Your wedding day is one of the happiest days of your life and the memories of it will be cherished by you and your partner forever. However chances are, no matter how sharp your memory is, you won’t remember every single detail of it off by heart – which is why a lot of couples nowadays are opting to have wedding videography.
From that breath-taking moment that you glide down the aisle in your wedding dress, right down to the evening party where your Auntie Sophia pulls out her best dance moves after one too many glasses of champagne, having this all captured on film means that you can relive the day in all its glory for years to come.
How To Choose Your Wedding Videographer
If you’ve chosen to go down this route and need some help deciding who to pick, read on for our top tips on how to choose a wedding videographer.
1. Do Your Research
Before you start looking for a videographer, it’s important to know what you’d like them to create. A wedding video can be as simple as a single-camera video of your vows, or it can be a much more elaborate production, done in any number of different styles. To understand what’s available in the market, sit with your significant other and start checking out wedding videos. Take notes on the different styles and effects that you like – Professional video editors can create very different videos from the same footage.
2. Check Out Reviews and Referrals
Don’t hesitate to ask friends or family who’ve had a wedding lately which they used for their wedding videographer. The first-hand experience with a professional wedding video editing business can tell you a lot about what to expect from the person you’re considering hiring.
If you don’t have the opportunity to follow this path, check out online reviews of videographers you’re considering. Even better, ask for references from videographers you’re interested in hiring. It’s a great way to really learn about what you can expect when hiring a wedding videographer.
3. Meet Face-to-Face
In order for you to be fully relaxed in front of the camera on your wedding day, you want to forget your videographer is there and the only way you can do this is if you trust them wholeheartedly.
Meet with them to get a feel for how you will work together and lay out exactly what parts of the day you want to be filmed. Once this has been discussed, let them do what they do best and don’t offer your input on the big day unless they ask for it – you’re there to enjoy yourself not to direct!
4. Ask For Demos
You must ask to see a demonstration tape of the videographer’s previous work. There is no reason for them not to supply a demo — if they say they can’t for privacy or other reasons, cross them off your list.
Ideally you should see a range of work from them, but also make sure you watch an entire video from start to finish. You want to know that they can cover the whole event well, not just get a few nice shots here and there. Note that it is normal to have a few minor errors during a long video.
+Point: You might also like to ask for references from previous customers.
5. Decide on Your Budget
You’ve checked off two important boxes on your checklist to select your wedding videographer – deciding on the style and examining the options on who you may want to hire. But like just about everything else associated with a wedding, now you need to see how your options fit your budget.
One important fact to consider when examining the prices charged by professional wedding video editors is that there’s often a good degree of flexibility in how their packages are constructed. It’s worth examining these in detail if you find a videographer you like whose price seems a bit high. Their package may include extras you’re not interested in, like online posting of your video or high costs for making extra DVD copies of the video. If you’re not interested in these services or can do some of the tasks yourself, you may be able to negotiate a better price.
Remember, too, that the earlier you look to hire a professional wedding video editing service, the more leverage you’ll have to negotiate on the price. Most videographers won’t mind taking a small hit on the price they charge if they can line up your job well ahead of time.
6. Cameras & Equipment
You might like to ask what type of video camera and other equipment will be used. If you are familiar with video equipment this information might be useful but it’s probably not necessary. An average camera in the hands of an expert is better than the most expensive camera operated by an average videographer.
It is definitely worth asking how many cameras will be used. A single camera is not really capable of capturing everything properly and safely. Two cameras will allow for much better shots and significantly reduce the chance of missing something important. A third camera, usually left on a static wide shot, provides even more safety and creative options.
7. Discuss The Editing and Final Video Versions
Even the best video editors may not get everything right the first time. Be sure that you discuss and specify with the videographer how many edits they’ll do of the video at the agreed upon price. See if you can be allowed to view the rough cut of the video before they ship you the finished product.
