A Bit of Advice From Style Me Pretty

DO - BUDGET FOR A WEDDING FILM: If funds are tight, pull a little $ from every line item on your budget sheet and put it toward a film! We PROMISE... you won't regret the decision. Videographers usually offer a wide variety of coverage options.

DON'T - SCRIMP ON QUALITY: Choose a high quality cinematographer. Again, if funds are tight, opt for less coverage time from a highly recommended cinematographer who you know will provide a film you will cherish.

DO - ASK FRIENDS, FAMILY, WEDDING PLANNERS [and SMP (lol)] for RECOMMENDATIONS: Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a high quality videographer. And... We're not tooting our own horn, but the videographers that we have listed in our Little Black Book - listed under VENDORS WE LOVE - were screened by our professional-peer-based-advisory board before being invited to be a member. NST PICTURES is one of our highly-recommended cinematographers. They have been credited on more than 25 features on Style Me Pretty going back to 2013!

DON'T - JUST LOOK IN YOUR IMMEDIATE LOCATION: The vast majority of cinematographers LOVE to travel and many have offices set up in multiple locations. Case in point, if you look at NST PICTURES' website, you'll see that they cover all 51 states plus Japan, The Phillipines and will meet you wherever your romantic heart leads you for your Destination Wedding.

DO - LOOK AT THE 'ABOUT' SECTION ON WEBSITES: We believe strongly in researching each and every vendor team before you sign on the dotted line. Meeting in person, talking on the phone, of course, are vital. But start with the ABOUT section on their website. It's usually a quick synopsis of what's important to the vendor, what they do when they aren't working, and can give you insight into their core values. Choosing teams that have the same-ish values as you do is key. {Reading about NST Pictures reveals that they are a team of about a dozen extremely artistic women with talents going above and beyond cinematography - with a lone man in the middle. Kudos to him!}

And one last DO... Do let the experts have some say in the day. You may have a difficult time letting go of each and every detail... your must-have-shots, the-posed moments, the-exact-timeline-your-way-your-day, etc, (and that IS so important!) but be sure to let the talents of all your carefully chosen wedding professionals shine through. Meet with them all (or speak with them) and allow their recommendations to curate the finished product of #yourweddingday!