In the world of wedding videography, audio can make or break the film. Crisp, high-quality audio gives you the opportunity to share your couple’s story in a compelling way, but if captured incorrectly or not used at all? The overall quality of your video will inevitably decrease.
Audio is one of, if not the, most important components of wedding filmmaking. And, thankfully, it’s not as scary as it seems. I’ll admit, I was daunted by the different gadgets and plug-in options when first starting my wedding video career, but after numerous YouTube videos and hands-on experience, I feel fully versed and capable of capturing the audio my couples want.
If you’re ready to plunge into audio for your wedding videos, too, here’s how you can start.
Audio for Weddings: What You Need to Know
1. Buy an on-camera microphone
This is the simplest and most fool-proof way to capture quality audio throughout the day. I use an on-camera microphone like the Rode MicPro for both of my cameras (check out these camera and microphone combos for more options!). It helps me capture ambient sound during prep like laughter or the “oohs” and “ahhs” during bridesmaid first looks. It’s also essential for syncing audio in post, because the built-in camera microphones struggle to capture recognizable audio if there’s even the slightest bit of wind or loud music. (To note, I recommend Plural Eyes for syncing audio in post.)
When capturing audio, you can never have enough “safety nets,” and for me, the on-camera microphone — while not perfect for, say, speeches — can work if your other sources of audio go awry. (Trust me… the on-camera microphone has saved me more than once!)
2. Use a Zoom microphone for speeches
Across the board, speeches are the number one source of audio used in wedding films, so it’s essential you don’t just capture audio for audio’s sake. You need to capture high-quality, clear audio of all the speeches so you can share your couple’s story in an easily understandable and professional way.
I use the Zoom H4N microphone and cables to plug into the soundboard during the reception. To be overly cautious, I reach out to the DJ or band ahead of time to ensure I’m bringing the right cables (typically XLR cables are the way to go, but some DJs have specifics on what you can or can’t use to plug into their soundboard).
During the cocktail hour, I head into the reception and chat with the DJ or band leader to make sure I still have the go-ahead. To avoid overstepping, I almost always ask for their help in plugging in and doing a sound check to guarantee I don’t mess up anything on their end (collaboration across vendors is always a good thing!).
3. Do a sound check (with professional headphones)
Speaking of sound checks, this is essential! I forgot to do this during a recent reception and ended up with muffled audio because my levels were too high. Thankfully, I had my on-camera mic which did the trick.
Use professional headphones with your H4N to listen in and guarantee the audio is crisp and understandable. You’ll also want to pay close attention to the levels on your H4N to ensure they’re not going too far right. You want the levels to sit somewhere in the middle to guarantee strong audio you can use in post.
4. Mic up the groom with a wireless lavalier
Nothing beats audio of the groom’s first-look reaction or the exchange of vows, so you have to make sure you’re ready and armed to capture this important content. That’s where the lavalier microphone comes into play.
I place Tascam wireless microphones on my grooms before the first look and during the ceremony — it’s small, reliable and fits right into the groom’s inside jacket pocket (and clips easily onto the jacket). Similar to the H4N, it’s best to do a sound check before the big moments to make sure the audio levels are just right.
Following the first look, you’ll want to grab the microphone from your groom to make sure it’s not visible in all those key photos and frames (in most cases, the photographer will remind you). Don’t forget to put the microphone back on him, though, because things move quickly between the first look and ceremony, and you can’t miss that once-in-a-lifetime audio for your couple!
While audio can seem daunting to a beginning videographer, it’s better to try and fail (and learn from your mistakes) than to avoid audio all together. Including professional-quality audio has helped me satisfy my brides and grooms, and at the end of the day, that’s what this industry is all about.
Check out this video below for an idea of how audio adds to the powerful emotions of a wedding video:
Wedding Audio Frequently Asked Questions
How many microphones do you need for a wedding?
To capture high-quality wedding audio, you don’t need dozens upon dozens of microphones like you would on a film set. Instead, it’s important to have around three to four high-quality options placed in strategic places to get what you need.
You’ll want one on-camera microphone for every camera you have to capture the surround sound, such as brides and bridesmaids giggling during prep. A zoom microphone that you can plug into the soundboard is great for speeches and ceremony audio, while a lavalier microphone for the groom is important to capture the exchange of vows and the excitement during the first look. You can use the lavalier to capture card readings as well.
How do you mic an outdoor wedding?
When capturing wedding audio at an outdoor ceremony, it’s important to give yourself options (via multiple audio sources) and to prepare for the weather. How to improve your odds for good wedding audio? Clip a lavalier microphone on the groom, plug into the soundboard with a zoom, and have your on-camera microphone as a backup — that way you’re set in case something goes awry. Look for weather-protection gear like a dead-cat wind protector to ensure the wedding audio remains clear and free of distortion.
