Every minute of the bride’s big day is a minute worth capturing. Years from the wedding day, the husband will laugh at that ridiculous picture of his groomsmen, and the bride will shed a little tear at that video of her father walking her down the aisle. Capturing these precious memories is quite the job and much strategy goes into it.
Photographer Erin Phillips and videographer Stacey Cohorst own Yellow House Media, a photography and videography company. Weddings are nothing new to them. With much thought and consideration, they reflected on their personal experience and gave insight into ensuring that every minute of the big day is remembered perfectly.
“There is a lot of pressure,” Phillips said. “A normal photography session is about 30 minutes, and you are done. With weddings, you are trying to fit everything into about seven hours, and make sure you are not leaving out any details, family members, etc.”
Six months to a year is an ideal time to book with a photographer and videographer, but the sooner the better.
“If you want a spring or fall date, those tend to go fast,” Phillips said.
“We currently have people down for 2024,” Cohorst added. “And everyone wants Saturdays, but there are only four Saturdays in a month.”
Phillips and Cohorst stressed the importance of picking which aesthetic/style fits the wedding to determine which media specialists to be hired.
“I would look at different photographer’s styles,” Phillips said. “Our style is more earthy tones and vintage, but some people will offer dark and moody, or light and airy. I would also consider, ‘Will I regret this style as 20 years go by?’”
“I would ask yourself; does it match my personality?” Cohorst added.
Phillips acknowledged that most clients will be on a budget, but cautioned to not necessarily let the photography and videography services fall into the hands of whoever offers the lowest prices.
“My No. 1 advice to anyone,” Phillips said. “Is that you can cheap out on a lot of things, but don’t do it on photography. Wedding photography is such a high-pressure job, you don’t want to give the job to someone who doesn’t know what they are doing.”
Phillips guaranteed that it is possible to find a middle ground between a risky hire and having to break the bank.
“Photography on a budget is doable,” Phillips said. “You just have to find someone who is willing to work with you and find a good middle ground between the both of you.”
Phillips shared common aggravating mistakes to avoid.
“One mistake people make,” Phillips said. “Is that they do not take into effect lighting, especially if they are having an outdoor wedding. Let’s say your altar is set up and you like the way it is set, but you scheduled your ceremony for 2 p.m. in the afternoon. The sun is going to be directly above you, therefore casting harsh shadows on everyone’s faces.”
Outdoor weddings are a challenge, but some issues can be easily avoided.
“You need to go out to wherever you are getting married,” Phillips said. “Look at the lighting and see if there will be any awkward shadows on your face. As photographers, we can edit that, but it just looks more even if you plan it out and see if there are any shadows.
Phillips elaborated on weddings occurring at sunset also.
“If you want to have a sunset wedding,” Phillips said. “It is better to have the sunset in front of or behind you, but not beside you.”
Lighting is extremely vital to weddings, and not just from a photography and videography standpoint.
“I always tell brides,” Phillips said. “To make sure they are not making it harder on themselves. You do not want to be squinting or struggling to see while you are standing up there.”
To give a clearer understanding of what to expect a photography and or videography company to offer, Yellow House Media offers three packages for customers to choose from to capture their big day including: photo only, video only, or photo and video. Clients are also given a choice of duration to book a specialist ranging from three to 10 hours.
“We offer everything,” Cohorst said. “We offer photos and videos from the same company, and we offer them at a discount.”
Not all companies offer photography and videography under the same name, but Yellow House Media is an example of one that does.
“You knock out two birds with one stone with us,” Phillips said. “A lot of brides book a separate photographer and a separate videographer, but right off the bat we decided we are going to be different and offer both.”
For contacting purposes or further information, Yellow House Media is reachable @yhmediatx on Instagram and @Yellow House Media, on Facebook. Yellow House Media can also be reached at https://www.yhmediatx.com/.
“It’s important to find a photographer who is experienced,” Phillips said. “Pictures are what is left of a wedding at the end of the day!”