This one’s for audio nerds -- or anyone wondering why their wedding video sounds so crisp (or doesn’t).
Point one: For really good audio, position the mic close to the sound source.
Most singers will hold their microphones close to their mouths. (Sometimes too close, negatively affecting the sound -- the derisive expression is "swallowing the mic".) But rarely do they have it a metre away.
When I try to mic the priest, they sometimes refuse: "Oh, no. I don't need that. My voice is loud enough." But I guess it's not a question of audibility, but clarity. I could record them from the iPhone in my pocket if I really want, but the quality would be crap.
What I ideally want is to record just them, and nothing else -- not the echoes around the room, not the baby crying in the fourth pew, not the camera guy exhaling stress through his nostrils.
Point two: At a ceremony, there are often multiple sound sources.
At a Catholic/Protestant ceremony, the most important sources are priest, lectern, bride + groom, musician. But other sources include: parents saying things, sometimes a second priest, sometimes multiple musicians, and also the audience themselves, as they repeat prayers, sing hymns, applaud.
In an ideal world, you'd want at least one mic per source. If you watch musicians setting up for a show, they'll usually have at least one microphone per instrument.
At reception venues, it's common for there to be at least two or three sources as well. Often, the speeches go through the venue's AV system, the DJ brings their own speakers, and the band brings their own setup.
Point three: Backups.
Any sound source is fallible. All sorts of things can go wrong.
If you put a lav mic on a priest, it can pick up clothing rustle or get interference from other AV systems.
If you plug directly into a DJ's mixer, the connection can sometimes be dirty (in an audio sense), or too low or too high, or they might not give you the complete sound mix. Sometimes, the DJ just unplugs your recorder for whatever reason.
If you attach a recorder to a handheld microphone, people can sometimes inadvertently cup their hands over the recorder, or maybe they've just got poor mic technique anyway, and they're waving their mic around at waist height.
So this means that if the videographer is really concerned about great sound, then they should set up as many backups as possible.
Point four: Time and forewarning.
It takes time to suss out what's going on and to place all these mics and recorders.
Video is inherently a lot more cumbersome, and needs more setup time, than photo.
Advance information definitely helps as well. It helps to know that it's an outdoor ceremony where the celebrant is bringing speakers, or that there's no AV system at all. It helps to know that a guest plans to do a surprise cello performance at the reception. It helps to know that the audio at the reception will be going through both DJ and venue's AV.
