Inspirational Wedding Video

 The majority of couples who choose not to hire a wedding videographer will wish they had done so afterwards.  

Now you have selected a wedding venue, and we hope you selected a beautiful wedding castle you need to pick a wedding videographer to capture those memories. 

Video production is one of the most sought after services of today. This kind of services has done well for wedding celebrations.

The digital camera is not the only thing that preserves moments. The way you hold your hands together, the kiss after being hailed as husband and wife, the wearing of the rings and almost every part of the celebration will not be missed.

Modern technology has advanced the quality of the equipment dramatically and the end product is often a lavish, well edited and professional product that you will be both proud of and keen to view again and again.

Almost as important as the camera and the format is how good the videographer is. Its also nice to see sample here they are at “just the right place at just the right time” to catch a magical moment.

A few good samples should be enough to get a sense of their style and professionalism. Be especially aware of companies that over-use effects – this can often be to compensate for poor camerawork and stylistically your video could look very dated within a few years.

 If you are satisfied with the samples you see online, the next thing to do is ask for a sample DVD.

Any reputable videographer will be able to send you at least 2 complete  for your appraisal that are relevant to your type of event.

The commonest weakness in ‘home video’ is the cameraperson constantly panning the camera left to right and back again, zooming in and out, all in one shot, from one location. Zooming and panning should be very rarely used. Instead ask them to take a series of static shots, from a variety of angles (following the 30° rule) and without breaking the 180° rule.

You must read the small print of the contract in order to determine exactly what you will get for your cash as this does vary greatly, but on the whole you can expect the presence of a skilled and qualified videographer at your ceremony and your Reception, with a fully edited and professional movie supplied on the format of your choice.

It is also important to know what format the video will be shot in. You want to see something like Hi8, MiniDV, DV, or even digitally on a hard drive or other mobile storage device.

Ask the Videographer if they are covered for Public Liability Insurance and, if possible, ask to see their policy. They should also have the appropriate copyright licences to record the wedding service and any other copyright material that is included in the video.

The wedding videography industry for example is relatively young and there is a huge variation in the way people operate. You could easily find your wedding day turned into a movie set as your videographer orders guests where to stand and how to ‘act’ for the camera. In our experience, event videography should be non-obtrusive to ensure material captured is genuinely natural and spontaneous.

If you can arrange to meet the videographer in person to assess their professionalism, interest and commitment to producing your film project. This is also the best time to ask questions about their experience, working methods and what is included in the price (see separate notes). If a meeting in person isn’t possible due to distance or timing, then you should at least have a chat over the phone.

Preliminary Questions:-
Are you the person who will be videotaping my wedding?
Will you have an assistant or other videographer with you on the day of my wedding?
Are you familiar with our ceremony and reception location?
(If No to above) Do you visit the ceremony and reception sites before the actual wedding date?
What is your style of video production? Documentary or cinematic?

How many years of experience do you have as a videographer?
Approximately how many wedding videos have you videotaped?

Cost Questions:-

What type of packages do you offer
Can you add in a photo montage, if so, what is the cost?
Does the package include titles for the video, if not, can it be added, and at what cost?
How many hours does this package include?
How is overtime calculated?
How much are additional copies?
How many cameras & operators?
Does the price include full editing?
How many hours attendance is included?
What sort of preparatory planning is provided?
Are ceremonies and speeches filmed in full?
Are video messages or interviews allowed?
Do they offer a choice of music?
How long will the finished film be?
Exactly how will be DVD be presented?
How many copies of the DVD are supplied?
Do they include highlights of the event?
Are travel costs included?
Do they have public liability & professional indemnity insurance?
Is VAT included?
What is your payment policy?
What is your cancellation policy
Do you offer a money back guarantee?

Equipment
What format with the film be in? (e.g. 4:3 PAL, 16:9 Widescreen)
What type of equipment do you use?
Do you bring back up equipment with you to the wedding?
Do you have a wireless microphone?
Do you have liability insurance?

Most importantly on the day enjoy yourself and let the wedding videographer do his job.  Hopefully you did your research and selected a good one – so trust him and try to forget that he is there and enjoy your wedding day. If you selected a wedding castle you will have a magnificent back drop for your wedding video.  We hope you have a fantastic castle wedding.

chocolate wedding cake inspiration

Chocolate Themed wedding

With the rise in popularity of themed weddings such as Renaissance/Medieval, fantasy, 70s, disco, beach, and fairytale weddings, among many others, weddings with a theme centered on chocolates are becoming common nowadays.

If you are having a french wedding you will have a fabulous choice of amazing chocolate desserts by expereienced chocolatiers. The french love chocolate. 

The great thing about a chocolate wedding theme is that it encompasses colour and taste and smell. 

Chocolate fountains are all the rage at weddings.  A chocolate fountain is a great conversation piece and a delight to all of the senses.   Before you get all excited about your chocolate theme and chocolate fountain check that your wedding venue allows them.  Because of health and safety considerations lots of venues have not prohibited them.  You can have one at our french wedding castle venue.

A variety of foods can be dipped into it to instantly augment your favorite fruits, cakes, snacks and whatever else you would like.   The fountain causes your event to have a mellow but lovely sweet aroma that will entice you and your guests to use and admire it. Then wedding favors with chocolates came next and eventually paved the path for modern wedding cakes to be designed and baked in new ways.   If you are having a french wedding you can select a croquembouche filled with chocolate custard as one of your chocolate deserts.

Chocolate is synonymous with romance.

Nowadays, the chocolate flavor does not stop at the wedding cake and wedding favors.

Things to consider are: 

• The wedding clothes that you, your spouse-to-be and entourage will be wearing. This includes the color that should follow the chocolate theme. You can choose from a lot of chocolate shades and you even have an option to have a chocolate theme mixed with cream, mint or strawberry.  The hot color scheme seems to be blue and chocolate. Some called it Tiffany Blue, others teal and even more referred to robin’s egg blue. Any way you cut it, the trend is definitely in.

We often browse the web for ideas, and the color scheme of chocolate and blue has hit mainstream.

If you’re looking for a different twist on your wedding day, perhaps this story may be for you.

Ian Stuart, the winner of Best Bridal designer 2004-2007 created an amazing looking wedding dress is made of white chocolate, and described as “cute, burlesque, contemporary, fashionable and 1950’s” – We describe it as “Tasty looking, with potential to melt, leaving a semi naked bride on a hot summer’s day”.  The creators both  agree that the dress should only be worn for a short while.

The collaboration between Rococo and Ian Stuart fits, because you have two different high profile brands, both cutting edge and both willing to try something new!

Technically brilliant, the dress looks fantastic, and being created by two parties at the pinnacle of their games, makes it a fascinating achievment.

• The design and color of flowers for your bouquet and decorations in the wedding venue and reception. You’ll have to find a flower shop or a flower shop that has chocolate colored flowers such as the delphiniums kissed by chocolate, hemerocallis Ed Murray, lilium asiatic landini, and the penumbra, Sherry Baby (Chocolate Orchid), black barlows, chocolate cosmos, dahlia-chocolate sundae, dahlia karma chocolate , among many others.

• It is easy to incorporate chocolate into all of your menu. You can consider foie gras with dark chocoalate, duck with chocolate sauce, chocolate-dusted scallops with vanilla butter sauce, chicken mole (chicken recipe with chocolate sauce), seared pork tenderloin with cocoa spice rub, and grilled New York strip with chocolate merlot sauce, among many others.

• A chocolate fountain will definitely be a hit for your chocolate-themed wedding. There are also a great variety of premium imported chocolates available, oftentimes available in most chocolate varieties. There are a variety of styles to choose from for your chocolate fountain.

• Chocolate Coloured Decorations – Because brown coordinates so perfectly with many colors—pink, turquoise, melon, lavender—it’s a great color to work with the chocolate theme for your wedding reception.  Chocolate and tiffany blue is very popular right now.

• One of the last things to consider can be the wedding accessories, decor, and favors. Ensure the design, colour and overall outcomes of your wedding accessories embrace the chocolate theme too.

Favors are easier to plan about because there are a lot of chocolate-inspired wedding favors to choose from. These include chocolate bars decorated with wedding themes such as those available from Hersheys line of chocolate wedding favors.

Chocolate wedding favors are a great option. They can be eaten or saved as desired, and almost everyone is at least marginally fond of chocolate. Almost everyone can appreciate fine chocolate treats and those who do not usually have a reason, such as a food allergy, that the couple will be aware of and able to substitute something else for those individuals.

Chocolate wedding cakes are nothing like traditional wedding cakes. Traditional wedding cakes have always had white icing on the outside, and usually filled with a traditional white or ‘fruitcake’ recipe. Chocolate wedding favors are always a lovely addition to the reception tables. Chocolate wedding favors have been used by traditional weddings to thank and appreciate guest’s support. This idea started with upper class people, who are wealthy enough to have elegant gifts to give for their guests.

Planning for a gourmet chocolate themed wedding will be fun and experiencing it will be quite exciting and a different experience which will definitely be the talk of the town and a great memory to share with your future children and grandchildren.

A french wedding is a great opportunity to showcase a chocolate wedding theme.

wedding inspiration boad

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, an inspiration board is a sort of collage that embodies the feeling and tone of your wedding. It is, just as the name implies, the inspiration for your wedding.  Also known as wedding story boards and mood boards, an inspiration board is basically a collage of pictures that helps you pull together color schemes, decorating ideas and other wedding details. You can show your board to your florist, baker, photographer and/or wedding coordinator to help them understand the look and feel you want your wedding to evoke.

Brides snip inspiring photos from wedding magazines and surf the net sometimes for years before their big day.   Your inspiration board is simply all of the ideas, and photos that inspire your wedding. Whether its your dress, cake, table settings, or flowers, its a collage of all the wedding images you love.  For a french wedding google google images for wedding in France, castle wedding and chateau wedding.

Wedding inspiration boards (also called a story or mood board, but let’s be honest – it’s a collage. Sheesh!) are a growing trend. Show your friends and family if you want their input or keep it private or anonymously published on the net if you do not.  Displaying it on your office wall, for example, will undoubtedly invite suggestions from your work colleagues.

You may miss the overall effect when you get down to the nitty-gritty of every fine detail. If you include pictures of everything from food to flowers to dresses to lighting, you’ll have a better idea of what your guests will see on your wedding day, when all of a sudden they walk in and see it all put together. And, as you will know how all of your different wedding elements come together ahead of time thanks to your inspiration board, it will be fabulous on your wedding day.

As you are making decisions it really helps to have a visual reminder of all your thoughts right in front of you. You can create it in Photoshop or a similar layout program or it can be real on a bulletin board o a piece of foam. Swatches, photos, even notes you’ve jotted down can be displayed all in one place, and changed around as you change your mind.

They can consist of dresses, bouquets, shoes, favours, placecards, receptions, programs, invitations. Create your board using pictures from magazines, websites or personal photographs. You name it, you can include it. Wedding Inspiration boards are also a great way to express your wedding ideas and vision to the many vendors who will participate in your wedding.     Scan images from wedding magazines and brochures.  Any wedding vendor you deal with will be delighted to see that you have an inspiration board. 

An inspiration board also helps you stay focused and avoid purchases that do not fit well into your overall vision.

 You can create them easily online without any graphics programes or knowledge.

Do not be intimidated into thinking you need a fancy program like Photoshop to make an inspiration board.

  Remember pictures speak a thousand words.  Our bilingual french wedding planner says most brides having a destination wedding have an inspiration board.