We have two main recommendations at the outset: DON'T LET YOUR WEDDING DAY GO BY WITHOUT A VIDEO; AND HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. You probably have a well- meaning friend or family member (we'll call he or she "Uncle Charlie") who would be happy to videotape your wedding. It's an appealing thought that for the cost of a five or ten dollar tape, you can get a wedding video. Or you can pay Uncle Charlie fifty bucks to make him feel more professional. Don't do it. Think about all the things you are spending money on for your wedding: your dress, food, cake, flowers, balloons, band or D.J., etc. All of these are gone in less than one day. The only things you are left with are your photographs and video. This event is too important not to hire a professional. What type of equipment does Uncle Charlie have? How many back up batteries (or back up anything?) Will Uncle Charlie know how to be unobtrusive yet still get good video? Will he or she want to socialize instead of concentrate on the video? You probably have hired a still photographer, or plan to. Would you trust an Uncle Charlie to take all of your wedding photographs with his or her point and shoot camera? You're doing a similar thing if you ask Uncle Charlie to do your video. Remember, you don't get a second chance. If the auto focus is out of focus, a battery runs out during the vows, the camera work makes you reach for Dramamine® and some of the nifty things that happened just aren't on the video, but shots of Uncle Charlie's shoes are because the camera was accidentally left running, you get the idea. These are difficult or impossible to fix. Creating a quality wedding video takes skill, the right equipment and absolute dedication. Is it even fair to put this responsibility on Uncle Charlie, who may have high expectations but be disappointed with the results? Creating a quality wedding video is a difficult and complex task, requiring the right tools and expertise. It involves a lot more than showing up with a video camera and tripod, just as high quality still photography requires more than an amateur with a point and shoot camera.