The groom accidentally unplugged his mic during the vows

[Kevin Hill]

Following Paul, for the next wedding I'm mounting a H4n on our closest camera (and monitoring it with headphones), putting two mics on the groom, and then hiding a few of our older digital recorders near the action.

[Jim Snow]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

Pauls post is a perfect example of why in all my years I DO NOT plug into the DJs board. The DJ forgot to press a button. Hmmm OK he apologizes to us but it doen't negate the fact that a certain amount of the ceremony was missed, as well as part of the vows.

The bad thing about no sound from the DJ board is that when that happens, there is NO sound on the video. The people who are there live at least hear something even if it isn't loud enough. It reminds me of times when shooting someone and they announce that they speak loud enough to not need a mic. Hello! How's your voice supposed to get on my video!?

The cardinal rule is that DJ's are entertainers, not sound engineers. Trust them for sound and it's just a matter of time and you WILL get burned - usually not much time either.

It's good to use a feed from the DJ's board for ONE of your sound sources but one of more than one sound source. If the DJ feeds turns out to be good, then you have more than one choice of audio to use BUT if the feed is bad, you are still covered with your other sound source(s).

[George Kilroy]

Yesterday at a wedding the venue was using the same Sennheiser system as I use. They were using a handheld passed along the line to each speaker in turn so I tuned into that frequency; perfect sound direct to my camera. However I did anticipate and placed boundary mics attached to a couple of pocket transmitters on either side of the groom. Just as well that I did because the first speaker kept putting the mic down. and then part way through the grooms speech a bored three year old bridesmaid started fiddling with the mixer control and lost the feed to the amp. Everyone from the venue had left during the speeches and no one knew how to switch it back. If I had been relying on that I'd have had no audio. Forward planning is essential and don't trust in anyone or anything you don't have control over.
Incidentally I didn't offer to try to sort it out, I did not want the embarrassment of not being able to and then have everyone think it my fault as I was the "technical" person there. I just kept quiet as everyone encouraged him to continue without the mic.

It was a week for things going wrong and as well all know these things are usually not of our making yet we are the ones who have to live with the consequences and deal with the client at the end.

I also had a power cut partway through an wedding reception last week-end, the whole village was out , we had sever winter weather hear in UK. There was only exit level emergency lighting and candles. They had a half hearted attempt a speeches by candle and torch light, but they were curtailed as the bride was so fuming at the venue staff; as if they could do anything. With no prospect of an evening do I left, not just like that I waited until 9pm but no sign of the power returning I left. They phone the day after to say thank you to me for staying, I think that they may have been after a discount but I didn't offer one, just wished them a better time on honeymoon and told them they'll be able to relive most of the day again when they get the DVD.

[Philip Howells]

George, your experience with loss of power is another good reason for making sure the entire operation is battery powered. It not only means no trailing cables but, in the UK at least, no need for PAT testing. I recommend it to everyone.

[George Kilroy]

Hi Philip. I do carry portable lights but the camera lights are not enough to light a whole room, I don't usually expect to have to do that with them as I have Redheads if I need lots of light. The portables are just for fill or key light and as they run off rechargeable packs, or the battery on the camera I'd have no way of recharging if I drained everything by lighting the room all evening. Anyway the candle lit top table worked and looked "Christmassy" and they abandoned the disco. I don't know how they got on in the hotel rooms overnight though, I never thought to ask them when they called. I'll get the lowdown when they get back from their honeymoon.

[Philip Howells]

George, interesting - we've just sold our two blondes and the redheads are making their way on eBay even as I write - such is the lack of use we find.

As for your hotel guests, no doubt they coped much as New Yorkers coped when Con Ed pulled the plug on them a few years back - or maybe it was decades ago - there's a surge in the birth rate to testify!

[Paul R Johnson]

Re: the cable length on MKE-2s. They are supplied with cables that are far too long, and most people cut them down - cable length on +2KOhm impedance mics make hardly any difference to the impedance - but these cables are not the easiest to solder if you haven't done one before. Soldering a mic direct to the board seems odd to me - a simple mic swap involves a soldering iron, and worse still a nasty tug could pull the tracks off the circuit board.

[Paul Hildebrandt]

We delivered the video over the weekend, luckily I didn't get a bridezilla, she had nothing but good things to say about the video, so there much have been enough good stuff to outweigh the bad part, so I would say lesson learned and move on, never again rely on the DJ!