How to Film a Winter Wedding

Are you looking for specific wedding video tips and tricks on shooting a winter wedding? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Winter is an exceptionally beautiful season that can contribute to the stylishness and elegance of the video. The season, however, also poses some challenges. Poor weather and insufficient light are two of the common issues to address.

You’ll also be deprived of the opportunity to dedicate a lot of time to outdoor footage creation. Instead of focusing on the negatives, you should pay attention to the positive aspects of the season and the way in which you could use these elements to your advantage.

Feature the Scenery

Are there holiday lights out there? A lot of snow icing the pine trees? Winter is spectacular when the whiteness overtakes the world.

Feature some of the scenery in the introduction or the concluding shots of the wedding film. The natural aesthetics can set the tone of the entire film and provide a nice little accent. If the weather isn’t tremendously cold, you could also ask the bride and groom to spend some time outside.

A winter park will be the perfect backdrop for some very intimate shots you can feature in the film. When shooting outdoor activities, you should always have warm drinks and blankets. The bridesmaids can help with these organizational aspects of footage creation, giving the bride a chance to get warm between the different scenes.

Be Prepared for the Elements

Winter is often unpredictable. A snow blizzard can seriously interfere with the footage creation plan you have in mind. You should be prepared for emergencies. Backup equipment and a plan B are always a good idea during winter wedding shoots.

Have a plan in mind but understand the fact you may be forced to improvise. To prepare for the weather, you’ll have to engage in a few additional essentials. If the forecast suggests heavy snow during the day, you should leave extra early to reach the venue on time. Solid winter boots are also a good idea, especially if you want to capture some of the beautiful scenery.

Protect your camera from the moisture with the right cover. You should also have a sufficient number of spare batteries. You certainly know that the cold weather can drain the power out of your camera really fast. While embracing the weather will certainly result in some epic, authentic shots, you should know when to call it quits. Have an idea for indoor shots that could replace the scenic footage if the weather gets way too bad all of the sudden.

Adjust for Winter Light

Wedding video tips and tricks typically focus on ensuring quality light. This can be a particular challenge during the winter. If you’re shooting outdoor in bright light and there’s a lot of snow on the ground, you’ll probably find the footage to be over-exposed.

Alternatively, cloudy skies can result in grim and gloomy shots that don’t say festive mood. Automatically, camera sensors detect the brightness of the snow. This could be a problem. Increase the exposure to overcome the effect and control metering.

One more thing you should also keep in mind when doing such adjustments is that winter days tend to be very short. The bright light you’re adjusting for could quickly be gone, leaving you dealing with the camera settings once again. Always bring external flashes to the venue if you want to be prepared for all shooting conditions.

It’s always better to have the equipment and not use it than to be left attempting to accommodate for the conditions with the barest of minimums.

Find a Source of Color

Vibrant colors are often missing during the winter. While white snow and blue skies can account for some stylish monochromatic shots, you will need a splash of color to give the footage a bit of joyfulness.

Evergreens can be such a source of vibrant colors that will diversify your shots. The same applies to the bright floral arrangements that will decorate the reception venue. You can create gorgeous winter images by incorporating Christmas trees, berries, red wine glasses and colorful dresses in the shots.

Contrast is the key to creating dynamic shots and you can easily accomplish the goal during the winter. The background is already subdued, you’ll simply need to place a splash of color in front of it.

Black and White Video Is a Great Choice for a Winter Wedding

Winter is one of the best seasons for experimenting with black and white videography. Black and white wedding films carry a bit of retro sentimentality. They’re stylish, sophisticated and they place a lot of emphasis on what matters the most – the emotional charge of the event.

Talk to your clients to find out if a black and white wedding film is something they could be interested in. The white snow can result in some really atmospheric shots that you can take to the next level by dropping color altogether. This is a process you’ll handle during the wedding video editing and if your clients don’t really like the idea, go back to color.

Still, you should shoot the wedding in a certain way if you’re going to go for a black and white film. This is something you will have to discuss in advance so that you can choose the right venues for the shots and you can frame the footage in the most adequate way.

Final Thoughts

Always have a plan B for a winter wedding shoot. A lot can go wrong – there could be a storm, the power could go out. If you’re not prepared for such extraordinary circumstances, you risk disappointing your clients.

A final very important thing to keep in mind is that you have to take proper care of your equipment. Cold weather and condensation can ruin your camera.

Acclimate your equipment for outdoor shots and use protective gear. Bring extra batteries and a second camera to the wedding venue. Being over-prepared speaks of professionalism. Even if something goes wrong, you could still embrace the situation and make the most of it.