Luckily, I was shooting for another company and didn't have to edit it. So, I really don't know. I'll see if I can find out.

It was tough to shoot, but I really felt bad for the guests, just sitting there waiting to eat and having to sit there for that long.

What is it with speeches at weddings lately? It seems like everyone wants to get up a talk. Maybe it's just me, but the speeches seem to be getting longer too.

Everyone just wants their 15 minutes(or in some of our cases, close to an hour) of fame, even if it is just to their friends and family.


I guess most of you folks edit the speeches for the dvd? to make them shorter and more riveting.

I just had a conversation with the guy that cut both of those videos and he cut the speeches down a ton. No complaints. The couple probably thought they were way too long too.

Time for a tape change
 

When I know I need the shot and the shot could likely last more than 10 minutes, I usually change to another blank tape. That part of the reception can be lengthy so I don't take any chances. I've been very lucky actually... my biggest issue actually surrounding weddings tends to be battery changes. I have 3 4-hour batteries but wouldn't you know it, right when I'm running out of battery something is happening that I can't cut for. Wedding videography is challenging work--I love doing it but that day of shooting is so exhausting!

Here's what I do now and even way back then when I first started with mini DV. (1996)
Before the introductions start, I change tapes and batteries. PERIOD. Tapes today are cheap compared to what they used to be and we should all have enough batteries to run for a long long time. I decided that in order not to be in a postion of getting caught short, change the tape and battery no matter what. I've had as much as 30 minutes on a tape and wouldn't you know it, the intros, toasts and cake cut ran 40. That could have been problematic. If they run short great, I keep going on the same tape for the first dances and even sometimes open dance.
No sense in letting a couple of bucks louse up an otherwise nice job. Just my opinion, YMMV!

Don

I think this is a regional thing.

Hers in the Uk (well, Scotland) there are typically 3 speakers.

First is the Father of the bride, then the groom, then the best man.

Average time I've found (I've shot and edited about 150 weddings over the past 4 years or so) is about 8-10 mins per speaker.

My record is 1hour 45 mins (mins you that was 4 speakers, the grooms dad was speaking also.

And my shortest was not that long ago, 8 mins in total for all 3 speakers.

I find that as long as the total tim for speeches is under 30 mins its quite watchable, but it all depends on the peeople, theres nothing worse (or more boring) than someone standing up, reading from a sheet of paper and not once looking up.

The post about Irish weddings is true I think, I've covered a few Irish/half Irish weddings, those speeches tend to be a wee bit longer, and in a couple of the Irish weddings they atually openied the floor up to the guests, passed the mic about! That was an interesting one, as no one told me about this! So getting a good angle on random speakers in random seats, was not easy.

James Strange

StrangeWorx Productions
www.strangeworx.com

On the other side of the coin, I had one where the FOB, Groom and Best Mans speeches were all over and done with in 5minutes!

I had a Best Man toast of roughly 10 seconds. He was a little nervous. :-)