Finding A Wedding Videographer in 2023
Searching For A Wedding Videographer in 2023?
Here's What To Consider And What To Do
Hello my lovely love birds,
We are now 3 days into the new year. With all these resolutions being made, I'm hoping we can all get a handle on our 2023 goals right away. For me, it is getting back into writing on this blog. And to start off the year, what better way than to address the big question:
How do I find a videographer in 2023? Not just any videographer, but your personally-perfect videographer.
Here are the 5 major things to consider when comparing videographers in 2023:
As we go through the list, I will give a brief description on each of these 5 considerations, what you should do about it, as well as 25 overlooked questions I think you should be asking the videographers you meet with.
Introduction:
If you've already started planning your wedding, you know that finding the perfect vendors is a very important key to creating the day of your dreams. Your venue, your decorations, your planner, your DJ, your photographer. Every choice you make for your wedding is a nod to who you are as a person. This includes the wedding videographer you choose, and in 2023 there are more and more exceptional options.
Hiring the right wedding videographer is crucial. As a multiple award-winning international wedding filmmaker and international film judge in numerous competitions, I've seen firsthand what difference an experienced and talented videographer can make. In this article, I'll be sharing my top things to consider when looking for your perfect wedding videographer, helping you make an informed decision.
Preface on Budget:
*One thing I want to note before going into the 5 things to consider, I want to mention the one thing that is a factor in hiring any and all of your vendors, regardless of it being 2023, 2003 or 2053. Your budget.
The budget of your wedding dictates how much value you are putting into the various parts of your day. Once you have a total budget for the celebration, you can then start to divide these funds into the various aspects of your wedding. Like how much do you want to allocate to food, to the photographer, the planner, and the musicians.
There is no right or wrong answer to your wedding budget, as your division of funds is totally up to your personal preference. When going through the following list of considerations, as well as any other online resource about planning your wedding, think about what is important to you as a person hosting this celebration. Some websites may show the average cost of certain things, but please don’t think that is the cost for every supplier– your definition of good quality can be found in any price range. The components of your wedding are typically reflective of your personal preferences and interests.
I personally do not have the experience of budgeting a full wedding celebration, so that is beyond the scope of this article. After reading the list below, I would suggest going over your budget with a wedding planner to see what can be done to make the most out of your vendors.
The number one thing that will set videographers apart is their editing style. Some people mistakenly equate equipment or shooting style with value, but I really believe it is the editing style that will determine if a wedding videographer is right for you or not.
Editing Style is the way in which your wedding videographer will piece your wedding footage together. This includes use of music, colour correcting and grading (the colour 'filters' in your film), audio mixing, use of transitions, and overall plot. After having watched and judged hundreds of wedding films, I can certainly say that it is the colour and the audio of a wedding film that will stick out the most, followed by special visual and audio effects.
Editing style can range from very traditional and straightforward, to more creative and artistic. Some videographers may use a lot of special effects, like slow motion or time-lapses or certain flashy transitions, while others may take a more documentary approach and let the footage speak for itself. When comparing one wedding film company to another, knowing these factors may help you articulate what you are looking for.
I find that a style of editing is a reflection of who the videographer is as a person. For instance, if the videographer likes attending high-energy EDM concerts, this may be an indicator of choosing high-energy music for your film. Likewise, if they have an affinity for romcom movies, this may influence the style of editing as well.
Ultimately, you want to choose a videographer whose editing style is an extension of who you are as individuals and as a couple.
What to do:
Watch the videographer's portfolio to get an idea of their editing style and techniques. Watch multiple films, since each wedding day is different and will ultimately result in varying looks or emotions. Do you like their style? Does it align with your vision for your wedding film?
Some questions to ask your potential videographer:
1. What types of colours do you prefer in your films? Bright? Soft? Desaturated?
2. How would you describe your films?
3. What types of videos or films do you think about when you are editing your wedding films?
4. What is your go-to style of music?
5. What is something different you would like to try while editing my wedding film?
Additional reading:
How To Hire A Wedding Videographer: Step One
The next big thing to consider when looking for your wedding videographer is their experience. How much experience do they have with your style of wedding? This does not necessarily mean how many years of experience they have as a professional, as I have seen newly-starting videographers create films that are 10x better than some films coming from videographers of decades.
When I say to consider a wedding videographer's experience, I mean find out how much experience they have with the style of wedding you are putting together. If you are having an outdoor barn wedding, how much experience do they have with barn weddings? If you are having a disco-themed wedding at an art museum downtown, do they have experience in this setting? Are you getting married in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Jamaica? How much experience do they have with travelling for destination resort weddings? A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, so please make sure that you have someone who knows what they are doing.
An experienced videographer will also have a good understanding of the equipment required for your type of wedding. This means clearly knowing the technical aspects of videography, such as lighting, focal lengths and respective composition, camera codecs, frame rates and other things like this. They will also have a good idea of how to handle any unexpected situations that may arise on the day of the wedding, and can quickly problem-solve.
What to do:
Look for a videographer who has experience shooting the type of wedding you and your wedding planner are putting together. This includes your traditions, the styling and decor, and anything else you might think uncommon. In addition to going over their portfolio, don't be afraid to ask them if they are comfortable being part of your wedding plans. I know that I was very nervous being part of new wedding traditions that I had not seen before, but after talking it over with my couples, I was excited to implement my style of videography with their wedding day plans. Your wedding videographer in question might feel the same way!
Some questions to ask your potential videographer:
6. Do you enjoy shooting my style of wedding?
7. Have you worked in my venue before?
8. Are you comfortable with the traditions I have scheduled?
9. If you could change one thing in my plans, what would it be and why?
10. How often would you say you are part of celebrations similar to mine?
Additional reading:
3 Steps To Finding Your Style In Videography and Photography
The types of packages that videographers (as well as photographers) offer will differ between people/companies. I've also noticed that what an average wedding package includes is dependent on which country or region of the world they are from. So when comparing videographers with your budget balance sheet, look at the specific items that they are offering.
Some videographers might charge per hour, some might charge by the length of the final film, and some might create their packages based on the amount of assistants they have and how fast they will deliver the final films.
Some things to look for in a wedding videography package include the length of the final film(s), the number of videographers present, and any additional features such as drone footage, teaser reels, and complete ceremony videos. For me, you will see that I offer the full ceremony video in each of my packages, as well as a highlight film of the entire day (3 minutes or 10 minutes). You may also want to consider whether the package includes raw footage or just the edited videos, as well as how many copies of the final video you will receive and if it will be available online.
It's also a good idea to ask about the timeline for receiving the final video. Some videographers may have a longer turnaround time than others. I personally need 6 months to create my film packages. It's important to know what to expect.
What to do:
Compare packages offered by different videographers to see what's included and at what price. Consider things like the amount of coverage time, the length of the final films, and if there are options to add on any special enhancements (e.g. - Same-Day-Edit or Live Stream). Once you know the price of all the essential items you'll need, it becomes easier to compare what different videographers are offering.
Try to filter your videographer down to 5 options based on their style. Then compare their package offerings and the pricing and bring it down to 3. Then of those 3, meet with them and compare their personality for fit– I will speak more about this in my last point.
Protip: Ask if there is any way you can get a customized package specific to your needs ;)
Some questions to ask your potential videographer:
11. Are your hours of coverage consecutive hours, or can I split it up throughout the day during downtimes?
12. How many videographers will be present for the type of videos you will be producing?
13. When can I expect to receive my final film package?
14. How do you deliver your films? Online? Physical USB?
15. What resolution quality can I expect of my videos?
Additional reading:
Is It Worth It To Get Raw Wedding Video Footage?
You probably know this already, but reviews are a shortcut way to see into your future if you decide on a particular wedding videographer. Much like reading reviews on Amazon, reading reviews from a videographer's past clients is an important step in the process of hiring the right one for you. Google reviews, Facebook reviews, or even comments you see on their Instagram or YouTube videos can provide valuable insights into the quality, reliability and professionalism a videographer will add to your celebration.
Positive reviews can be a good indication that a videographer is reliable and delivers high-quality results. Less-than-adequate reviews, on the other hand, may be a red flag and indicate that the videographer has had issues with their work or customer service in the past.
One thing to note is that wedding videographers (and a lot of other wedding vendors) will have different ways of collecting reviews. Sometimes it is through Google, sometimes it is in a written email that they will post on their website, sometimes it is through Facebook business pages, and sometimes through wedding planning websites.
Wedding planning websites such as WeddingWire, Junebug Weddings, The Knot and Party Slate are websites that couples can use to help put together all their required vendors. These websites also have a list of potential vendors including venues, photographers, and DJs. They offer a variety of tools and resources to help couples plan their wedding, like crafting a budget planner, a guest list manager, and a registry. Some websites are even dedicated solely to videographers, like Love Stories TV. What some couples don't realize is that these websites also have a review system that gets overlooked.
Websites with review systems allow couples to leave feedback about the vendors they used for their wedding. While Google reviews will literally show up in a Google search about wedding videographers, the reviews on wedding planning websites require you to go into that specific website.
What to do:
When going over your prospective wedding videographer's reviews, the first place to go is their own website. There is typically a Testimonials or Reviews page you can visit. The reason I would recommend going here first is because they can highlight the most important parts about their services that not all couples will know how to put into words. One well-written review should be a good indicator of who your couple is, whereas Google reviews might include a lot of the same things.
All that being said, Google reviews would be the next place to go. Google Reviews is nice because it will give you a snapshot of the number of clients your videographer tends to work with in a year, and the quality that goes with this quantity. Just like on Amazon, skim the reviews on Google for any red-flags.
Next I would suggest going on any wedding planning websites that lists your tentative videographer. As explained above, it may be good practice to look into these websites for more reviews. I know that for me, some of my most loving reviews have been through wedding planning websites.
And finally I would say to get a feel for how clients interact with them on social media. Browse their Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram pages and get a sense of their communication through public comments. Red-flags include: no comments, little interaction, or even criticism (a lot like big companies who have angry customers, though this is very rare for wedding videographers). Green-flags include: lots of supportive comments, indicators that people are sharing their content (i.e.- tagging other people), and frequent activity.
Some questions to ask your potential videographer:
16. How have past clients described your films?
17. Where do you like to collect your reviews? Websites like Google, Facebook or any other wedding websites?
18. After hearing more about my wedding plans, are you comfortable working together?
19. In a few words, what would your ideal testimonial sound like?
20. If other vendors could describe working with you, what would a short review sound like?
Additional reading:
Using Attachment Theory To Direct Couples On Camera
Using The 5 Love Languages For Wedding Filmmakers
Please do not overlook a wedding videographer's personality. The person behind the video camera is a human just like anyone else at your wedding, which means they will have a particular personality while interacting with you and your guests. They will have a particular vocabulary in conversation, and they will have a particular set of manners and social skills.
Your videographer will be with you for a significant portion of your wedding day, so it's very important for you and your guests to feel comfortable with them around. Depending on their style, they may heavily interact with your guests– so be mindful of how they fit in as a guest as well.
I've written numerous blog articles on relationships (which can also be applicable to professional relationships), and I find that the personality of your videographer is severely underappreciated. Imagine your once-in-a-lifetime celebration being bombarded by an obnoxious guest– this could be similar to hiring the wrong videographer based on their personality. On the other hand, though, imagine your wedding day having a surprisingly fun attendee who gets everyone laughing, smiling and dancing– this could be your ideal type of wedding vendor.
Like their Editing Style, your videographer's personality will indicate how they will work with you and will have a big impact on your overall wedding experience. How do they make you feel? Are you comfortable being yourself around them? Do you think it would be hard to let loose and party with them? Are you comfortable introducing them to your parents and families.
After meeting with your potential videographer, and if you feel like you have a good rapport with them, the process of working together can certainly be more enjoyable and stress-free. You can calmly bring up any concerns and quickly fix them, you can comfortably ask for any requests, and you can ultimately just be yourself. Good videographers understand that you may not have any experience being in front of a camera and having a full-on movie produced about them, and they will understand this. A good videographer will keep you at ease and reassure you that you will be receiving a high-quality film at the end of it all.
On the other hand, if you don't feel like you get along with a videographer, or if you feel like they don't understand your vision for the video, there may be an uneasy tension on the wedding day. Feeling uncomfortable on your own wedding day is something you should not have to worry about and will obviously make planning a little more difficult. Ultimately, ask yourself if you would be anxious having this person around you all day.
What to do:
It's a good idea to meet with a videographer in person or have a phone call to get a sense of their personality and see if you get along. Oftentimes, a good videographer will require some sort of meeting before any official agreements are made because they know their best work will also depend on who you are.
Expect between 20-30 minutes of speaking before forming a good picture of who they are. As much as this meeting is about your wedding plans, don't be afraid to ask questions between sharing all your ideas. Good videographers tend to have a few questions ready to ask you (e.g.- how would you describe your wedding day?) – this is another green-flag as this shows they are proactive in creating your perfect film.
Some questions to ask your potential videographer:
21. What is your style of shooting? Do you direct us a lot or are you more of a fly-on-the-wall camera person?
22. What type of clothing do you typically wear to your weddings?
23. How much space do you need for your equipment? (The amount of equipment used is determined by what the videographer's shooting style is like, not necessarily their personality. This just seemed the category to ask this question)
24. Do you have preferred wedding vendors you like to work with or would like to recommend?
25. What has been your favourite thing to record on a wedding day? How do you think we could make it extra special at my own wedding?
Additional reading:
Wedding Day Confidence: Chapter 1
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, there are several things to consider when hiring a wedding videographer. These include the videographer's style and editing techniques, their experience, the packages they offer, their reviews and reputation, and their personality. By taking the time to consider these factors, you can make an informed decision and choose a videographer who will help create a priceless film for generations to enjoy.
If you haven't already, I encourage you to continue reading about similar topics when it comes to working with a videographer.
And if you are interested in getting in contact with me, please feel free to reach out for all my wedding package information and a free consultation.
Until next time,
- A