Should I Hire A Videographer For My Wedding?
Wedding planning. It’s a mission. One of the first things you may realise is the sheer amount of vendors you need to make your day happen. And so, it’s important to ask - do I really need this vendor?
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There’s a few reasons why you might be asking this question about hiring a videographer.
Is it necessary?
Can we afford it?
Is it excessive?
Will we be overwhelmed by cameras?
Isn’t photography enough?
While I think these concerns should definitely be considered, I feel there is a lack of understanding about the value wedding video’s can offer to your future selves, your children, & generations to come. Your initial response may even be that it feels a little self-indulgent to have a film made about yourselves - but I’m here to ask you to take a step back for a moment, zoom out & consider a wider perspective.
I want you to put all your preconceived ideas about what a wedding video is aside. There’s a plethora of average, strange, or awesome, kick-ass wedding videos on the internet that you could compare and evaluate. But for a minute, let’s strip it back to facts - what does a wedding video offer for you?
Unlike photos (Which are obviously a must-have), a moving picture & recorded sound expresses so much about a moment. It offers deeper emotion, captivation, and above all, can be combined in editing to convey a story.
Your story.
A story that is unique to you, and holds infinite emotional value over time. And the best part is that this value just keeps building as it falls into your children’s hands, in 10, 20, 30 years time. And they can look back and witness your story, and the beginning of there own, in rich, beautiful detail.
It’s not so much about the instant gratification of re-living your magical day (which is super nice), but creating a heirloom piece of family history that can be really treasured by all who love and adore you.
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Okay, so let’s say that is important to you, then great! You can start to consider if there’s any other reason why you wouldn’t want to have your wedding filmed.
Are you shy, or don’t like the idea of having not only one, but two cameras following you around all day? Don’t worry, I get it. I’m not a huge fan of being in front of the lens, that’s for sure.
But when it comes to myself, It’s a price I’d be willing to pay for the reward of having my wedding day captured. And an experienced videographer will be conscious of the impact they are having on the bride & groom & guests, and will work to make their presence flow with the movements of the day cohesively.
Obviously, there is always the question of budget. Good videography isn’t cheap. There are also very good reasons for this.
Wedding videography requires a vast range of skills that only come from years of experience and training. It’s like being a whole film crew in one, and there’s no second takes!
All of the equipment, subscriptions and costs required to be a high-end wedding videographer can value over 30-40k, and take years to accumulate and fine-tune.
And lastly, the time spent before, during and after the wedding to deliver your films to you can add up to over 70 hours!
It’s important to understand the extend of work your wedding videographer is undertaking in order to deliver quality films, and know that the prices are valued accordingly. If you hire a wedding videographer who is putting your needs first, listening and delivering high-end films that will last forever, the value is indisputable. But of course, if your budget is tight, you can always opt for a smaller video package over more expensive options, I would just advise caution about hiring someone with less experience if you do indeed value having a high-quality wedding film.
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Hopefully this has had some perspectives you haven’t thought about yet, or instilled some clarity on your decision to hire a wedding videographer! At the end of the day, don’t let anyone pressure you to do something you’re not aligned with - but I will just say that I’ve heard many people say they regretted not having their wedding filmed, but I’ve never heard someone say the opposite.