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We all know there's a ton of questions and tedious research when planning your wedding—especially at the beginning. During the course of it all, you ask all your married friends what vendors they used and see how much of their brain you can pick. Calling the entire process "overwhelming" would be an understatement. One of the most underrated and underused vendor is the videographer. You'll hear brides raving about their florist, their planner and of course they want an amazing photographer, but a videographer is always seen as an added expense. Trust me, you may see it as an unnecessary expense, but here are a few reasons why that expense is worth every penny:
1. You can play celebrity for a day! Celebrities are often seen as "so lucky" because the whole world knows their name and wants to be near them. Your wedding day is the one day where you're the bell of the ball. It's not about your cool older brother or your gorgeous best friend, it's about you. Celebrities grow up on camera and have the luxury of watching themselves grow as a person. This is your opportunity to say, "this was me... then." You can admire how beautiful your dress flowed while you were dancing your first dance, or how emotional you were when your sister said her first speech. You'll forget all the little things you did that day, but the videographer will help you remember.
2. You can create the soundtrack of your relationship. Getting married is one of (if not the) most important days of your life. I don't know about you but I've always wanted to be in a music video. (Yes, I know it's a very strange want, but I think it's cool!) Unless you're in the entertainment industry or have seriously crisp Mac Pro skills, when will you get a chance to be the "it girl" in a music video? Most likely never. Here's your opportunity! Although this is only one day, you'll get to hear and watch your relationship's story come to life. Whatever song you choose to represent your love, it will live in your heart and the images of that video will be alive in your mind forever.
3. You can be a fly on the wall. You're often told that your wedding day goes by as fast as a camera flash... and it's very true. Right after "you may kiss the bride," you're at the "last dance" before you know it—and then it's all over. It's amazing how much action happens on that very day and unless you're Wonder Woman, it's impossible to be everywhere at once. Your photographer may capture your groom putting on his socks and cuff links, but they won't capture the moment of when your husband-to-be looks in the mirror one last time and says to himself "this is it" before heading to the ceremony. Or when his best man smiles at him and says, "You ready, bro?" You'll be lucky enough to be that fly on the wall and watch as your very own husband is about to take you as his wife. Then there's that moment when you're walking down the aisle, but your eyes are abundantly filled with tears of joy as you're trying to keep it together. You're so emotional seeing your loved ones surrounding you that you can barely see ahead. You'll want to see every expression on your husband's face, from the moment the doors fling open.
4. You can watch bloopers. If you got a good videographer they should definitely offer you the "extra" footage that didn't make it into the video for everyone to see. You'll spend hours crying from laughter. It's amazing what people say when they forget they're being filmed!
5. You can build family ties. This may be the last point but it's certainly not the least. Unfortunately family members and elders won't be around forever. Whether he's walking you down the aisle or participating in that father-daughter dance, capturing the memory and the moment with your father will be footage you will cherish as long as you can remember it. Or how about when your mom is helping you put on your veil and tearing up as she ties your sash? Or when your grandparents see you for the first time in that gorgeous gown as they stand there watching you and reminiscing about their own wedding? After those loved ones are gone, you'll be so grateful you paid someone to film your wedding. Family members live for moments like this, and not letting them relive the moments by watching the video would be an injustice.
Huffington Post contributor Maram Canawati Nassar is the founder of Something Treasured, a bridal accessories company.
—Maram Canawati Nassar, Huffington Post Weddings
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