Wardrobe Etiquette

[Kren Barnes]

During filming at a popular wedding photoshoot location, i noticed 4 weddings shoots happening at the same time.. i couldn't help but notice 2 different videogs who looks like they just got out of bed. One had a dirty baseball cap, old badly wrinkled t-shirt ( with a cheap iron logo of their company), old tattered jeans with the bottom hem cut off dragging on the muddy grass. The other was wearing an old metallica t-shirt (torn in some parts) with the words "kill 'em all" and ripped jeans and paint stained runners.

We are working so hard for videography to be accepted as a must have for weddings (just like photography) and these two clowns showing up like this at the church and reception probably didn't help.
No need for tuxedos or ties or even a suit, just something decent and appropriate (or ironed).
Don't ruin it for everyone else..

[Chad Nickle]

I have never seen anything like that in my market, I can't imagine anybody showing up in a T shirt. In my opinion a suit is outdated and a bit overboard.

It's too bad a few people have to ruin it for the majority of professionals who would never dream of showing up at a wedding like that.

[Ethan Cooper]

General rule of thumb:

Don't go to a wedding looking like a tool.

This should be obvious and needs no explanation.

[Shaun Roemich]

Ah Winnipeg... where people walk into Dollar Stores and ask if they can get something for 85 cents...

Sounds like a classic case of lowest bidder to me. And no, that doesn't excuse the apparel. It just explains a lot...

[Matthew Craggs]

My rule of thumb is to dress like the most casually dressed guest. Usually a dark buttoned shirt and dark pants.

I know some people show up in full suits but a tie gets in the way and with all of the running around a jacket is usually too warm.

My goal is to blend in enough that people don't think "He's the camera operator" but remain comfortable enough. I am running around for 12 hours afterall :)

[Daniel Bates]

My choice of wardrobe isn't currently negotiable, but when I used to shoot commercial events, I always showed up in dark (if not black) slacks and a long-sleeve button-down shirt. I really never considered anything else.

[Ethan Cooper]

I tend to gravitate toward charcoal gray slacks and some color other than black button down long sleeve shirt. I use to do the all black thing but always felt like an assassin when pulling the sniper rifle sized tripod case out of the car.

[Jim Snow]

In some circles there is a tendency to wear objectionable clothing as a way to project an image that is perceived in various ways. Some people spend big bucks to get "the look". You can easily spend over a hundred bucks for a pair of blue jeans with holes in them and worn out leg bottoms for example. Some wanna-be's find an idol to pattern themselves after. How many people do you think look at how Steve Jobs dresses and then try to clone "the look"?


The most important things to consider when dressing to shoot an event are good taste and unobtrusiveness. The two characters you describe sound like out of work contract ax murderers or something equally as bad. The minute you start thinking about a "look", any "look", you are probably heading in the wrong direction. The black scarf and beret "look" can look just as out of place. "The look" is often an indication that a person has a social problem. Think unobtrusive and good taste and you are heading in the right direction. A pro doesn't need a "get-up" gimmick or a platform for an antisocial message.

[Don Bloom]

I've got so many pairs of black pants and black shirts of all kinds one might think it's all I own. Come to think of it...

Show black is my "costume" of choice for every shooting job I've done in the last 20 years.
The last time I wore a suit a tie to a wedding was last May when my wife and I renewed our vows-she kept me for 40 years and we're going for another 40. Of course I didn't shoot the job so I guess it doesn't count. ;-)

Tattered blue jeans and a T shirt? No I don't think so.

[Warren Kawamoto]

Originally Posted by Kren Barnes

One had a dirty baseball cap, old badly wrinkled t-shirt ( with a cheap iron logo of their company), old tattered jeans with the bottom hem cut off dragging on the muddy grass. The other was wearing an old metallica t-shirt (torn in some parts) with the words "kill 'em all" and ripped jeans and paint stained runners.

It really sounds like these guys were the groom's close friends. I don't think a professional would dress like that, but with kids today I could be wrong....

[Kren Barnes]

I don't think they were kids..they looked around my age mid 30ish..
The people i was filming started cracking jokes that they looked like they just came from their renovation/contractor jobs and had to leave to shoot this wedding...i could tell that the couples and photographers were not very impressed... mind you their gear wasn't bad..i'm pretty sure one had an FX1 with a glidetrack and the other had what looked like a the new Panasonic HMC 150

[Chris Harding]

Hi All

So far every season I have kept with the traditional black pants, long sleeved black shirt with the embroided logo on the pocket. I shoot on stedicam a lot so I have to have decent non-slip shoes rather than slick leather ones. Our problem here in Perth is that during Summer it gets mighty warm!! (around 40 degrees C is the norm in mid Summer!!!) so I have been toying with the idea of maybe replacing the long sleeved shirt with a smart polo/golf short sleeved one with our logo but again in black??? White would be a lot cooler BUT maybe not quite acceptable.

I did a wedding last season with a photog who is one of our well known ($5K++++ for a few hours work) ones and he pitched up in his black short sleeved shirt with Canon logos and his website address in big letters in red across the back. However most here still seem to stick with black!

Chris

[Chad Dyle]

I keep it simple. If there is a church involved, full suit and tie. If it is a hotel or other location, I wear dress pants and a nice button up shirt (Express/Banana Republic). Summer in Nola is miserable and sometimes I'll skip the tie with a suit. I think people down here understand :)

If I think that the shoot might call for some flexibility, I will wear these:

[Don Bloom]

to expand on my show blacks. I always wear black dress pants but the shirt varies. During the cooler weather and in a church I always wear a black long sleeve shirt but at the reception, I wear a black silk T shirt. It gets too warm for me otherwise. During hot weather I wear a black short sleeve dress shirt and again a silk T for the reception.

[Walt Paluch]

Full tuxedo every wedding every time, Did you guys ever think that maybe just maybe you need to upgrade the image of video man, and maybe you can get some more respect and with that more money.