What exactly is 'alternative' wedding photography or videography?

I like to think of myself as an alternative London wedding photographer and videographer. But am I?

The longer you spend in any business, the more you veer away from your original idea and towards a safer middle ground. I am constantly questioning where I am on that spectrum. I want my videos to feel romantic, but not too romantic and NEVER cheesy (omg). My guiding principle, my USP, is to create a video that feels like a cool friend could have made it, and that highlights the emotion and fun of the day in a way that feels real (but cool, you know?). Basically, I want my videos to be ‘alternative’. Not shmaltzy, not smooth, not too ‘love love love’.

In practical terms, this comes down to a few things. How much of the video should be the couple, and how much the guests? How much time do we spend on the beautiful ‘settings’ and how much on the people? What colour range to use - are we keeping everything light and bright or is there space for shadow? What to cut out? When a bride’s dress rips right before she walks down the aisle, is that in the vid, or out?

A big part of this also comes down to ‘cut away’ shots. What are cut away shots? Shots of table decorations, name places, signs, wedding invitations.. you know, all the wedding décor that you often see in wedding films that can give a slightly cheesy vibe to the vid. Sometimes, when working on certain videos, I do wonder if my clients miss having these shots. I do usually capture them so they are viewable in the footage, but it is rare that I include them in the main videos unless I really love that shot for some reason.

Although the one cut away shot that does sometimes get included for me is the table centrepieces. I love the weird and wonderful photos and themes people choose for them. Their cats in different outfits, cities they’ve travelled to or lived in, London spots they feel attached to.

I would love to know what represents ‘alternative wedding photography or videography’ for my clients who are after it? Where do you stand in the kissing shots, the hugging shots, and the wedding décor cut aways? If you have any insights, PLEASE email me at tiana@holeymatrimony.co.uk
THANK YOU!

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