I was in Houston recently, filming at Le Tesserae and The Astorian. Both are Tulen clients, and both are part of Jackson and Company.
People ask me how we shoot content for a wedding venue. So I want to walk through what a shoot day looks like for us. What we plan before, what we always film, the questions we ask, and what happens to the footage after.
Before the shoot
Most of the work happens before we show up. We send the venue a shot list. We script different ideas. We write interview questions.
Then we show the venue examples of the content we want to make. That way they know exactly what we want to do before the cameras come out.
What we always film
Every venue is different, but there are a few things we film at every shoot.
- Empty rooms. Every space, with nothing in it.
- A video tour of the property with the venue’s events coordinator.
- An interview. We always try to film the founder, or someone on the team answering questions about the venue. We cut it down into social posts later.
- A setup. We always try to film a styled setup too, like a row of dressed tables.
The video tour matters a lot. Video tours are one of the highest performing assets a property can have. We’ve seen venues that use them increase their lead volume. Some have even doubled it. I wrote more about getting couples on tours in my post on wedding venue sales tips.
The interview questions we ask
The interview is where some of the best wedding venue content comes from. I think the best question is the story of how the venue started.
The other questions I like to ask an owner are how they see their business growing, what they feel is important about it, and why they brought these people together to do what they do.
But it’s all in the little details. I go two or three questions deeper. I’ll say, “I want to know the story behind the venue,” and then I keep asking. When you were building this, what did the venue look like before? What was the reason you got into the events industry?
Sometimes there’s a good answer. Sometimes there isn’t. Sometimes there’s a story. It’s all about uncovering stories.
What happens to the footage after
After the shoot, everything gets uploaded into drives where it’s organized. Then we edit it and send it to the venue to preview.
From there we cut it down into ads, a video tour, and short-form cut-downs with B-roll.
The biggest mistake I see
I think most venues make content that doesn’t add to the story of why someone would want to work with them.
If you only post couples, you miss things like testimonials. You miss the content that fills in the corners and makes an amazing impression on a customer. If you want ideas for what to post, here are some wedding venue social media post ideas.
Two tips for your shoot day
First, we tell people to wear the opposite color of the venue. Light clothing in a dark venue. Dark clothing in a light venue.
Second, lighting is important. We use box lights to make it easier.
Plan it, film the right things, and dig for the stories. That’s how one shoot day turns into content that helps you book.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out Learn More About What We Do