If you’ve been a wedding videographer for any length of time, the list of essential items you take to weddings continually expands.  This is not just to cover contingencies, but to also give you more comfort during the day.  Here are 6 wedding videography tips for items you should bring to every wedding. I’ve compiled these based on my own experience.

1) EARPLUGS

If you’re a regular concert-goer, you’ve probably experienced volume creep. Basically the volume increases gradually throughout the event, but you don’t notice because your ears continually adjust to the new levels.  The same goes for the sound engineer who keeps pushing up the levels because of fader creep (the slider that adjusts volume). What may have seemed like a reasonable amount of volume ends up with your ears painfully ringing the following day. Drinking alcohol further numbs your senses and ability to recognize the true loudness of sound.

If you film weddings with regularity you’ll assuredly have hearing damage from loud receptions. This goes doubly for Indian weddings, which in my experience, are off the charts for volume. Always pack a set of ear plugs to protect yourself from this aural onslaught, especially when filming next to the speaker boxes. You can choose cheap foam ones or get custom molded ones.

2) ENERGY BARS

If you start filming a wedding at 9am and don’t plan to get fed until the reception dinner, you’ll run out of gas early.  Always pack something you can quickly and easily consume when you get a moment.  My go-to snack are Clif Bars.  They’re vegan, contain complex carbs and fiber, and taste great!

3) GLASS/SURFACE CLEANER

Reflective surfaces are great for creating interesting cinematic shots.  The problem is more often than not, mirrors, windows, metal trays, and other objects are dirty or cloudy.  This is why I always carry a small spray container of Mrs. Myers multi-surface cleaner.  It’s cruelty-free and gets the job done.

Mrs Myers https://www.mrsmeyers.com/product/household-cleaners/multi-surface-glass-cleaners/glass-cleaner-lemon-verbena/

4) WD-40

Videographers don’t just capture gorgeous visuals, but also audio elements.  The last thing you want is a squeaky door or hinge ruining your shot.  I always carry a small bottle of WD-40 to quickly remedy this issue. It also helps loosen stiff joints. Just don’t use it on your arthritis.

5) MULTI-TOOL

Our gear constantly needs tightening and often someone in the wedding party needs something.  You can either carry a pair of scissors, a collection of allen wrenches, a knife, and a host of other tools, or just one unit that houses them all.  Leatherman is the most popular name in the multi-tool game, but I actually use one made by SmallRig that’s designed specifically for videographers.

6) CAR POWER INVERTER

We’ve all been there about to head out for the wedding when we realize an important battery didn’t charge overnight.  Whether you’re driving to the bridal prep location in the morning or to the ceremony or reception locations in between, a car power inverter can save the day.  A lot of devices charge via USB and you can plug them into a USB port in your car, provided it has one. However, some devices and chargers require a wall plug.  Examples are a laptop, a V-mount battery, a drone battery multi-charger, or rechargeable AA or AAA batteries. It’s a good idea to keep a 3 prong to circular 12v power inverter in your car just in case.

I hope these wedding videography tips will help you out on your next wedding and make the hustle a little easier to manage.

~Patrick

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