It is said that a photo is worth a thousand words, but video is worth a million. What better way to capture the most memorable day of your life than with a top quality film of all the day's events?

The advantages of having a professional wedding video made, almost go without saying. Not only can you relive the treasured memories over and over again, you can also send copies to your far distant relatives (who may not be able to make it to the wedding), so they too can enjoy the experience of your magical day, and you can keep the unique video as a family heirloom, to be passed on to future generations. They also make a truly unique thank you gift for those extra special guests.

Some couples, when getting married, may opt for a friend or relative to film the ceremony. With the high-spec digital cameras that are on the market these day, this is not surprising. It may be cheaper, or even free to employ a family friend to do this job. However, it is worth bearing in mind that a camera can only perform to its full potential when operated with expert skill and precision.

When it comes to choosing and trusting a company to take care of your  video diary you will obviously want the very best you can possibly afford, you will want your video to be truly unique and personalised, and of course you will want all of that whilst staying within your budget.

There are many well established and highly professional companies that can produce wedding DVDs and videos, you should choose wisely, remembering to choose a company which is keen on remaining unobtrusive while still producing a high standard of work and one which is able to work with you to help you stay within your budget. Choose a company that will offer a wide range of filming options for your wedding

Today, DVD appears to be the best and most popular option for that unique wedding day keepsake, as not only does it guarantee lifelong quality, there is also the feature of skipping through to the 'best bits', as well as interactive menus, which also sustain the mood of your wedding.

Choose a film company that can tailor the mood of the film to your every wish, mirroring the thoughts, feelings and moods of the day. From an upbeat fast-moving style to a slower more romantic piece, try to ensure they have the ability to adhere to even the most specific instructions.

Choose a company that will use a team of at least two subtly placed skilled camera operators, that way, you are guaranteed to own a video that has fluid, encapsulating and varied imagery. Furthermore, you should be able to choose your own soundtrack, so that 'our song' no matter what it is, can be used at the crucial moments, enhancing the personal qualities and romance of the video.

Choose a firm that can understand the pressures and complications that planning a wedding may cause so you don’t end up with one more thing to worry about.

It is important to remember, video companies tend to think they are all unique, so choose one which offers real personal service, one which will be prepared to work with you, not for you, that way you will receive a good level of service because when the video company can consider itself a personal friend of yours it will tend to be more particular in producing your finished film, that way you end up with the best quality and best value for money.

Also it is very important to remember that the most expensive company will not necessarily be the best company or provide the best service. There are some extremely high quality companies out there that can produce outstanding films at a very reasonable cost.

Having a wedding day diary in pure sound and vision has to be the ultimate in wedding day keepsakes, if you think you cannot afford a wedding day video then think again, shop around for someone who can work within your budget.

But most of all, don’t ever, ever choose a company that wont show you a sample video or show reel of there work before you book them, and always be cautious of any company that might ask for an unreasonable sized deposit, especially those that tell you, your deposit is non refundable. If you book a company and they tell you your deposit is not refundable, don’t be afraid to ask why. Do they have a high record of cancellations? If so what are the reasons behind them?. After all is said and done, if the company is that good, they shouldn’t be short of work anyway, and refunding your deposit shouldn’t be a problem.

Choose a company that asks for a reasonable deposit that is, for example, refundable within a reasonable cancellation or cut off time. Not being able to get your deposit back if something goes wrong with your plans just adds to the stress of an already stressful time, lets face it, if you have to cancel your wedding then you are already going through enough stress without having to put up with hassle from a firm when you ask for your deposit back.

This high non refundable deposit thing is, in this day and age, becoming  highly un-acceptable. Why should you line the pockets of big companies with your big deposits if they are not going to give you anything for your money.

Remember its not just video companies where talking about as far as deposits go, this deposit system is operated by many wedding companies including photographers, car hire firms etc. remember these are the types of companies who may ask for non refundable deposits, if you cancel the service, you get nothing for your money, why should you suffer.

When booking any type of company for your wedding day services, insist that they offer a refundable deposit within a certain time scale, 60 days is very acceptable and gives the company enough time to fill their vacant slot if you have to cancel for any reason.

If a company you want to book tells you that they cannot refund your deposit from the moment you book the service, BEWARE, ask them to reduce the amount of the deposit significantly or choose another company. Most of you will book your services at least a year in advance, you will be paying out deposits left right and centre, anything can happen in a year, and god forbid, if something happened that caused you to cancel your wedding, you would have, at the same time thrown good money down the drain, you are the customer, so insist that the deposit for services is on YOUR TERMS not theirs.

Sorry to go on about this deposit thing, but when you really think about it, its your money until you receive the service so why give someone permission to steal it from you. If you went to a shop and ordered a washing machine for example, you pay your deposit and the rest is due on delivery of the machine, then that’s fine. But what if the machine never turns up? And then the firm tells you that you cant have your deposit back, how would you feel then, its almost certain that you wouldn’t let them get away with it, would you?, then why put yourself in the same sort of position for your wedding services.

I would go as far as to say that these unreasonable high non refundable deposits amounts to nothing less than DEPOSIT EXTORTION designed to line the pockets of unreasonable companies with your hard earned money without a mere hint of compassion or decency. You’re the customer, so whatever service you book for your wedding day, be it video, photography, transport, cakes, flowers etc. STAY IN CHARGE.

Article written and kindly provided
by Digital Liquid Media

Ironically, it was this frugal practice that gave rise to the multitiered monolith we are familiar with today. The French chef of King Charles II witnessed the cake-piling ceremony and was appalled at the haphazard stack. Inspired to build an organized, tiered work of iced art, it became the rage of all France. Then During the reign of King Edward II, the cake was first (and since) iced white.


Why is a wedding ring worn on the third finger of the left hand?

As far as we know, the ancient Egyptians were the first to place a ring on the third finger of the left hand to signify the marriage union.

It was placed on that finger because Egyptians believed that the "vein of love" ran from this finger to the heart. They They used a ring because they believed that the circle was the symbol for eternity. It represented perfection because it had no beginning and no end. Rings found in ancient Egyptian tombs were made of pure gold.

The name or title of the owner was engraved on the ring in hieroglyphs. The poorer citizens of Egypt wore rings of silver, bronze, amber, ivory, or simply glazed pottery. Because gold was precious to the early Romans, a gold ring symbolized everlasting love and commitment.

King Edward VI of England decreed that the third finger on the left hand was to be the ring finger.

In the 1549 Book of Common Prayer, the left hand was designated as the marriage hand.

From the earliest times in our history, people have always given advice to newly married couples such as "comfort each other," "respect one another," and "listen to each other." One of my personal favorites is "Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire!"


Why a White Wedding?     

White weddings became fashionable during Victorian times when Queen Victoria became the first modern royal bride to wear white when she married Prince Albert. Until then, white had actually been the colour royals wore when in mourning, so the choice of colour was considered unusual at the time but caught on very quickly. While the white dress has came to symbolise purity, it was, in fact, never meant to symbolise virginity which is traditionally denoted by the wearing of a veil.

Where Did The Term "Wedding Breakfast" Originate? 

If you were wondering why couples have a ‘wedding breakfast' in the afternoon, it is believed to derive from the tradition that a bride and groom would not eat on their wedding day until after the reception following the service. Hence the couple would ‘break' their ‘fast' with their guests.


Why Do Horeshoes Bring Luck?                    

Horseshoes are widely believed to bring luck, particularly in Christian countries, and this is why they are often given to couples or, at least, feature on invitations, floral arrangements or cake decorations. It is believed to stem from St Dunstan who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 959. In a traditional tale he is apparently asked to shoe a horse for the devil, but instead nailed a horse shoe to his door declaring the devil could never enter a place where he saw a horse shoe.


Something Borrowed, Something Blue...              

The origins behind the phrase ‘something borrowed, something blue, something old and something new' are not known for sure, but the saying is believed to be about good luck for the future. The old item is supposed to symbolise the bride's family, the new item is to represent the future and the borrowed item is to show the bridge has friends she can count on. The blue part is believed to go back to Roman times when it was common to marry in blue. This remained the case in Europe because blue was seen as the pure colour of the Virgin Mary. It was not until Victorian times that brides began to wear white. Originally the verse had an extra, final line of ‘and a silver sixpence in her shoe' to represent financial security.