Between the wedding dress, the caterer, the photographer and more, the budget for your wedding can be tight. As such, many brides and grooms hesitate to add the extra expense of hiring a videographer to shoot a wedding video.  Yet, a good wedding video is another way to capture precious memories of a special day.

A photograph can capture many of the sights of your wedding day.  But photographs cannot capture all the nuances and memories of the day. A photo cannot capture the tremble in the voice of a bride and groom as they exchange their vows.  Neither can they capture the sounds of laughter.

Ilenia e Davide wedding trailer from Ludovico Guglielmo on Vimeo.

Miranda, the author to the blog Trendy Weddings, notes that a video is much more immersive then photos.  As she puts it, a wedding video captures, “The music, the sound, the atmosphere, and the movements of the couple and their guests.  A film makes it possible to plunge fully into the atmosphere of this particular day.”

Véronique, a bride, shares her thoughts on hiring a videographer for your wedding day. “At first, we thought we would be content with just a photographer to capture the event.  We really regret not having hired a professional videographer. Video allowed us to relieve or even discover moments that we hadn’t seen during the day as we were absorbed in the frenzy of the wedding.”

Putting a price on capturing emotions

If you want a quality video of your wedding, it will come at a price. But it will be worth it.  Some filmmakers, such as LG production, Ludovico Guglielmo Filmaker, produce wedding videos that are like real movies, with emotional moments captured and set to music.  These films are something to envy.

The videos produced by a professional videographer are completely different from film captured by an amateur with a camera phone.  A professional videographer not only uses top-of-the-line equipment, but they also employ the latest techniques in sound, lighting, and editing.

“A video is a very handy format to share, especially on social networks,” says Miranda of Trendy Weddings.  For those who were invited but could not come to the wedding, watching a video is a nice way for them to still share in the experience.  For those who were there, it becomes a nice way to remember and rediscover the atmosphere.

While hiring a professional videographer certainly doubles the budget and is not something everyone can afford, a good wedding video is a nice compliment to your wedding photos, says Miranda.  “This gives you two views and they are two very different ways of working.  One does not replace the other.  When I got married, the first thing I wanted to watch later was the video to relive all these moments, the speeches of the witnesses, out entrance into the church. . . it really helps you relieve the emotions differently.”

How to choose a videographer?

For those who think that having a team of videographers during their special day might be disruptive, with the equipment and video lines getting in the way of the guests and servers – you shouldn’t worry.  Most filmmakers now work with small cameras, monopods and XS portable trackers that make it easy to capture the moment without disrupting the moment.

“At our wedding, nobody noticed the presence of a camera, “confirms Véronique.

How to choose your filmmaker? Instinctively.

“We looked for a long time because we found classic wedding videos too stylized and aseptic.  However, the final result depends very much on the personality, the vision, and the trust placed on the videographer by the bride and groom, “says Véronique.

And, of course, a videographer’s work must be in line with the type of wedding the prospective bride and groom is looking to have.  If the couple want to capture a lively, natural and family-first atmosphere, and the videographer specializes in city-wedding glamour, then this professional is not the right candidate to shoot that wedding.  He may be uncomfortable and will not be able to do his best work.

To avoid a mismatch between your videographer’s style and what you want to see, study their sites and look at samples of videos that they have already made.  See what styles they specialize in, what type of framing they prefer, and how they edit the footage together.  When you find a sample video that makes you think “this is the kind of video I would want to have for my wedding,” you have found the right videographer.  Sign them.

5 questions to ask your videographer

  1. What experience have you had filming weddings?

Filming a wedding requires a particular sort of know-how.  It’s better if your videographer is experienced.  Make sure to ask how many weddings they have filmed and for specific samples that you can look at.

  1. What kind of equipment do you have?

If the videographer’s equipment is not up to date or there is no reflex camera or backup device just in case something breaks down, he is not a very good or experienced videographer.  Also, make sure that his sound equipment is good.

  1. What will you be shooting?

You need to hammer out when and where your videographer will be present and shooting what is happening.  You should also decide how much footage you want shot, how many videos will be produced, how long the video will last, what format it will be in, and what media form will the final video be submitted in.  Will there be a teaser? Will there be interviews with guests?  Will they be working alone or will there be a second shooter?

  1. What are the deadlines?

How long after shooting will you be able to have the final video ready?

  1. What are your backup plans?

No one is completely safe from accidents.  Your videographer needs to have a plan B in case of a piece of equipment breaking down or a technical issue arising.  How will he secure the film? Are there going to be back up shooters or equipment ready? Is your videographer covered by a professional insurance policy?