Wedding Videographer in Spain | Passionate video Guru on the Costa del Sol

Looking for a passionate wedding videographer to capture the emotion and romance of your wedding day forever?

Today, we chat with Marco Vlaskamp, filmmaking expert in capturing romantic moments for newlyweds to keep for years to come.

Marco, originally from Holland, moved to Spain 5 years ago and currently lives off the beaten track in a 150 year old cortijo in the Sierra de las Nieves.

Where does your passion to become a Videographer come from?

I worked for many years in the 90s as a professional video editor, including time spent in Spain during the expo of Sevilla in 92. Then I moved into technology as I’m very passionate about all things software related and I set up my own IT company in 2011, but sold it five years later in 2016.

The IT industry is all about who has the most expensive house, the most luxurious car etc, this was not what I wanted and when my mother passed away I came to Spain, looking for a change in lifestyle and to focus on what I really love, which is everything related to creativity.

I believe you don’t script things or set up situations, making every wedding video unique to each bridal couple, but what are the most frequent requests you receive from the future brides and grooms?

Exactly, nothing is scripted and most bridal couples have seen my work before they hire me and know my style, which is very personal. I capture moments close-up and authentically as they happen, paying special attention to the details that make every person and couple unique.

In fact, the only agreement I usually have with the bride and groom is, if they feel uncomfortable because I’m invading their comfort zone by getting too close, they let me know with a subtle wink or similar, and I withdraw.

This very rarely happens though, most bridal couples are happy about me getting close enabling me to really capture their special day, and though I’m almost 2 metres tall, most couples successfully ignore me, allowing me to become that ‘fly on the wall’ and record everything realistically with minimum interference.

Only sometimes am I requested to get a posed group shot, perhaps of the bride and her bridesmaids during the bridal preparations and, of course, I adapt to these requests.

What do you most love about your job when working at weddings?

The creative freedom it gives and the special bond I create with the bridal couple.

Though the bride and groom are strangers, spending so much time around them on their special day—usually starting early in the morning with the bridal preparations—means I get to observe them during very intimate moments, and this allows me to learn about them and to reflect their true personalities on the video. In doing this, I provide very emotional and sentimental final products, which for me is hugely satisfying.

What makes what you do unique and special for bridal couples looking to have a beautiful wedding video of their special day?

I think the uniqueness I provide by capturing close-up moments. By blending into the day and becoming invisible, I can move everywhere, discrete and silent, which enables me to capture images from every angle, always paying special attention to the details that make the wedding day unique.

I use about 4 cameras throughout the day, including a drone, and I operate all of them. Some are smart cameras which I programme to follow certain objects. I often have my camaras strategically placed in trees, to get a unique angle.

My videos may not have the quality and movie style look of a videographer using a big lense, but, as my cameras are small, this enables me to position them in such a way that the finished product has a much more personal touch.

Then what I often add, as a bonus, is that after the ceremony, I’ll do a really fast edit of the service and using a big screen, I’ll show the footage during the wedding breakfast. This is really appreciated by the bridal couple and especially the guests who weren’t able to make it to the actual wedding ceremony.

How long does it take you to prepare the wedding video?

The video is ready within a week after the ceremony and will be between 5 and 10 minutes long. I usually send a first version for approval and can modify some of the images after if requested, however this doesn’t usually happen. Most couples are very happy with the first version.

I use copyright free music so that the video can be shared on social media without any problems. I can also synchronize the video to a specific song if requested, but this version—for copyright reasons—can only be viewed privately.

Most bridal couples book me at least 12 months in advance, however it is possible for me to cover a wedding with just 48 hours notice. I thrive on spontaneity and I’m always thinking ahead. I believe my strong points include this as well as my creative spirit, that I can work fast and I’m capable of finding solutions for any problem.

I also love what I do and take my work seriously. I’m aware that I’m responsible for the bridal couple’s memory of the day and I take that responsibility seriously.

Thank you very much, Marco, for this fascinating interview and for providing the beautiful imagery, we hope to see your talent behind the lens in future wedding seasons.