So thankful to Sonia & Peter for letting us be a part of their wedding. This was one of the most beautiful and elegant weddings we’ve captured.
Sonia and Peter tied the knot over a two-day wedding in San Jose, CA. Every detail was out of this world thanks to our friend Edgar from Flowers by Edgar.
Outdoor Sikh weddings are pretty rare and this was the first for us.
San Jose Indian Wedding Videographer
Video: IQvideography
Photo: MP Singh
Planning: Ambiance by Tejel
Florals: Flowers by Edgar
Another stunning wedding and couple, we had the pleasure of filming earlier this year at Lake Tahoe.
Bridget and Alex had originally planned to marry in Squaw Valley CA, but due to Covid restrictions, moved their wedding to Lake Tahoe NV.
The day was packed with activities and we were a bit worried that we won’t get a chance to shoot with Lake Tahoe in the background. Luckily, our new photographer friends at @vildphotography knew the right spot, and within minutes we were in the most beautiful location, overlooking the lake.
Our first elopement of the year and it’s a stunner.
We had the most amazing couple and incredible views. Everything about this elopement was perfect and we couldn’t ask for a better setting.
R&K, like many others, had to make some significant changes to their original wedding plans, but ultimately decided to keep the date, include all of their guests over zoom, and have a blast of a party with the immediate family. We had an amazing time filming their wedding and beyond excited to share the video.
Venue: The Mountain Terrace
Floral and Design: Flowers by Edgar
Videography: IQvideography
Photography: Matei Horvath
Makeup: Hanifa Hashimi
Wedding live streaming
Tips and best practices
Over the past few weeks, we have zoom live streamed several weddings, successfully. Some were small and intimate, others a bit larger. Some with 10-20 viewers, others with over 300 participants, watching and participating.
Live streaming a wedding over Zoom is a challenge. Several factors can reduce the quality of the stream and impact the overall experience. This article will try to break down what makes an excellent live stream and some tips to make sure your next live stream production is spot on.
First, let's talk about a simple, single-camera setup. Here is what you'll need:
1 - Laptop. This is straightforward - you'll need one to host a zoom meeting, manage participants, etc.
2 - Camera. We use Sony cameras, but you can use any camera that has an HDMI output.
3 - Microphone. We use wireless microphones that connect directly to our camera; this way, we record both audio and video simultaneously, which helps in post-production. You can use the built-in camera microphone, but your viewers will have a hard time hearing if the environment is noisy.
4 - HDMI capture device. This tool allows your computer to identify your camera as a webcam and choose it as a Zoom source. Without it, your computer will use the laptop's default built-in camera, which is not what we want. Here is a good one.
Now let's take it one step forward and review what you'll need for a multi-camera live streaming setup. You will need all of the above, minus the HDMI capture device.
5 - Switchboard. This allows for transitioning between cameras. Just like watching a basketball game, you'll notice that camera angles keep switching throughout the game, from wide to zoom to side, etc. The same principles apply to our stream; we want to be able to switch between the middle camera to a close-up of the couple to reaction shots of guests. We use the ATEM mini pro by Blackmagic Design. It's a professional and reliable switchboard that allows a four-camera setup. Amazon link.
6 - Wireless HDMI transmitters and receivers. We try to use a wireless system; otherwise, your setup will end up looking cluttered and unprofessional. Just like ours looked like at first. Fewer wires also mean we can move our cameras further away from the central station and achieve more interesting compositions.
7 - Battery pack. Depending on the location, you may or may not this. Still, for versatility, we recommend a power brick to power your laptop and switchboard. We recommend getting one with enough power for 2-3 hours of operation. Our most recent Indian wedding ceremony took almost 3 hours, including Baraat and other functions.
8 - Mobile hotspot. Some venues might offer wifi, but for other outdoor locations, wifi may not be available. Hence, a mobile hotspot device is crucial. We use the Netgear Nighthawk.
9 - Laptop stand. Last but not least, a good stand to hold your setup. A portable table would work as well, but a small stand might work better for long hikes or difficult locations.
10 - Monitors. While your laptop will let you see each camera angle, the switch works best with a standalone monitor that will show you all the necessary data, such as all camera angles and audio levels. Also, when connected to an HDMI transmitter, some cameras will turn off their display, and you won't be able to see what you're recording. For that reason, you'll need to connect an external monitor to your transmitter (make sure your transmitter has an HDMI loop out) to allow you to see what you're filming.
Now that you know the tools you'll need, here are some tips for a better live stream and avoid mistakes.
1. The main difficulties we found had to do with setting up and testing that everything works properly, but at the same time, not draining the batteries.
Generally, a three camera setup will take 30-40 minutes to set up and test. However, with so many variables, we found that each time we added another 15-20 minutes to tackle some unpredicted issues. For example, we realized that our hotspot device restarted during one setup and wouldn't connect to our ATT network. We had to reset our passwords (and we all know fun that could be), get authenticated, etc., before going online. This was a bit stressful, but in the end, everything worked out.
Another time, one of our wireless cameras wouldn't transmit properly. It took us quite some time to figure out that the problem was a defective HDMI cable running from the receiver to the switchboard.
Our most vital suggestion is to set up at least an hour before the scheduled stream and test everything ahead of time to avoid any delays and stressful situations.
2. Know your stuff. It's probably obvious, but we can't stress this enough. This is much equipment to manage and operate, so make sure you know exactly what needs to be done in every situation.
Operating your cameras - make sure to take all limitations into account. Most mirrorless and DSLR cameras have a 30-minute record limit. Make sure to reset them every 30 minutes to avoid breaks in the recording.
Operating Zoom or any other live stream platforms (Youtube, Facebook, etc.) - make sure to learn the software, manage users and participants, mute, send messages, manage groups and record the stream. One of the benefits of Zoom is that you're able to see (and record) everyone who's camera is on. So make sure you have enough space on your computer or cloud. Pro tip - upgrade to a pro account to avoid the 40-minute time limit. Another pro tip: ask how many participants will be watching. If more than 100, you must purchase an additional quota from Zoom.
3. Schedule your stream ahead of time. Zoom allows you to schedule your meeting ahead of time and share the link with everyone. Ensure the settings of the session you're creating are in line with what your clients are looking for. You can mute them upon entry, make a waiting room, etc. Pro tip: if you're planning multiple streams on the same day, create separate streams to avoid confusion.
4. Practice. And then practice some more. No matter what platform you use, now and then, new features become available, and your clients might want to take advantage of them. One of our recent streams required some of the participants to say a few prayers during the ceremony. This meant that we needed to identify them, unmute, and make some real-time adjustments. On another occasion, we made one of the guests a co-host to help manage the guests and breakout rooms. The last thing you want on your live stream is to figure out how to do a specific task. So practice, practice, practice.
Have any questions or interested in working with us? Just fill out the contact form.Have any questions or interested in working with us? Just fill out the contact form.