Wedding Photography and Videography

Choosing a Videographer

(10 Tips)

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life and a is an excellent way to capture the day for future memories.

Many couples feel that it is a good cheap option asking a friend or relative to film their wedding day only to be disappointed with the outcome.

The film will give you something that you can watch time and again so you never forget your special day. You can even show your future generations exactly what it was like when you got married.

So many people spend so much time on all of the other important wedding preparations and often overlook the importance of picking a suitable videographer to film their special day. A good wedding film can help keep treasured memories alive forever.

Here are the top 10 tips for picking a and getting the best film for you:

1. Pick a Budget

You can expect to pay anything from £400 - £3000 depending on the company you choose and the amount of filming you want done on the day. Do not always assume that the most expensive company is the best for you, every company has something different to offer. If you are looking to reduce the cost, but still want a wedding filmed you should only pick the parts of the day that you really want captured e.g. the service, speeches and first dance. If you are on a particularly tight budget and a friend has offered to do some filming for you, some companies provide an editing service, but of course, will not be able to guarantee the quality of the filming.

2. The Style of the Wedding

The style of the filming and editing is very important in order to capture the memories of the day just the way you want it. Maybe you want a traditional video, maybe a contemporary feel or maybe you want to have a themed wedding, all of options are available.

For help watch some of your friends wedding videos or view our samples

3. What to film

You need to have a good discussion with the videographer so they are clear on exactly which parts of the day need filming, or equally as important, which parts of the day you do not want filmed. Many companies will offer packages with a set price for filming certain aspects of the day, alternatively you could opt for a tailored package to suit your exact needs.

4. The Equipment

It is important to understand what equipment the company will use. If you want the videographer to be discrete this can be achieved by most companies and you may feel that smaller cameras would make you more comfortable. Also, if you want to have the option of BluRay or other HD formats then you will need to check that the company has the suitable equipment for this. For a better quality end result, a videographer using more than one camera is also a benefit. This way the amount of footage available for editing is increased and different angles can be achieved in order not to miss a thing.

5. A Demo

You should always ask to see a demo DVD from the videographer to see the quality of their work. Ask for a full film, not just their best bits.

6. Formats/menus/optional extras

There are many options available and you must decide what is important to you. Examples of these are menus (moving or still) and chapters, music to go with the filming, photograph montages. You can choose to have your film in various formats e.g. DVD, BluRay, mpeg, divx, the list goes on. 

Ask your videographer for more information.

7. Licensing and insurance

It is very important that you discuss with your videographer the appropriate licenses and any insurance that the company has. If you do not have the correct licenses the videographer will not be allowed to film certain things, for example recording the choir singing and even filming stained glass windows in church.

Insurance is also equally as important, the company you are using must have public liability insurance to cover any incidents that may occur.

8. Location

Has the videographer filmed at your location before?

If not, you could invite them to the rehearsal. This will give them the opportunity to see the venue and decide on the best locations & settings for the camera(s).

The Videographer will also have to take noise & Lighting into consideration.

Is there a noisy main road near the venue?

Will background music be played while registers are being signed and photos are being taken?

Is the main table in front of a window with sun light shining through?

9. Permission to film

Asking for permission to film at all of the locations of your wedding is very important. The last thing you want on your big day is to get there and find out that filming is not permitted. This is especially important when having a religious ceremony as part of your wedding.

10. Other important questions

When planning to speak to a potential videographer make a list of the questions you want to ask. Here are some things that will help you:

What will they be wearing?

What are their contingency plans?

Do you have any assistance? If so, how many people will be there?

What are the terms and conditions?

Do you have travel fees?

What does the videographer need from you – e.g. directions, food, accommodation?

Can they contact the photographer to discuss plans for the wedding day or do they also provide photography?  This can be important to avoid any conflicts on the day