Chances are that if you are just starting you video career or are filming a wedding for a friend or family member that you may overlook something very important. The way you dress as a professional says a lot about yourself. Even if you are filming a wedding for free, you still want to be respectful and dress appropriately for the job.
The key for knowing what to wear at a wedding, is to match the type of wedding that you are filming. Know if you are filming a wedding that is: at a beach, very formal, relaxed, has a theme or some variation.
Here are 4 tips on how to dress like a professional.
1. Ask the bride what type of wedding it will be. The fastest way to look like a professional is to give her examples such as, “will the attenders all be in tuxedos or is it more casual?”
2. Notice what time of day the wedding takes place. Most weddings will be a bit more dressy if it’s an evening wedding rather than an afternoon wedding.
3. Ask where the wedding and reception will be held. If the wedding is at the nicest banquet all in town and everyone is drinking fine wine and eating delicious steaks, then it will probably be a format wedding.
4. Verify what many guests will be wearing. By asking the bride or groom about your guests, you can determine how they might be dressed and base your decision on that. If most of the attenders are going to be coming off the farms, then they probably won’t dress up much. If they are all getting out of their luxury cars, it might be a high end, formal wedding.
The most important thing about knowing how to dress as a wedding videographer is to not draw attention to yourself in any way. I usually wear dress pants, dress shirt with a tie (and sometimes jacket) and nice dress shoes. The standard color for photographers and videographers is black which lets you not stand out while you are running around getting footage. If you have wrinkled clothes or unshaved face (hopefully just for the guys), then you will be making yourself look bad. Remember, everyone there could use your video services at one time or another and you are to look as professional as possible. This isn’t the time to show that you are an individual and never dress up. Throw away your attitude and know that in the professional world, people wear dress pants, take a shower and shave daily. If you don’t do that every day, at least do it on the day of the wedding.
Go out and buy some nice clothes, and notice how the amount of weddings you film will go up. People respect others that look nice and “look” professional. Michael Jordan once said something like, “people treat you based on how you are dressed”. The better you dress, the better people will treat you. So kick of those sandals and get some dress shoes on because you’re a professional.
