5 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Wedding Videographer

You're right in the middle of wedding planning, and the next item on your to-do list is to book your wedding videographer. You have a few at the top of your list, but you want to be super sure that you choose the right person to capture your wedding. After all, it's your special day! The right wedding videographer not only captures your once-in-a-lifetime wedding and handcrafts a priceless film you'll love to watch over and over again - but brings something special to the table. They take the time to understand who you are, your personalities, your values and what the perfect wedding film looks like for you so they care handcraft your story into a beautiful film. Let’s face it, you’ll be spending a lot of time with your videographer on your special day. It’s best to choose wisely!

So, do you hire your wedding videographer purely based on how their videos look and make you feel? Yes and no. Of course, you need to love the work of your wedding videographer BUT there are so many other things to consider before making your final choice. 

Here are five things to consider before hiring a wedding videographer:

1. Who is your potential wedding videographer?

   Remember, your wedding videographer will help guide you on the most important day of your life. You have to vibe well and enjoy their presence. Do you like your wedding videographer's personality? Are they the perfect mix of being professional yet friendly and approachable, perhaps even a little fun and bring the banter? Will they raise the vibe of your wedding and be your personal hype man/woman?
   
   For me, a wedding videographer should blend in with your wedding seamlessly and be more like a trusted friend than a vendor. You want someone who can help create fun and natural moments, not one who makes you uncomfortable and look awkward on camera. Let’s face it, its video - its going to be super obvious when things are awkward.
   
   Do you love their style, personality and the way they can produce a film that brings all the feels. When you know, you know.

2. Are they masters of their craft?

   Being a wedding videographer is more than holding a camera and pressing the record button. Professional wedding videographers need to manage many moving parts all at the same time. For example, think of a wedding film’s sound. Wedding videographers usually record multiple sound sources using different devices to ensure the best quality audio for your wedding film. The last thing you want is to watch your wedding film and discover you can barely hear your dad's speech or worse yet, sub par audio quality that feels like you’re watching something recorded with a phone.
   
   Wedding videographers also bring and set up different equipment, such as lights, tripods, back-up cameras, and maybe even a drone. At the same time, they must be mindful of the day's schedule, follow the run sheet, and ensure they don't miss any vital moments.  
   
   In other words, make sure you hire a pro who knows exactly what they're doing! Your wedding day is not the time to allow your cousin Bobby to pursue his videography hobby and take up his offer to make your wedding film for you.
   
   For me, its equally as important that your wedding is not treated like a production set. There is a fine line between capturing what is needed to tell your story and completely disrupting moments while trying to get ‘the shot’.
   
   Does your wedding videographer have systems and procedures in place and focus on a high end client experience? Being a master of their craft also means operating a business that provides value each step of the way.

3. What do their testimonials say?

   Testimonials and reviews are crucial when choosing your wedding videographer. It goes without saying that you should read as many reviews as possible before making your final decision. Try to find testimonials from google, not just the wedding videographer's website. While no one is perfect, you want to hire someone who delivers consistently and see what other brides had to say about their service.
   
   If your wedding videographer has zero testimonials, you may want to think twice (or thrice) before booking them - unless your completely aware of this. While we're all for up-and-coming wedding videographers, you may have more peace of mind with someone with experience and a track record of providing a quality service.

4. Do you value a personal approach over a studio based service?

   It goes without saying, for me I value a personal approach. I want to be able to get to know you both, who you are and all the things that make you, you. I do this so I can tell your story and create a wedding film that’s uniquely you. No cookie cutter approach, no templates with a song and random clips thrown together from your day. A story driven, hand crafted wedding film that’s created from all the interactions we have had and the process I go through to bring your wedding film into fruition.
   
   With a studio based approach you are provided with a contractor on the day, in most circumstances you won’t know who they are or have any type of relationship with them. Cool if you want that, but that’s not the service I provide. Typically they also don’t know anything about you other than your name and the run sheet provided. Nothing wrong with this approach, but just to provide clarity on the options you have.
   
   I may not be for everything and that’s cool, but if a personal approach is something you value - lets chat!
   
   

5. Is wedding videography a worthwhile investment?

Most married couples who did not have a wedding videographer will likely tell you it’s one of their biggest regrets. It could be for many reasons, budget, time constraints, or potentially just not finding the right wedding videographer that they saw value in. Imagine being able to look back months, years, decades after your wedding and see the visuals of that very day you sealed the deal! Hearing the sounds of your vows, speeches from your nearest and dearest, the laughs of your parents and guests, and all the aspects of your wedding day that went by just way too fast! Imagine reliving all the moments you missed, and feeling all the emotions of your wedding day again. Who wouldn’t want that?

It’s a difficult process because choosing to have wedding videographer doesn’t mean its the right decision for you, in my opinion it comes down to choosing the right wedding videographer to tell your story. That gets you both and allows you to be yourselves, because that’s where the magic happens!

So the question isn’t ‘Is wedding videography is a worthwhile investment?”, it’s who’s the right wedding videographer to tell your story?

Find a wedding videographer that gets you, and wants to tell your story. Someone you can be yourself with and doesn’t treat the day like its a production set - unless your into that (totally cool but I’m not your guy). Capturing all the things that make you unique and handcrafting your story into visual memories that can be cherished for generations. The right wedding videographer allows you to focus on the value they provide and not the cost.

If you’d like to book in for a chat please contact me below, I’d love to meet you!