All your questions answered on our wedding videos
Why should we have our wedding day filmed?
A lot of time, effort and expense goes into planning a wedding, but the day is so eventful and passes so quickly, that it is impossible to take it all in. A professionally produced wedding DVD provides a complete record of the day’s formal events, as well as capturing candid moments that you miss or might well forget. A DVD allows you to relive all the excitement and atmosphere of the day for years to come. The DVD will become a priceless snapshot of your family history, something that can be looked back on over the years and passed on to future generations.
Will a video be obtrusive?
An experienced videographer blends into the background and conducts himself with professionalism and discretion so not to distract or interrupt proceedings. We receive regular feedback from brides, grooms and parents saying they hardly noticed the video camera on the day and were surprised when they saw everything that was captured on the DVD. You will get so caught up in the day with your family and friends – and with the photographs – that you will simply forget about the video camera and rarely notice it.
How can I look my best in my photographs and video?
The best advice is to relax and enjoy your day. You will look your best in your photos and video if you are happy and relaxed. Weddings are about people, family, friendship and the love of two people. Don’t let the little details of arrangements get in the way. Weddings rarely run 100% to plan, so expect there to be a few things that might not work out – such as the weather. Make a vow not to let anything spoil your day. Take time to choose the right photographer and videographer who suit your style and personality. Doing so will give you peace of mind and make you feel at ease. Experienced photographers and videographers know how to make the best of settings and people to create a successful wedding album or wedding DVD – regardless of the challenges a typical wedding day can pose.
How do you get along with photographers?
John Hennessey has worked with all the popular wedding photographers across the south of Ireland countless numbers of times over the last number of years and has got to know the style of these companies and individuals. We have also worked alongside practically all the less well established photographers who come and go, as well as many photographers outwith our geographic area. We have a respect and understanding of the official photographer's requirements which is essential to make sure the couple are best served on the day without shots being unnecessarily spoiled. The excellent working rapport we have with photographers results in reciprocated respect for our needs as the official videographer. We are honoured to have so many clients book us because we were recommended by their photographer. Of course, we are also happy to recommend a photographer who best suits your personal tastes and one who complements the style of our work.
Do you think we should take up the offer of a friend/ family member videoing our wedding?
If your wedding DVD is of little importance or you cannot afford a professionally produced DVD, then having some amateur footage from the day will be better than nothing. However, do not have high expectations – be aware that any disappointment you may have with the end product could lead to family and friends falling out. And remember, whoever is filming is there as your guest – you don’t want to pile stress on them to the point that they can’t relax and enjoy your day. We frequently get calls from distraught brides who only have a guest’s recording and are devistated that the end result is nowhere near what they expected. Our experience is that every single bride in this position would do things differently - and hire a professional videographer if they could turn back the clock. The common theme is lack of coverage, events being missed and the filming being patchy, jumpy and of poor quality. The most common request is to fix the sound during the ceremony and speeches. Unfortunately, practically nothing can be done after the event to magically fix poor filming. There are many other issues which only come to light when the guest’s video is presented to the couple – unfortunately, that’s too late to remedy the problems. Guests’ amateur footage can offer an additional angle to the day, but it should not be looked upon as a replacement for a professionally produced DVD recorded by an experienced wedding videographer with professional or broadcast-grade equipment.
Aren’t all wedding videos the same?
Rather than risk boring you with all differences between a wedding DVD costing €600 and one costing €1350, we will leave you to judge for yourself. We would recommend viewing at least three sample DVDs at different price levels. The most entertaining, appealing and highest quality DVD should stand out without any explanation. If the saying “you get what you pay for” bears any truth, it is wise to view what you get for your money before fixing an exact budget. The best value DVD is rarely the cheapest.
What duration will my wedding DVD film be?
The main things that determine the running time of your film are the number of guests, the duration of the ceremony and the duration of the speeches. After editing, the average wedding film lasts one and a half hours to 2hours A smaller wedding usually results in a shorter DVD, while a larger wedding will have a longer DVD.
When will my final DVDs be ready?
It depends on the time of year and how busy we are. Also if we are waiting on the bride and groom to supply or confirm music, this can lead to dealys. In general, we quote two to four weeks where we do not have a backlog of editing in the earlier part of the year. But our editing backlog really builds up between August and December and the longest delivery time can be as much as three to four months. We will always aim to have the editing complete as soon as possible after the wedding, but we will never compromise standards or rush things, regardless of how busy we are. We will try our best to give you an estimated delivery time at the time of the wedding.
Will John Hennessy film our day personally or will it be someone else?
Yes, it will be John. We have built an impeccable reputation for reliability, quality and consistency and restrict our bookings to one wedding per day so that John personally films every wedding. This also ensures a technical consistency with the grade of equipment employed on all weddings being the same.
What dress code do you follow?
We take pride in portraying a professional image in every regard and our wedding day attire is a suit, shirt and tie. A smart over-jacket is worn when the weather dictates.
Should we go for 16:9 Widescreen?
Conventional 4:3 TV screens have been being phased out for a number of years now, and high street electrical stores have been dominated by widescreen TV sets for some time. Practically all DVD movies we buy or rent are widescreen, and Irish terrestrial on satellite And cable TV broadcasts have been transmitted in widescreen for a few years now . The Irish changeover to widescreen has well and truly happened, so you should definitely choose to have your wedding filmed in widescreen so the picture aspect matches that of widescreen TVs. If you do not specify widescreen, be aware that filming in the old 4:3 aspect will result in widescreen TVs squashing the picture vertically to fill the screen. This produces the highly unflattering effect of making people look fatter and shorter than they are in real life. By choosing widescreen, the picture will fill the screen perfectly without any distortion or squashing. If you still have an old 4:3 TV set, the DVD player will automatically put in "letterbox" black bars top and bottom of the picture and everyone will look the way they are in real life.
Do you have insurance?
Yes we are covered for full liability insurance & indemnity insurance
I want to book you but need time to decide – can you hold my date or take a provisional booking?
We encourage you to take all the time you need to fully consider your options and reach a well-informed decision on your preferred choice of wedding videographer. However, it is wise to do this without unnecessary delay, as it can be heartbreaking to discover that your first choice of videographer has since received another booking. Please be aware that we often have several enquiries for a single date and it is very difficult to implement a fair policy of holding dates. Therefore, dates are only reserved when bookings are confirmed by our receipt of a completed booking form along with a booking fee. When you have decided you want to book John Hennessey, please phone to double check availability before sending off the relevant agreements and fees.
I’m interested in a Blu-ray version of my wedding. What else do I need to know?
We film all of our weddings in high-definition and still deliver most of them on standard quality DVDs. option of requesting a Blu-ray version of their wedding. A HD-ready display is required and so is a Blu-ray player. The Sony PS3 can also playback our Blu-ray discs.
Do we need to provide a meal for the videographer?
Given that the videographer will typically be around for 12 to 14 hours, it is politely requested that food is provided by the couple. A sit down meal with the guests or bar food would be great.
How can I book and do you require a booking fee?
Your booking will only be confirmed upon receipt of a non-refundable booking fee of €250 The balance of payment is due in full on the wedding date. Payment can be made by cheque, cash, postal order, draft or bank transfer.
Do you accept credit cards and laser cards?
Sorry, not at this time. However, we accept Paypal payments for the booking fee. Please let us know if you want to use Paypal to make a booking and we will send a payment request. Due to the high transaction costs currently charged by Paypal, we regret that we currently only accept the remaining balance in the traditional way of cheque / draft / cash / postal order / bank transfer on the wedding day.













