What if your registrar or vicar says no to audio…

It doesn’t happen a lot but when it does it pisses me off royally. When I ask the registrar or the vicar if it’s ok for me to capture audio on their person, to get the best possible audio for wedding films. 

When couples book

me for a wedding film it’s important that the audio is good. I mean sometimes it’s not always necessary to capture the bride's audio directly during the ceremony. I mean, she is typically standing next to the groom and what is spoken can be picked up well from the device that I put on him. In same-sex female ceremonies, I can use a white lav mic. 

However … sometimes and very rarely the registrar or vicar will decide to say no to having a small device popped on them for the ceremony. The devices are small and sit nicely inside the lapel of a shirt or blouse. Hardly noticeable.

I mean most of the time a little sad face, or in some cases a blunt. “I’m sorry but you have to is needed” does the job. But I never want to be in a position where I have to say or do this. 

Twice this year this has happened to me and to be honest - it angers me. When this happens it not only jeopardises audio it also puts me in a rather difficult position. It affects not only the ceremony recording but also jeopardise the finished product of the highlights film. 

Audio isn’t captured in the camera and while the cameras most of us wedding videographers and photographers use are pretty damn expensive and all-around bloody great. Capturing audio using the in-built microphone is just not suitable as it can pick up far too much ambient noise. 

When I shoot films I don’t know who is turning up to the wedding to marry the couple before me being there. In most cases, I find out on the day. Sometimes I know the registrar or the vicar and it’s great because we have worked together before and they know the score. Many of them are fantastic and accommodate my efforts to capture the ceremony in the best possible way. However now and then there will be the odd one who will point blank refuse to have it on. Now, there are no set rules for this not being allowed especially in civil ceremonies, and if there were I would be strongly against this. So it ultimately comes down to the individual on the day and sometimes there are a few party poopers out there that for some reason get all weird about it. I mean the audio gets recorded anyway. But it’s the difference between the audio is great and absolutely pants. Videographers sync the external audio and it’s matched up with the internal audio of the camera to ensure the best possible and direct sound is captured. 

The biggest advice I can give any couples who are planning a wedding video is to ensure that the registrar or vicar is aware that you are having a video shot and to let them know that you will require them to have an audio device on their person. This is in the best interests of you and your keepsake film. 

My rant of a little blog is over. But, if you need advice on how to approach this then get in touch. Audio can make or break a wedding film. It’s a hard enough job as it is … let alone when this happens. 

Stu 📸🎥