7 Reasons Why you Should Hire a Professional Wedding Videographer

The one thing I regret the most from my own wedding was not hiring a videographer. This was before I became a wedding filmmaker myself and realized the importance of having someone document our wedding day in video. My father-in-law tried to do some filming on a newly purchased camcorder but it was an epic fail with mostly shots of our guest’s shoes. My wife and I don’t remember our vows, or my father’s words as he married us. We don’t remember my brothers playing guitar and singing a song they wrote us during the ceremony and we don’t remember our guests speeches. My grandfather has since passed away and I wish more than anything that I had a recording of his voice and interaction with family at our wedding.

So why should you invest in a heirloom wedding film created by a professional wedding videographer?

I’ll give you my 7 reasons below:

1. Non Photographable Moments.

   Many moments of your wedding day can’t be captured in photographs like the recording of the words said during your first look or vows, the music played during your first dance, toasts and speeches given by family and friends.

2. Missed Moments.

   The wedding day passes by so quickly and in a flash it's over. There may have been things you missed seeing like your grandma and grandpa dancing together or your partner getting ready in another location. Wouldn’t it be extra special to see what each of you were doing separately the morning of your wedding?

3. Relive the Memories.

   Wedding films can be rewatched during anniversaries, on special occasions or anytime when you want to remember the love you and your partner exchanged that day and the people who were there supporting you.

   If you choose to elope, your wedding film will be treasured by family and friends who missed being part of the wedding day but can relive the day with you through video.

4. Remembering Loved Ones.

   How many times will all of your loved ones be in the same room at the same time? This is a celebration when your most important people are there in one room supporting you. Why not have a professional videographer who can document this experience for you, capturing the true experience in a visual and audible way? It is also a very special way to remember loved ones who may no longer be with you (like my grandfather).

5. It’s Easy to Share

   Most professional wedding videographers have online links so that you can easily share your video files through their private gallery or through Vimeo or YouTube. If a friend or family member was unable to attend, this is a great option to let them experience the day with a quality film.

6. Quality Product.

   A professional wedding videographer will have the correct gear and experience to film your wedding day unobtrusively, while creating a quality film and editing with skill and technique. Professional wedding videographers know what equipment is best for capturing certain details and they have special devices for recording beautiful audio. They also subscribe to licensed music software. If you are going to be sharing your wedding videos online you can’t use copyrighted songs, which many non-professionals do.

7. A Cherished Keepsake

   A professional wedding video will turn into a family heirloom that can be passed on through the generations and be enjoyed by your children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren etc.

Hiring a wedding videographer may be an expense you hadn’t budgeted for but I can guarantee you that you will not regret having these memories preserved in film. - Oscar

Photo Credit: Twenty Twenty Photography

If you are still in need of a professional wedding videographer for your Calgary, Canmore, Banff or destination wedding or elopement, I’d love to hear from you! Please get in touch!

Tunnel Mountain Engagement Film Session

Jordan + Jesse will be getting married in an outdoor ceremony at Tunnel Mountain in Banff, Alberta this coming June 2019! Instead of opting for engagement photos the couple chose to have an engagement film created for them. We met them in Banff at Tunnel Mountain where we kicked off the session in the exact spot where they will say their vows in June. The weather was perfect for an April evening with only a slight breeze. The mountains were perfectly majestic and we had some great sunset light! We also spent time filming at Cascade Ponds and then in an open field on the way to Lake Minnewanka! We can’t wait to film their Banff wedding ceremony with a Calgary reception following at The Pioneer!

June is going to be good!

If you are looking for a Calgary videographer to capture your surprise proposal, engagement or wedding please get in touch! We’d love to hear your story!

Canmore and Banff Romantic Winter Wedding

Justin + Georgina were married at St. George’s in the Pines Anglican church in beautiful Banff, Alberta in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The church bells began to ring as the newly weds exited hand in hand as Mr. and Mrs. after the ceremony, something that was perfectly British and a nod to the bride’s English heritage. Watch the film below until the end to hear the bells and see their grand exit!

The couple’s mountain wedding reception took place at Silvertip Resort in Canmore, Alberta where lots of laughs and great food was shared among family and friends. The pavilion at Silvertip Resort was transformed into an elegant, romantic, candlelit soiree by the team at Lynn Fletcher Weddings, who had less than 3 months to plan this wedding and did a phenomenal job which the family was so very appreciative of. The team at Flowers by Janie, worked closely with Georgina and her mum to create florals with an english garden feel and decorated the fireplace mantel, the arbour, head table and all the guest tables with fresh flowers in a palette of deep red, pinks and navy. The three tiered cake topped with a pair of gold glittered deer was designed by Kake by Darci in Canmore. The couple even had the surprise of watching video clips from family members in England that couldn’t make it to the wedding but wanted to wish the couple well on their wedding day.

As wedding videographers, our favourite part of the day was the getting ready/detail shots of both the bride and the groom (Georgina’s gown from Pearl + Dot was stunning btw)! Seeing the couple interact with their parents and wedding attendants prior to the busyness of the wedding ceremony + reception is also a favourite element to film. The first ‘No Look’ (separate blog about this coming soon!) was a first for me as I have shot ‘First looks’ before, but I loved this concept and it felt very intimate. There is so much emotion in the hours and minute leading up to the ceremony that we highly recommend having us there to capture these special moments. A shout out to the teams from Hedkandi Salon + Butter Beauty Parlour for doing an incredible job on the bride + bridesmaid’s hair + makeup!

The photo + film session between the ceremony and reception was another incredible part to the day. Calgary and Canmore wedding photographer Geoff Wilkings directed the session and had the perfect location in mind. We were able to work with Geoff and capture incredible mountain vistas and of course the beautiful bride and groom on film. We love filming weddings in Canmore and Banff because of the spectacular scenery and the breathtaking videos it allows us to create for the couple to watch for years to come.

It was an honour for us (Oscar + Mark) to be able to spend the day getting to know both Justin + Georgina and their family and friends and to film their special day. See the feature film below from their mountain wedding day and scroll further down to see the shortened 1 minute highlight video.

Wedding films + Still frames from video below by Castaño Films

To see some of the professional wedding photos from Geoff Wilkings Photography click here.

Georgina + Justin leaving the church to the chiming of the bells!

The bride + groom and their attendants having a great time as the snow falls!

If you are are still looking for a Calgary, Canmore or Banff wedding videographer, please get in touch. We’d love to chat with you about how we can be a part of your wedding day!

Year in Review Film for Flowers by Janie

Last year, 2018, marked the first full year of weddings for Castaño Media and we were thrilled to work with so many amazing couples as well as wedding vendors. We filmed weddings in Calgary, Canmore and Banff at some of the most beautiful venues and mountain locations such as The Lake House, Saskatoon Farm, Teatro, Silvertip Resort, Creekside Villa, Cornerstone Theatre and The Fairmont Banff Springs. We were also very fortunate that all of our couples invested in quality wedding flowers designed by our sister company Flowers by Janie. Since there were just so many beautiful florals to film last year, we created a 2018 year in review for Flowers by Janie to feature some of the fresh florals their team created! Even though we are in the midst of winter we hope this video fills you with warmth and wraps you in the fragrance of fresh summer blooms!

All photos and video below were created by Castaño