Hiring a Wedding Videographer: A maybe? A Must?
Spoiler, it’s definitely a must.
I know it’s kind of funny, but from a young age most girls really do day-dream about their wedding day. So it’s little a heartbreaking that often times when you ask a bride what she remembers most about her wedding, she’ll tell you it all zipped by so fast.
As the years go on, technology advances. We have the capability to create things - incredible things - that just weren’t possible 20 years ago. High quality video is one of those things. Long gone are the days of your grandma’s one-angled tripod wedding video. In this day and age, there are so many reasons to look into wedding videography.
Aren’t photos enough?
There is something incredibly special about photos. They become still-frames in time; moments that last you for generations to come. But there are things that wedding photography can miss.
Through videography, brides have been able to uniquely capture moments that can only be expressed through live video. Two that I remember intimately are a mom’s reaction to listening as her daughter says her vows, and a groom and his dad’s strong, lingering embrace before the bride steps out. The beauty in moments like these are captured differently through pictures and video.
Videos are a living album.
Even though I’ve done both photography and videography, I can honestly say that couples are able to capture more of the spirit of the celebration through video. Gestures between friends and family, warm interactions between wedding guests, and once-in-a-lifetime speeches; all of these things work and flow together to create something special in a video. It retells the joy of the day over and over again.
There’s really nothing quite like a wedding film to capture the essence of your day, and make sure you don’t miss any small, but powerful moments.
What if I can’t afford both?
You may be surprised at how affordable wedding video can be. I’ve spoken to a lot of couples and they all agree; don’t overthink or underestimate your budget. In the same breath, I’d encourage any soon-to-be couple to do their research and ask their questions. Meet with your videographer and ask what they’ll get for their money. Previous work examples are great, but remember to make sure that your videographer’s vision aligns with your own.
Are guest photos a viable option?
Recently, two good friends of mine decided to go all out on their wedding video and rely on guests to capture photos. They figured they’d rather have a video of their day, and phones these days offer powerful built-in cameras. They posted their email to Facebook and asked everyone who attended their wedding to email their photos to them. A tip here is to use email, don’t rely on Facebook photos because uploaded photos are compressed and lose quality.
What turned out was incredible. Photos were captured of not only the bride and groom, but incredible shots that a photographer would have missed. Small events here and there were happening all around the wedding, and the resulting album was more than anyone could have imagined.
If you’re planning your big day, think about what a wedding video could offer you, and talk to a videographer to see what they can do for you.