A lot of couples acquire the various checklists that you can find throughout the Web about how to choose a wedding videographer. The questions include things like "What type of camera do you use? Does it have 3 CCDs?" or "Have you been to the location before?" Not that there's anything wrong with these questions - they're a good foundation. However I find it interesting that when someone talks about a good movie, people almost never discuss the quality of the audio, the shakiness of the camera, or the graphics used. Instead, they talk about how they felt, whether they enjoyed it, if it made sense and how what things were interesting or moving. And I'm really waiting to see articles that talk about that. It's ironic, given that most of these articles are written by videographers, who almost certainly agree that a cookie-cutter approach is no way to go about creating a video. Yet, in my mind listing a littany of procedural items (which are, admittedly, legitimate) encourages people to look for technical competence and not quality. And judging quality isn't as easy as it seems.

Justice Stewart of the Supreme Court once said of pornography "I'll know it when I see it." And that's exactly how most people feel about evaluating a wedding video. And I agree that each couple should trust their taste. But there are other factors at play that won't be so obvious, but which will affect the final video just as substantially. When we watch a film on television, most people never notice the precision of the set design or the color correction. If it's done right, it should simply feel right. What people notice are the connections between the characters. The personalities. The flow. These are the things that make a show touching or fun or exciting. I suggest that people pay attention to the same factors for a video. Watch to see whether the bride's personality comes through. Is there a sense of her character? Are her real feelings portrayed? I watched a video once where I could see the bride and groom longingly fantasizing about their day as the lush music swept over them, but I wondered, was this how they really felt? If it is, then the romanticism was a proper choice. But a lot of times, brides are feeling anything but romantic. They may be happy and excited, or they may be nervous and a little tense. And I think showing that isn't a bad thing. In fact, showing a bride's concern is exactly what makes the payoff of a happy and tearful wedding all the more moving. I still remember being anxious about my wedding, and I talk about that with my wife all the time. It's part of what makes my story personal.

Other things to watch out for are pretty brides and pretty locations. This is not to say that clever composition shouldn't be noticed. Well thought out shooting is always respectable. But a shoot at Oheka Castle or Grand Central will look more dramatic and impressive than the Marriott Marquis or the Sheraton. By the same token, pretty brides also look better on screen, but they do nothing to improve the emotional quality of a video. Look for the manner in which a location is shot, instead of the natural beauty of a location. And apply the same for the bride in the demo. David Letterman once said of Sandra Bullock that she looked so good, you could just watch her vacuum a room. But the problem was that all of the movies were essentially the same - just her vacuuming a room again. Look for videos that show individual treatments of brides and grooms as couples and that pierce the shell of the wedding structure to reveal more about the individuals. This is what really makes a wedding video something for you to cherish.