We say that mothers cry at weddings. Well, on occasion, a father chokes up, too — especially when he is toasting his daughter. Maybe, for the first time, he says aloud his innermost thoughts of love and adoration for her. When you choke up, It becomes hard to speak. He struggles. He soldiers on, pausing, and taking deep breaths to collect himself. But all the while, his voice is very quiet, at times little more than a whisper. It is a challenging situation — not only for the father — but for Lifetime team.

We know this profound moment between father and daughter will be a treasured by the entire family. We know how important it is for us at Lifetime to meet the challenge of capturing every syllable of that toast.

Back in the day, we were relying on camera mics and hand-held dictation recorders. That equipment is simply not reliable enough to get the best recording. Using it always put me on edge.

For my own peace of mind, and to ensure that crucial moments, like a father’s toast, are not ruined by inadequate sound recording, in January 2010 Lifetime invested in the most up-to-date audio equipment. And most importantly, we added Danny Hutchinson to our team. Danny, a professional sound engineer, knows his stuff so well, and is so resourceful, the team can relax, knowing that everything will be recorded accurately, even in very difficult situations.

Below is an example of wedding audio captured separately and then married to the video seamlessly. Audio matters.