Recording vows, speeches and the band

The vows and speeches carry the story of a wedding film, so poor sound weakens even beautiful pictures. Sound is also the part you have least time to watch over while you photograph. The fix is to put microphones in the right places before each moment and let them run. This article covers the vows, the speeches and the band, then levels, backups and syncing, as part of our guide to video for hybrid wedding photographers.

How do you record wedding vows clearly?

A camera’s built-in microphone is too far away for vows, which are often spoken quietly. Use a lavalier, a small clip-on microphone attached to a wireless transmitter or a small recorder in a pocket.

• On the groom, or whichever partner is wearing a jacket. Clip it to the lapel or shirt on the chest, pointing up towards the mouth. Standing close to their partner, they pick up both sets of vows.
• On the officiant. The officiant stands close to the couple and leads the words they repeat, so a microphone there often picks up all three voices. Test it, because it depends on how close they stand.

Ask the officiant first. Some officiants, faiths and venues have rules about recording the ceremony or wearing a microphone, and it is far better to know before the day. If they would rather not wear one, rely on the microphone on the couple, and respect any rule against recording at all.

Hide the cable under clothing, keep the microphone clear of fabric that will rub, and fit the foam or fur windscreen outdoors. Ask the wearer to speak at normal volume for a quick level check.

How do you record the speeches?

Speeches usually go through the venue’s PA or the DJ’s system, which gives you several options.

• A feed from the desk. Ask the venue or DJ in advance whether you can take an output from their desk into your recorder or wireless transmitter. Bring the right cables and adaptors, and check whether the output is line level so you can set your input to match.
• A recorder near the PA speaker. On a stand near the speaker, though not right in front of it, a recorder captures what the room hears, including the laughter.
• A lavalier on the microphone. Clipping a lavalier to the venue’s handheld microphone or its stand catches each speaker in turn.

Always keep a backup running. A desk feed can drop out or be switched off, and a recorder can run out of battery. A second source, even the camera’s own microphone, gives you something to fall back on.

How do you record a wedding band?

Ask the band’s sound engineer, through the couple and before the day, whether they can make a desk recording. Many digital mixing desks can record straight to a USB drive. A desk mix is balanced for the room, so loud acoustic instruments such as drums can sound quiet in it. A recorder in the room alongside it gives you something to blend in or fall back on.

If you plan to use the band’s performance in a film, think about music rights. Covers and live performances raise licensing questions that vary by country and platform. Music for wedding films gives an overview, and the relevant rights body can tell you what applies where you work.

What levels should you record wedding audio at?

Set levels manually. Automatic gain lifts background noise in quiet pauses and pulls back when people laugh, so the sound pumps up and down.

Leave headroom. A common guide is to let speech peak around −12 dBFS, which leaves room for a sudden laugh, cheer or shout. Clipped audio can’t be properly repaired, while slightly quiet audio can be raised in the edit. Listen on headphones whenever you can.

Do 32-bit float recorders help?

A 32-bit float recorder stores a very wide range of levels in the file, so a recording that would have clipped at a fixed gain can usually be brought back down in the edit. That reduces the risk of clipping a great deal, though good microphone placement still matters most. Some recorders and wireless kits also offer a safety track, a second copy recorded at a lower level.

How do you sync separate audio with video?

Audio from a separate recorder has to be lined up with the video in the edit. Start the recorder and the camera, then clap once where the camera can see and the microphone can hear. In the edit, line up the sharp spike in the audio waveform with the frame where the hands meet. The camera’s own sound helps you check the match. Keep recording between speeches where you can, so there are fewer files to sync.

What is the simplest audio setup for AfterRushes?

AfterRushes transcribes speech on your computer, finds the vows and toasts, and lays the best lines over the film with the music dipping under them. It can also use the band or DJ recorded on the day as the soundtrack when the recording is clean enough. Clean speech makes better captions too, which captions for wedding films and teasers covers.

For the microphones and recorders themselves, see video kit for hybrid wedding photographers. For how to use the lines you record, see using vows and speeches in a highlight film.