Most couples have never hired Wedding Videographer before, so they are not sure what they are looking for or what questions to ask to make sure that it will be everything they are dreaming it will be. Here is a little guide on how to select the right Wedding Videographer for you as a couple:
style:
The first thing you need to identify with is the style of the videographer. Take a look at their website samples and review their blog. Ask to see films from the venue that you are getting married at, but don’t bypass that videographer if they haven’t filmed at your venue. That is often times a good thing because they see it as a blank canvas and it can stimulate creativity to be able to film at a new location. If you are finding yourself sending who you want to hire samples of other videographers work, then hire the videographer that you are sending samples of. If you are asking to change that videographers style then they aren’t the videographer for you.
experience:
It is really important to look at the experience of the company you are hiring. How many years have they been in business? How many wedding seasons have they gone through? Do they specialize in weddings or all video production? You want to work with a company who specializes in wedding films. Weddings are a very different production than commercial video production because they are live events. You can’t rewind the first kiss as a couple because your videographer wasn’t ready. We get one chance to get the shot, so live event experience is a must!
videographers:
Who will be filming your wedding? Do they have a staff of videographers that are trained to film weddings or do they just hire freelancers to shoot the weddings booked? Be very aware of this. Freelancers can operate cameras just fine, but they may not be trained in filming weddings. Again weddings are live events and require a specific level of expertise and experience. It is important that your team of videographers is in sync that day and has experience with one another. You don’t want a couple of random hires to film your once in a life time event.
a one camera package, its never a good thing:
The offering of packages with one camera and one videographer is never a good thing. Do not purchase this despite the temptation of the low price. It is very dangerous for your wedding film for so many reasons. When you do this you truly are selling you, and your wedding film short.
- What if something happens to the one camera they are filming on? Then what? All filming stops while they figure out a solution?
- What if something happens to the one card they are recording on? If your wedding is filmed with one camera and one data card and the card fails… then what? Your whole day that was filmed is lost and can never be recovered.
- So much is missed when filmed by one person because they can’t be in two places at once. Getting ready of the couple, cocktail hour and reception detail coverage, both reactions during the first look, and so much more.
- You only get one angle of everything..
service:
Who will you be working with throughout the process? Are you working with a sales person who just sells you on the service and passes you off? Will you be working with the owner or have access to the owner should the sales person leave? Your wedding film is a very important investment. Who is servicing you and how they are servicing you is of utmost priority.
investment:
You truly get what you pay for with wedding videography. There are a lot of low cost providers flooding the marketplace with some very cheap packages. A quality wedding film is definitely something worth investing in. If a company is significantly less than others in the marketplace, there is a reason why. You need to look long and hard at their product and what your experience will be like with them. Quality wedding videography is not cheap and owning a wedding videography company is not cheap. There is a reason the pricing is the way it is for a legitimate company that may cost more. You need to be concerned about the low cost providers, and their ability to still be in business by the time your wedding comes if the price point is so low.
watch out for fluff:
You need to look at the meat and potatoes of the collection or package you are purchasing. There are many things that videographers offer to make a collection or package look like you are getting so much, that is truly of no value to you. What matters most is what is going to be delivered and these are what you need to be asking for:
- How many hours of videography am I getting?
- How long is the Feature Film going to be?
- Am I going to receive a Wedding Movie Trailer?
- How many videographers will be at my wedding?
- Will I get any Documentary Style Films showing me entire parts of my day in full?
How the company delivers a finished wedding film is important. Are they delivering on old outdated technology like DVD’s and Blu Ray’s or Thumb Drives? Those are both dying technologies that in a few years won’t be around. Asking for a DVD is like asking for music on a cassette tape or CD. Everything is going towards streaming, downloadable file
This is how you should be delivered your film at this point.
delivery:
Overall we want your wedding videography experience to be all that it should be! Check out our blog and feel free to email us if you’re looking for a wedding we filmed at your venue, to see our style. We would love to capture your special day and we are looking forward to hearing from you!
Happy wedding planning!
Vendors: Venue: El Chorro // Planner: Blossoms and Grace // Videographer: Serendipity Cinema // Photographer: Ryan Nicole Photography // Florist: Garden Gate Flowers // Rentals: Prim Rentals + Material Girls Weddings // Linen: La Tavola Linen // Entertainment: The Beat Booth // Cake: Mae Flour Cakes // Beer Donkey: Wedding Burro
