Things to Consider When Selecting Your Wedding Videographer
If you missed it, we released the results of a survey we recently did with over 1200 participants. You can read about that in this post. Something that we really found interesting is how couples choose between the many incredible suppliers available to them.
“When it comes to choosing their ideal suppliers and venues, couples say that reviews are the most important factor. Only 21% stated that price was the most important factor.”
Price shouldn’t be the first thing to decide on. The reason I say this is because see what’s out there first, then you’ll see what you get for the price you pay and the value. This is better than looking for whats the cheapest, keep your options open because you get what you pay for. That being said. The style and length of film that suits you is important as this can vary greatly. With us we shoot a documentary style with a “fly on the wall” approach telling the story of your day. Always check they are full time professionals and have many years experience along with insurance, etc. Also check they are registered with the IPPVA.
SES Digital
When choosing your wedding videography there are a number of considerations you should consider other than price. Other than price couples should firstly consider the quality and style of the videographer work, and that it matches your expectations. The Personality of the videographer is also another important factor as you will spend a large portion of your day with him so it is important you all get on.
Two Paws Video
For me, the number one thing people should think about when selecting videographers is style. Much the same as they should choose their photographer based on the same consideration. Choose someone who’s style and whose personality matches yours. Talk to your perspective videographer, have a chat about your big day and see if that person is the kind of person you would invite to your wedding.
HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER
While we’ve extolled the virtues of choosing the perfect photographer and debated whether or not a videographer is worth your money, once you’ve decided to say “yes” to video, finding the right one is one of the most important tasks on your wedding to do list. A videographer spends just as much time with you as your photographer throughout the weekend—and the results: a sentimental, professionally produced film about your big day—can often bring tears to even a stranger’s eyes. (Our friend Rachel Jo’s LoveStoriesTV has made a business out of this!)
And yet, the wedding video can sometimes be overlooked: overpowered by decisions about the dress, the band, and the flowers, the video can sometimes get lost in the background. Gone are the days of VHS tapes filled with grainy footage of wedding cakes; with deft storytellers, drones, and HD cameras, wedding videography is more highly produced, and less invasive than ever before. Below, two leaders in the field lend some tips and tricks to choosing the right cameraperson for you.
“All I have from my grandparents’ wedding is a black and white photograph of them posing for a still camera,” says Ari Perilstein, celebrity wedding and event videographer and founder of Custom Made Productions in Los Angeles. “It would have been great to hear their vows, see them dancing, hear the music they listened to, and the speeches that were said. We are the first generation to truly capture these special moments in a cinematic way and be able to pass them down to generations to come,” he says.
The biggest regret for a bride post-wedding, Perilstein says, is not having the weekend captured on video. “So much happens on the wedding day and it flies by in a flash. Without video, you can’t experience the wedding quite like your guests did. The video/film allows you and your loved ones to experience that special moment in time, in a timeless way.”
When deciding what elements of wedding films you like most and want the videographer to focus on, Adrian Toto of Ira Lippke Studios recommends thinking through how you’d like the day to be captured.
HOW TO CHOOSE A GREAT WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER
PICK A STYLE, ANY STYLE
Max out your Pinterest boards, scour the wedding blogs, and flex your social media muscle! Before you book your videographer, it is super helpful to get a general idea of what you want your wedding to look like. Once you have a good feel for your wedding, you will be able to find a filmmaker that most closely matches your style. Every wedding filmmaker will manage the color and texture of their images differently. Some wedding videographers shoot on film or emulate film stock in order to give their work a distinct look and atmosphere. Some wedding filmmakers have a documentary style while some are more cinematic, or highly stylized. And they are not all created equal, which brings us to our next topic.
DON’T REPLICATE, INNOVATE
Who wants a cookie-cutter wedding film? Every filmmaker worth his or her salt will treat each love story they film as unique and unparalleled. When all of the films on a videographer’s website utilize the same fonts or progress with the same set of shots, be wary. Rebel against the formulaic wedding film! A quality wedding filmmaker will constantly be improving
BE YOU, BESPOKE
Many filmmakers will list packages on their website in order to introduce a couple to some of their options, but some may be willing to work with you to customize the amount and type of coverage your particular wedding requires. Do not be afraid to ask for a more tailored package—there are no stupid questions!
BRIGHT AND EARLY
Prioritizing your wedding film in the early stages of wedding planning dramatically increases the chance that you will receive a film you cannot stop watching. If you wait until shortly before your date to book, there will only be a few studios left with openings, and the chances of getting your first choice will be slim. It is important to take finding a quality videographer as seriously as you do your photographer.
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
Does your filmmaker offer aerial footage, slow motion, time lapse, 4k? Will they be using multiple cameras? How will they deliver your product? Cutting edge tech is useless in the wrong hands, but when handled skillfully, the right gear can help a wedding filmmaker tell your love story more effectively, as well as future proof your investment. There is, however, a standard that all good wedding videographers should meet both visually and acoustically.
How to Choose the Right Wedding Videographer
You’re planning your once in a lifetime moment and you want it captured on video for you to look back on. How do you know whether you’re making the right choice when it comes to picking a wedding videographer? The answer is a little more complicated than a one-sentence answer
The first thing you want to look for is, of course, the quality of work. Before you start your search for a videographer, I suggest throwing some popcorn in the microwave, pouring a glass of wine, and begin scrolling through YouTube & Instagram. Watch a lot of wedding videos! Start to take notes (literally, write them down) about what you love about each film and maybe even what you don’t like. Get a feel for what you’re truly looking for so that you can compare all the local (or not so local) videographers you sift through later to really narrow down your options. A few things to look for are: Exposure (is the dress in the video over exposed and completely white? You paid a lot of money for your dress and you want to see the details in it!), color (are skin tones super orange or saturated? Look for natural looking skin tones), story (is it just a bunch of clips thrown together or is there a story? Do the clips you’re seeing go along with what’s being said in either the song, speeches, or letter readings) audio (soes it sound crackily or can you hear a bunch of background noise), and overall aesthetics (does the video look good as a whole?)
You may not know what you like until you really study some wedding films and ask yourself what you love or hate about them. Maybe you like a shakier documentary style film (Eric Floberg is a master at this!) or maybe you like something smooooth and romantic (White in Revery) You may or may not be able to book them, but you can get a better idea of why you like or dislike their films. This will TREMENDOUSLY help you in your search for YOUR perfect wedding videographer.
you’re beginning to get sick on popcorn, you now have a list of everything you’re looking for in a wedding videographer, and a list of a few that you’re looking to hire for your wedding. What next?? INQUIREEE! As soon as you know what you’re looking for and have a few videographers in mind, be sure to inquire through their website. A lot of videographers only take a certain number of weddings a year. This usually helps ensure faster turn around times, more personalized films, and better customer service. This isn’t to say that high volume companies can’t provide those, but you may start to see inconsistencies in their quality factors. By inquiring ASAP, you’re chance of reserving them for your wedding date is drastically higher. The months of August-September and February-April seem to be the busiest times for inquiries, so keep that in mind as well. In your initial email, be sure to state what you love about their work and how it matches what you’re looking for and maybe even name off a few of your favorite films of theirs. This not only makes them happier, but they now have an idea of what your style is and can better explain how they can serve you with their qualities.
Get a feel for who they are and their personalities. The photographer and videographer are going to likely be around you more than any family member or friend on the wedding day, it’s important you vibe with them. It’s sometimes hard to get your personality and tone across with texts or emails so this is why we recommend meeting in person or FaceTime
The Best Questions to Ask Your Wedding Videographer
A wedding is a once in a lifetime event, or at least we hope for it to be. It comes as no surprise that nobody wants to compromise on the quality of the wedding photos and videos. After all, the video and photos are the only remembrances that are left after our wedding day.
A good videographer is absolutely essential to be present at the wedding so that everything can be recorded for being watched over and over again. But you will be surprised to learn that it is actually very hard to get a good videographer nowadays who you can rely on to make the kind of video that you want. To make the best choice, it is essential that you must know the questions to ask your wedding videographer.
What Are The Most Important Questions To Ask Your Wedding Videographer?
There are tons of questions to ask your vendors throughout the wedding planning process, and asking your wedding videographers questions as well is always a good idea. Since there is a fair bit of shortage of good wedding videographers, it is not uncommon if you find that there are no decent videographers available for your wedding date if you go to book one at the last minute
How long have you been filming? How many weddings do you film a year?
If a videographer is a busy one, it can be assumed that he is a reasonably good one. The years of experience also count as it would mean that he is a pro at his job and knows what he is doing
What is your videography style?
Most videographers have a particular style of shooting as well as editing the video such as storytelling, highlights, or cinematic. Make sure that you choose a videographer that can shoot the video in the style that you prefer your wedding video to be in.