How to Shoot a Wedding Video in Bad Weather

Even if you’re using the most reliable professional video camera for weddings, you will face challenges in the events of rain, strong wind or poor light. Regardless of the weather conditions, however, the wedding must go on.

As a videographer, you have certain responsibilities. You have to give your clients their money’s worth, whether it’s raining or snowing.

Shooting a wedding video in poor weather comes with its specifics. Rely on these tips and strategic approaches to ensure the clarity of the footage.

Talk to Your Clients!

The first thing to do in the event of bad weather is to communicate with your clients.

You will need an emergency plan in order to produce quality shots. Let them know that you have the professional video camera for weddings that will produce a good outcome regardless of the weather.

Next, you’ll need to talk about the venues where shots will be created. Will there be an outdoor component of the wedding film? If so, you need to assemble a team that will help the happy couple. A few people with umbrellas, as well as an on-location makeup artist will be much needed.

Use the Right Equipment and Accessories

One of the biggest challenges you will have to overcome in the event of poor weather is the absence of sufficient light.

As a videography professional, you should be prepared with an artificial source like a flashlight or a projector. Always bring such equipment to the weeding venue – you cannot rely on natural light alone. This is especially true for weddings taking place outdoors and those that may occur in bad weather.

You can easily recreate the sun’s golden hour (one of the best times for footage creation) through the use of varying strengths of flashes. Use a strong flash in the background and weaker flashes in the foreground. Gold gel or filters can be used to produce a directional glow that will soften the shots and give them a beautiful aura.

Have Waterproof Equipment with You

Even if guests can hide under tents in the event of rain during an outdoor wedding, you will have certain responsibilities as a videographer that you’ll have to fulfil. This means you may have to get a bit wet in order to give your clients those perfectly captured moments. While you will be ok even if you’re soaked, the same cannot be said for your professional video camera for weddings.

Waterproofing equipment is an absolute essential, especially if the weather forecast is providing indications of impeding rain. There are various types of waterproof bags for wedding cameras and other types of videographic equipment. Protect the lens additionally through the use of small, fitted plastic bags that are created especially for the purpose.

Use the Bad Weather to Your Advantage

As a videographer, you have to adopt a creative and flexible approach towards the creation of wedding videos.

While poor weather may contribute to some challenges, it will also result in opportunities that will be unavailable in other conditions. One of the easiest things to do is to use the reflected images in puddle as an added creative element. Reflections in still water are easy to capture and they give off a dreamy vibe. Experiment with different angles and lenses to make the reflections more prominent and impressive.

In the event of a natural phenomenon like a rainbow, you will get another chance to sprinkle a bit of magic into the standard wedding video shoot. Backlighting the raindrops for a romantic kiss or a gentle intimate moment will also create a bit of videography magic.

Don’t Assume the Bad Weather Will Stop

You cannot wait for the rain to stop or the wind to subside in order to start shooting those wedding video components.

A professional video camera for weddings is very versatile and resilient, especially if you know how to tweak and adjust the settings. Begin capturing the essentials because you don’t know if you’ll get a break from the bad weather.

If you do, make the best of it. Get those outdoor shots and those little special moments that you’d planned in the beginning. Always give your clients an idea about what’s going to happen. If they know that you’re comfortable with all kinds of circumstances, they’ll feet a lot calmer and they’ll get to enjoy the big day.

Be Careful about Those Technical Parameters

Always rehearse in advance and be prepared for all kinds of scenarios. Being familiar with all settings of the professional video camera for weddings will ensure quality, clarity and saturation in bad weather.

For a start, watch your ISO.

Rain, fog and storms bring dark clouds. This means you will have to offset the natural darkness by raising the ISO of your camera. Even if you’re used to creating outdoor shots at an ISO of 200, you will have to go higher. Going up to 800, 1,600 or even 3,200 may be a required measure to counter the natural gloomy effect.

Next, pay attention to the audio.

Rain and storms can be really noisy. Even the best of unidirectional microphones will contribute to some background noise.

Some of the ambient noise produced by the raindrops can be minimized when you’re shooting but post-production will also play a role here. Regardless of the microphone you use, there will still be a lot of noise and you should be prepared.

Shooting a wedding in bad weather is challenging but it can also be a lot of fun. Sure, you will be soaked and there’s going to be a ton of mud on your shoes. Your clients, however, will see that you’re doing your best and they’ll appreciate the added creativity.

Remind your clients to do everything that they’d intended to on the big day, regardless of the weather. Adjust your work practices accordingly and tell the entire story, rain included. This is how some of the greatest wedding videos have come into existence.