How To Choose The Right Videographer For Your Wedding
Wedding videography is becoming ever more popular among the discerning clients, especially those who place great importance on the memories of their big day. With the advance of technology and the growing creative industry, the quality of wedding videos these days has improved dramatically and become much more film like. Wedding videography costs as much as, and at times, even more than wedding photography. That’s why choosing the right videographer for your wedding day is also an important step in your wedding planning. Below are some tips that will help you find the right videographer that perfectly fits your wedding needs.
Do your own research
Start researching for local vendors near your area, or where your wedding venue is. Check their sample work online and narrow down what video editing style appeals to you the most. Just like wedding photography, style is everything. Look at how the story lines are put together, what music is used, and more importantly, how did you feel while watching wedding films of people whom you don’t even know. If you cry, then it’s likely you just found your wedding videographer. Don’t forget to check reviews and feedback about these potential vendors. It will help you a lot in deciding who to hire on your wedding day.
You can also ask around from family and friends for recommendations. You can inquire about how they work, their editing styles and their packages.
Interview Your Potential Vendor
Meeting your potential vendors can be a little challenging, especially when you don’t know what to ask. Yet, it plays a huge impact whether your wedding day will go smoothly as you plan it would be. That’s why this is a great opportunity for you to get to know them better. Ask them questions. Talking to them will make you feel more comfortable when you talk openly about your expectations.
Here are some questions you can ask your potential videographer to help you jump start the interview.
- How long have you been in the wedding industry? How did you start working as a videographer?
- Will you be working with an assistant? How many?
- Are you comfortable working with other vendors, especially with the photographer?
- What is your production style? Vintage? Cinematic? Documentary?
- What parts of the wedding day do you cover? (Do they include cocktail hour? Table visits, etc.)
- What equipment do you use? Do you have backup equipment?
- What are your packages?
- How is the footage recorded?
- What is your estimated time of delivery?
- What videos will be provided?
Compare Packages
In choosing the right videographer, you also have to be mindful of your budget. It is important to know the different packages your potential vendor offers. Does your potential vendor offer preview clips, an engagement video or a same- day edit? Will you receive a DVD, a passport drive containing all raw videos or just a link to the edited video? From here, you can weigh pros and cons and what matters to you and your partner that fits the budget. Just like photography, you should consider style, personality and then budget in that order of importance.
Make Reading a Habit
If your potential vendor can provide a mock contract of their services, that would be a plus. It is your opportunity to read things that weren’t discussed during the interview. Make sure to read from start to finish because it may include small details that may not be part of the service you want to have and will be required to pay for it.
Your wedding videographer will capture not only the sights of your wedding day but also the sounds that will make you relive it each time you watch it. That’s why it is very important to choose the right videographer because there are no retakes with your wedding film. Do you have tips and bits of advice to our brides-to-be? Share your thoughts and stories in the comment section below.
