for planning help was a national wedding magazine to look at for ­dresses. There were no wedding TV shows or local magazines.

If someone came to us on our 29th anniversary and said they had a video of our wedding, what do you think it would be worth to us? Priceless, right? When I see the amazing wedding movies that today’s brides are getting, it makes me wish, even more, that we had one of our wedding. If only we could share with our two sons those special memories. One day, when we have grandchil­dren, I’d love to be able share those memories with them.

I’ve been in wedding media for over 20 years and one of a couple’s biggest regrets after their wedding is not having a video. Lucky for you, if you’re reading this, you still have the chance to capture your wedding memories for your children and grandchildren. If you already know you’re having profes­sional video, great. If you’re on the fence, I hope my personal story will help you decide.

If you were thinking of not having professional video, do yourselves a favor and at least take a look at what’s being done by today’s video pros. Your future grandchildren will thank you. :

 printed in Beautiful Bride Magazine www.BeautifulBrideMagazine.com  and shared here with permission of the writer,
Alan Berg.


Foot note from Naomi At GENERATIONS cinemastories:


If you regret your omission of a wedding film maker or studio from your budgetary priorities, you can still have a first, tenth, twentieth, forty or fiftieth anniversary film made by us today. You can even give one as a gift to a deserving couple.

Here's one anniversary film we produced that played at a 50th anniversary celebration. It's long - a little over 13 minutes (well, they HAVE been married for 50 years!) so watch it when you have the time to sit through it all. I just watched it again and was re-inspired by the couple and their marriage.