To those over a certain age, wedding videos meant some heavily bearded fellow with sweaty armpits, armed with a very large, shoulder mounted video camera, (which recorded onto full size VHS tapes) which produced a rather poor, blue-tinged image – rather like the footage still seen on ‘You’ve Been Framed!’
Consequently, wedding videos were never for the discerning couple. Beautiful still images, from an award-winning wedding photographer, would do just fine...
Thankfully however, those days are behind us. Within the last 10 years camera technology has come on leaps and bounds, meaning that beautiful, cinematic moving images are now within the financial grasp of some really creative people – without needing the budget that James Cameron had when shooting ‘Avatar’. Wedding film makers like us at From This Day can now capture stunning images, and with cameras being no bigger than your wedding photographer’s, the videographer is no longer the elephant in the room.
This means that that wedding video is now not just a palatable option – but for many couples it is now as essential as a stills photographer.
But how do you know which videographer is right for you?
Here are 7 key questions to ask a wedding videographer before you decide:
What’s your style?
Ultimately, your wedding will reflect you, your intended, your family and your friends. Your character, tastes and style will shine through everything you do on your big day, from the music to the dinner menu, so you will want the style of your wedding film to reflect you too. All videographers have their own style, but in general wedding films tend to fall into two categories – Cinematic or Documentary. Cinematic wedding films are more like Hollywood movies – lots of controlled but cinematic shots, with lots of movement, whereas reportage or documentary style films are more focussed on people.
What creative input do you need from us?
Like all creatives, wedding videographers will have a vision of what, to them, best represents your day on film. They will craft their film to reflect the style, character, emotions and mood of the day, so it’s best to check with your videographer beforehand if you have very specific ideas about how you want your film to look or sound. While special requests can be accommodated, it is probably worth looking elsewhere if your videographer doesn’t share your vision – you will probably only both be disappointed with the result. Without doubt the best result will come from finding a videographer whose style you like – and trust them to do a great job!
What do your packages include and what do they cost?
These days videographers typically offer packages that are priced according to the amount of work involved. For example, a single videographer filming all day, including bridal preparation, producing a short highlights film, with a recording of the speeches extra may charge £1,500. Whereas two videographers filming bridal preparations, the ushers lunch until last dances, producing a short-minute film, and separate films of the speeches and ceremony may charge £2,000. These days you may also get packages which include aerial footage from drones. Check out our pricing here>>
Do you know my wedding photographer?
The photographer and videographer will be working closely together – sometimes too closely. There are stories of punch-ups between photographers and videographers – as each tries to get the shots they want at the expense of the other! One way of addressing this is to find a videographer that has worked with your photographer before – and usually photographers will be able to recommend videographers that they have worked with. Alternatively, good videographers will always get in touch with the photographer beforehand and will be professional on the day to work together with whichever photographic team is in place. So if you have found a videographer that you really like, it’s worth introducing them by email to your photographer.
Do you know the venue?
This is not essential, but it’s always worth asking a videographer whether they have shot a wedding in a church or venue before – particularly if there is something unusual or awkward about the setting. Some churches and venues can be much darker than others, whilst others might be small and less easy to move around to get different angles. If your venue is a little tricky it may be worth finding a videographer that has worked there before.
Who will be filming on the day?
In some cases, the award-winning videographer, whose work you love and with whom you are having your initial consultation, may not be the videographer you actually get on the day. In demand videographers may have a number of weddings on any given weekend and may assign assistants to capture the footage, then they oversee the editing process. This often works well – but its good to clarify exactly who, and how many videographers, will be attending on the day.
What happens if it all goes wrong?
Wedding videography is very much like camera work on the frontline of a war – blink and you’ve missed the action! Wedding videographers know that things going wrong is a disaster for the bride and groom. Whether its equipment failure at the precise moment you are about to do the first dance, or lost footage because the cameras were stolen from the videographers car at the service station on the way home. Good videographers work extremely hard to make sure that nothing goes wrong, and if it does, that there is a backup plan, but its worth asking your videographer what the backup plans are and what insurance cover they have for lost footage.
Is a Wedding Video a Must or a Maybe? Find out here.>>>
