Making Your Special Day Last Forever
There are many ways to remember your wedding, from keepsakes to photos. One way that is growing in popularity is videography. A video can transport you back into a specific moment in time and help you relive that happiest day of your life. Melbourne Wedding & Bride’s Chloe Jaenicke spoke with Nathan Waters, founder of Nathan Waters Film, to find out why it is so important to have a videographer capture special moments at your wedding
Written by Chloe Jaenicke
Nathan Waters has been creating wedding films for years. After working for major agencies, he decided he wanted to take his expertise and start his own business, so he could put a more personal touch on his wedding videos.
“I wanted to be able to offer something specialisedand unique to each couple. Having worked withagencies for so long where you often never knowfilmmaker will be allocated to you, I wantedto be able to capture my own unique style,” hesaid.
Working on a variety of types of event videography, he said weddings are the only ones “that truly matter” as they are filled with pure emotion.
“There’s nothing more uniquely human or important than an epic love story, and none are more important than yours,” he said.
“Everything else pales in comparison to being there with a couple on the most special day of their lives, and capturing every moment, crafting it into a film that will live on forever.”
With his years of experience, Nathan said he has perfected how to capture weddings.
“I know what will work and how to play with the location, lighting and movement to create something extraordinary out of the small moments,” he said.
Ultimately, he believes that wedding films can bring your special day to life in a way that other mediums can’t.
Capturing Special Moments
Nathan believes that wedding photos and videos are complete opposites. While he said they both are incredibly important preservations of memories, photos serve to capture a moment frozen in time, while videos can transport you back to the day.
“A photo can capture the tear on your cheek as you’re saying your vows, but only video can capture the words you say, the emotion in your voice, the cheering crowd, your partner laughing or crying with you,” he said.
“Only video can capture a mother’s voice breaking in her speech as she talks about how you’ll always be her little baby, or the punchline of the best man’s speech that absolutely brings the house down, and the roar of the crowd in response.”
Moments that Nathan believes are especially important to capture on film are those filled with anticipation before the ceremony.
“I love filming couples getting ready before the ceremony, when there’s that nervous excitement running through the air, putting on a dress or a tux for the first time, seeing everyone’s reactions, feeling that bubbling energy and fun,” he said.
Beyond that, Nathan said intimate “moments of stillness” are also extremely important as they create the heart of the video.
“Watching a sunset, putting your head on their shoulder, holding hands with two new rings, it’s the little things as much as the epic drone shots through clouds that centre a wedding film around what matters,” Nathan said.
Stylising Your Video
Wedding videographers work hard to ensure that thethe video reflects your special day. However, many do have techniques and styles that they gravitate towards.
For example, Nathan specialises in using Blackmagic film cameras and drone shots, all while trying to create a luxurious, classic and timeless video you can look back on forever.
“I shoot on high-end Blackmagic film cameras. People are often shocked when I turn up with them on set but simpler models that most people shoot on just can’t capture the same richness of detail and colour as I can,” he said.
“With drones so easily available these days, so many people have them, but seem to just fly them up and side to side a bit and then back down. Whereas I specialise in sweeping flowing shots to transform even an intimate wedding into something from a movie.”
Other popular styles include documentary, which is less curated; cinematic, which is a more creative ora storytelling approach to video, not only focusing on your wedding but also your love story.
Stylising your video is a key benefit of a videographer that Nathan said you can’t get elsewhere. Post-production is also extremely important to capture the essence of your wedding day.
“In the edit, your story really comes to life as I combine the little moments, your loved ones and of course your selected soundtrack into something uniquely you,” he says.
As professionals in their craft, who work hundreds of weddings, Nathan said wedding videographers also have the unique ability to help you ensure your wedding day is as stress-free as possible. While most shots are spontaneous, Nathan said it is important to speak with the couple prior to the wedding, so he knows exactly what to capture.
“We’ll have planned out what’s happening extensively before we meet so I know what to expect, but ultimately it’s about being there on the day to capture your day and your magic, not to create a stock wedding video that just looks like everyone else’s,” he said.
Nathan said the best way to get the most out of a couple is capturing who they really are and not treat the wedding as a “Hollywood production”.
“My strength lies in being able to create something epic without needing to get in your way,” he said.
Image courtesy of Nathan Waters