Weddings Summer 2013 > Planner

Asymmetric Pictures

As a freelance documentary and dramatic filmmaker, Alan Roth has an unobtrusive, detail-oriented approach to shooting; plus, he’s a fan of natural sound. He’ll capture the day’s important moments and whittle his takes down to a tightly edited one-hour DVD. From $2,800 to $3,800.

A Well Spun Wedding

This company employs HD, 16mm and Super 8 film, and soundtracks that could feature anything from ragtime to Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.” Founder Jon Gangwer started the company shortly after his own nuptials, with the intention of offering schmaltz-free, short-format wedding films. He can do one- or three-song films or longer documentary-style ones. From $1,600. (good value)

Bond Street Productions

Bond Street Productions’ team of innovative filmmakers has worked on both feature films and documentaries. The company offers SD and HD video, Super 8mm and 16mm film, and video conversion to mobile devices, including iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid, and tablets. Videography packages start at $4,500.

Chris Fig Productions

Since the company launched in 2005, Chris Fig has filmed over 400 weddings. For ceremonies, the groom is outfitted with tiny, unnoticeable microphones to capture every word of the vows. From $1,395. (good value)

Dideo Films

Danielle and David Schneider film short scenes with betrothed couples and incorporate them into Hollywood-inspired save-the-date videos (from $500) complete with music, romantic endings, and campy big-screen references, from The Notebook to Goodfellas. Cinematic wedding films also available. From $2,000.

First Day Films

Since 2003, this documentary-film company has been capturing weddings, telling the unique love story of each couple through small and large moments alike. The basic package starts at $4,000 and includes eight hours of coverage and a three- to five-minute highlight video that can be shared online.

Frank Ahn Films

Ahn offers multiple wedding packages that include a range of services: HD video coverage, multiple camera operatives, DVD and Blu-ray options and a highlight reel. Prices upon request.

Hart Pictures

These award-winning filmmakers create wedding videos that resemble feature films. Armed with state-of-the-art HD cameras, they have filmed everywhere from the Plaza Hotel to St. Barts to Istanbul and can capture defining moments with both stills and video. Their films have screened at Sundance, and they’ve collaborated with some of New York’s top wedding planners, including David Reinhard and Sofia Crokos. From $5,000.

Hello Super 8

Brooklyn cinematographer Megan Hill and her creative team use Super 8 cameras to create films that are memorable, charming, and unexpected. Their work tends to look softer, more nuanced, and more intimate than HD. Clients—who have included Juno scribe Diablo Cody—retain the original film reel, as well as an edited film to view on DVD and online. From $4,000.

Joseph Edwards Films

This outfit offers two types of film: a contemporary short, which runs about twenty minutes, or a nostalgia-evoking feature. The filmmakers like to shoot in natural light to make the video as authentic as possible and can alternate between a Steadicam for a feature-film look and a Super 8 for a more old-timey vibe. From $4,000.

Kiss The Bride Films

Seasoned filmmakers Leslie Satterfield (who has screened at Sundance) and Natalia Amaral work with a creative team of shooters to create modern films that capture the essence of the big day. The magic often happens in the editing room: With backgrounds in fine art and fashion, they specialize in post-production and coloration techniques. From $3,600.

The Light Mill

The Light Mill’s Geoffrey Boka has been filming weddings for more than ten years. A storyteller at heart, he and his team focus on capturing the emotion of the day without interfering. An online short film set to music and an archival DVD of the full event are available. From $2,700.

Love In Progress

Japan native Motoko Fukuyama’s work is inspired by fashion, art, and design. She films in HD, using an array of effects to create different moods. She might employ black-and-white or sepia to evoke a thirties Hollywood vibe; or she’ll use split-screen and MTV-style fast cuts for a more contemporary feel. She’s subtle as she shoots, so you’ll barely know she’s there. From $2,900.

Mad Props Productions

This innovative husband-and-wife-editing team won’t shoot the actual wedding, but they will create a documentary-style tribute that can be screened at the rehearsal dinner or reception. A few months before the big day, they’ll interview the bride, groom, family, and friends and flip through their photos and videos to create an original film, which can include voice-overs and montages. From $5,000.

Magic Flute

Award-winning documentary filmmakers Renzo Zanelli and Annika Beaulieu aim to make wedding videos that are both cinematic and natural. Outgoing brides and grooms who like to perform can be the stars of their own upbeat lip-synched music video set to their favorite song. Two-camera ceremony footage starts at $3,395 and fully edited high-definition packages at $4,800.

McKenzie Miller Films

Miller excels at discreetly capturing every detail of the wedding day in intimate close-ups and dynamic moving shots. She then crafts high-definition films that reflect each couple’s unique celebration and make them look like movie stars in the process. Full packages from $3,400.

Michael Justin Films

Michael Justin and his team specialize in short-form storytelling. They create three- to twenty-minute films that capture the essence of each wedding through cinematic images mashed up with voice-overs from vows and speeches, and they hand over all the raw footage. While the production company is based in New York, the team is also available for destination weddings. Packages from $4,700.

From the Summer 2013 New York Wedding Guide