The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Videography
Should you have a videographer at your wedding?
Yes! Technology has given Forever Couples the gift of wedding videography without the historically expensive cost. Video is becoming an integral part of marriage celebrations all over the world, as the excitement of starring in your own film, with the perfect backdrop — your wedding! — is just too exhilarating to pass up.
Here are a few other exciting reasons to choose a wedding videographer:
- Relive the Moment. Wedding photography captures timeless, picture-perfect poses that were made for your mantle. Wedding videography brings the excitement, emotion, and allure of your connection to life. Do you want to hear your vows again? Do you want to hear your best friend talk about how great you are again? Do you want to show your coworkers how perfect you both looked when you said, “I do”? Watch it. Share it. Live it. Love it. Again, and again.
- Relive it in Style – At Yours Truly Media, we provide a full range of wedding videography solutions, including highlight videos, wedding day
documentaries, the complete ceremony, and talking points from the reception. Each moment reflected in your wedding videography is a well-crafted story created and brought to life by our team of talented experts. Your style will be reflected visually, emotionally, and comprehensively when your video is edited to the perfect tune that ties each extraordinary detail together. Check out our videography here. - Wait! When did that happen?! Videography catches the brilliance, laughter, love, and support that your wedding party and guests exude throughout the day, and we will not miss a single detail, including the funny moments in Bridal and Grooms suites while getting ready, family well wishes, and the candid coolness of your guests celebrating your love in only ways they know how. You may not get to appreciate all the cheer while it is happening, but we are definitely capturing it for you to enjoy later.
How do I pick a wedding videographer?
Wedding videography is in high demand, which means there could be many people offering these services, without the expert ability to provide an exceptional result.
This is your wedding day. Professionalism must guide your vendors from the moment they arrive until the day is officially a wrap. That means more than having a drone that can record footage. That means building a story from behind the video lens and crafting the day’s timeline to produce a genuine video walkthrough for those who could not attend, so they feel like they were there. And for you to relive, every time you press play. That requires partnering with professionals who are move than videographers, but specifically wedding videographers.
When seeking an experienced wedding videographer, look for a team who:
- Focuses on Weddings. Some aspiring Videographers and Cinematographers may have big dreams for their talent, and are focused on producing a film or movie, until they realize that weddings are a nice way to supplement their income. This is not the same as being an experienced wedding videographer. Interview wedding videographers who focus on weddings, so you are confident in their ability to be committed to your ceremony.
- Manages the Additional Equipment and Fluid Variables with Ease. The largest challenge with videography is managing each detail simultaneously. The shot, the audio, the fluid movement of the wedding party and the guests. A professional wedding videography team divides their time and roles to ensure each aspect of Cinematography, lighting, and audio are all managed by technicians who know exactly what they are doing.
- Exudes Professionalism. At Yours Truly Media, our wedding videography teams walk, talk, and exude professionalism. Our quick responses and attentive customer service provide our Forever Couples with confidence. If you have any questions, ask. We have answers and would love to alleviate some of the stress that planning a wedding can bring. When you know your wedding videographer is committed to recording the brilliance of your wedding day — in its entirety — you can focus on other, fun details, like what kind of champagne you are going to serve at the reception.
With those points in mind, here are some things to consider when picking your wedding videographer.
- Ensure You Like Their Style. When you are partnering with a wedding videographer, take the time to explore their style while comparing it to yours. Does their style tell a well-crafted story? You do not want to force a wedding videographer to adapt to a style that is not their own. Ask specifically how they describe their style and ask yourself if it resonates with you.
- Check Their Availability. In demand vendors, like wedding videographers, book up fast. When you inquire, lead with the date of your wedding, so they can provide a clear timeline of how quickly you will need to book before your day is no longer an option. If your choice of a wedding videographer is available, ask about their cancellation policy, including what happens if you cancel — or if they do. Sadly, both happen, so it is important to understand their terms before signing the wedding videographer agreement.
- Make Sure You Are All a Fit. You love your chosen wedding videographer’s style. You love their plan for before, during, and after the ceremony. Everything sounds great. But how do you feel when you hang up the phone? Are you mocking your videographer’s approach? Is the groom uneasy with their strong personality? Communicating with your wedding videographer should only bring you joy and excitement. If your personalities clash, or if you are deriving stress instead of elation when you talk, you should find a better fit.
- Professionalism and Reverence are Paramount. Often, people accept quirky behavior from videographers and waive it off as “creativity.” It isn’t. It’s unprofessional. And that is unacceptable.
This is your wedding day, and everything must go right, which means your wedding videographer must appreciate and respect how important this day is and respond to its reverence with professionalism.
We encourage our couples to ask questions and feel comfortable continuing to ask questions from the beginning of the partnership through the video’s delivery, including:
-
- What can we expect in response times if we have questions?
- What happens if the videographer is not able to attend the day?
- If you’re the only videographer… what happens?
- Can you help with my timeline?
- How do you work with other Vendors?
- How do we know when we will get our video after the wedding if you’re busy?
- What is the latest turnaround time for videos? When will we see a preview? The final edit?
- Book! The wedding videographer who shares your style and complements your personality is available on your wedding day. Book him or her right away! Typically, most couples book videography with Yours Truly Media within 12-18 months of their wedding day. Some, even two years. It is never too early to secure videography brilliance, so even if you must shuffle around finances to get on their calendar, consider doing so, or ask your videographer about payment options to secure their talent on your day.
What should I ask a wedding videographer before booking their services?
Our Forever Couples are committed to providing an amazing experience for their wedding guests and capturing the passion of that day requires a true wedding videography partner.
As with any partner, you should feel compelled to ask questions that ensure they share your vision.
Dive into what makes them excited about wedding videography, and ask for examples from other ceremonies and receptions, so you know you are on the same page. Some sample questions you should ask may include:
- What’s your favorite part of the wedding? Can you share a fun story?
- Tell me a time that was “interesting” and what you did about it?
- What was your biggest wedding videography challenge? What was the solution?
- Tell me why you love wedding videography?
- How would you tell our story through video?
While you may have many questions for your videography team, do not get bogged down with travel and movement details. Wedding videography logistics are important, but they should exist behind the scenes. You do not need to know who is moving the video equipment from point a to point b, or how the videographer is going to capture each high and low shot. But you do need to know that your wedding videographer is excited and prepared to capture the complete essence and emotion of the day.
After all, it is not just any day, it is your wedding day!
What do videographers wear to weddings?
At Yours Truly Media, we place a lot of emphasis on professionalism, because it is one of many attributes that set us apart from other wedding videographers.
That includes how our videographers dress for your important day.
Your wedding is no time for a videographer to express their creativity and affection for flair. It is a time to blend in as a guest by wearing clothing that reflects your wedding’s dress code. If their wardrobe is not addressed during your consultation, do not be afraid to ask or provide guidelines fitting with your wedding’s dress code.
Wedding videographers should never take the spotlight away from your wedding, in appearance or behavior.
How much does a wedding videographer cost?
Like most things wedding related, you are going to find that wedding videography pricing varies greatly from studio to studio.
The average costs for wedding photographers range from as low as $1,500 to as high as $25,000, which often reflects an intimidating range that evokes the question, “How much is our wedding videography worth to us?”
Wedding videography is an investment like any other, which requires you and your soon-to-be-spouse to agree on a price you are willing to commit to financially.
At Yours Truly Media, our complete wedding videography package includes six hours of coverage and starts at $2,695.
Most couples will spend an average of $3,500 to $5,000 for wedding videography and often book other services like their photography package as add-on services that may be discounted when combined, but more importantly, brings value and confidence in knowing one wedding videography studio is handling all your imagery. This brings a cohesive style to your important day and ensures everyone has the same vision that is being fulfilled by the same team.
Do you tip your wedding videographer?
Tipping your wedding videographer is a personal preference and is not mandatory. However, like most service industry partners, tipping relays a sense of appreciation and serves as a special thank you.
At Yours Truly Media, we have captured the beauty of thousands of Forever Couples and can only provide tipping advice based on our wedding videographer experiences.
Most couples tend to provide a straight dollar figure tip, which is commonly between $100 to $150 per videographer.
No matter your tipping preference, rest assured it will be awarded to the proper wedding videography team member(s).
What is a photojournalistic wedding videographer?
Photojournalistic wedding videography is best described as capturing well-crafted candid moments that focus on timing perfection.
The first look. The grand entrance. Signatures smiles during the toast. A father’s eyes when he sees his baby in her wedding gown for the first time. Photojournalism is natural, but curated. By understanding the couple’s background, valuable relationships, and exceptional connection, we provide a comprehensive approach to getting video footage that tells a complete story.
Check out our wedding videography highlight reel to see how we bring these important moments together here.
What is a destination wedding videographer?
For some couples, destination weddings provide an intimate and beautiful backdrop for their wedding videos, whether on the Countryside in Italy or Surfside in Laguna Beach.
If you are planning a destination wedding, you are not limited to local videographers. Instead, choose the wedding videographer that reflects your style and persona, and discuss how much it would cost to bring them along. This will be an additional expense but capturing the perfect landscape of your destination wedding will only happen once, so the extra expense may be well worth the value of the sweeping views you sought out for your vow exchange.
When should you book your wedding videographer?
Typically, most couples book videography professionals with Yours Truly Media within 12-18 months of their wedding day. Some, even two years. It is never too early to secure cinematographic brilliance, so even if you must shuffle around finances to get on their calendar, consider doing so, or ask your ideal videographer about payment options to secure their talent on your day.
How do I find a wedding videographer near me?
Searching for the ideal wedding videographer can seem like a daunting task.
Most couples are searching for a local wedding videographer, simply so they do not have to worry about the logistics. They take comfort in finding a wedding videographer near me, so they know where the venue is, and how long it will take to get there.
An easier way to search for wedding videographers in your area is to ask for referrals or to read online reviews. This provides first-hand knowledge — and the occasional rave reviews — of how the wedding videographer made their day perfect.
Next, there are dedicated wedding review sites like The Knot and Weddingwire that can help you search for vendors, too. These websites often provide real insight into how and why partnering with a professional videographer near you is paramount in the end-to-end success of your video, from storyboarding and documenting to sharing and archiving your wedding day.
Have more questions? Yours Truly Media is here to help.