Videography

When Mr. and I first got engaged we decided not to have a videographer. I was determined it was just a waste of money. My Granddad owned his own video company for years and did weddings ALL the time. He offered to video our ceremony for us and I felt that was just fine.  However, the more I thought about this the more opposed to it I became.  My Granddad is going to work during his granddaughters wedding? On top of that I will be the first grand child to get married before having children. The first grandchild to get married in a formal venue and I am going to put him to work? No, I don't think so. 

Then I decided I just didn't need it. I thought that spending thousands of dollars on a video that I'll watch just a few times a year was ridiculous. I thought this until I saw our friends video. I could see how much the loved and treasured this video. It was something they will always cherish. Then I really started thinking about how much I will miss the day of our wedding. I'll be waiting down stairs for the ceremony to start. I won't see anyone's reactions to the club. I won't see my niece and nephews walk down the aisle. I won't see my bridesmaids walk down the aisle. I won't see SO much during that day. I will miss so many precious moments because I'll either be outside taking pictures, distracted by something else or just out of the room. Do I really want to miss so many priceless moments? No.

This weekend my mom was telling me a story about my cousin Jenn who married over the weekend.  Jenn was one of my mom's flower girls in her wedding.  She tripped on her dress while walking down the aisle, then she proceeded to hike her dress all the way up to her buns, look down at her shoes, give them a dirty look, and then drop her dress and begin walking down the aisle again. My mom said the entire congregation started cracking up. She told me this story like she'd seen it happen. So when I asked her if she did see it and her response was no, I knew there is no way I can go without video. Her photographer didn't catch any of it either. She has nothing to look back of this moment. 

Another factor that really hits me is what if, God forbid, something horrible happens to me or Mr. when we have small children. Or our parents, or grandparents.. Our loved ones are not guaranteed tomorrow. Will I want my children to know what my voice sounded like if I do pass early? Will I want them to know how loving I was to their cousins and how loving I was to them - even if they don't see me with them? Or how I looked? What my manor-isms are like? Or all of the above for Mr, my parents or his parents..? If anything did happen my children would forever be able to look back and know what I was like. I would be able to look back and see my grandparents and parents 30 years from now and remember what they were like. 

So now can I imagine not having a videographer simply because it's expensive? No, because I believe that video is simply priceless.