How to Hire a Wedding Videographer?

Inquire with any of your married friends who invested in a wedding videographer and we're confident that they'll all agree that it was money well spent. Wedding videographers don't seem to be a top choice when it comes to hiring vendors for the big day. Even so, every engaged couple should seriously consider including a wedding videographer in their budget right from the start.

After seen the efforts of a number of stellar wedding videographers at each of our reception halls and the finished products they've delivered to us, we can confidently declare that hiring a videographer for your wedding is a necessity.

Choosing a videographer to record your wedding is a major life decision. Choosing someone to video your entire wedding day is just as significant as selecting a photographer. Choosing a wedding videographer is not something to be taken lightly, as it is a significant financial commitment and the presence of the filmmaker will be felt long after the wedding day has over. Keep reading for some advice you should consider before making any hiring decisions.

Advice On Selecting a Professional Videographer For Your Wedding

Work With a Skilled Expert By Paying Them.

The lack of a video is the one thing the bride truly regrets. They wish they had.

Nothing compares to the joy of a wedding day and the chance to listen to the words of your loved ones as they celebrate with you.

Watching folks have fun and enjoy each other's company is priceless. It's a small investment that will pay dividends for generations, especially when you consider everything you put into professional photography on a daily basis.

Find a Professional Videographer In Your Area And Hire Them.

You should expect a higher quality final product if you employ a director who has previously shot in the site and collaborated with local merchants.

In order to have the finest film possible, it is crucial to have a professional who is aware of where the sun will set and what camera angles work best when conditions and light are optimal.

Check out their reviews on other sources, not just one, in addition to their portfolio.

The highest-quality professionals always deliver on time. Because of this, even if today isn't a perfect day, tomorrow will be.

Identify Your Prefered Aesthetic.

There are a lot of different ways to film a wedding, but here are the three most common:

A music video is a short film based on a song, typically featuring cinematic views, time-shifting effects, and lyrical music. Vows, speeches, and other voice-over dialogue are not present in this style.

Raw and spare, the antithesis of a music video. This approach resembles a professionally made home video in that it highlights genuine sound and the interactions of the people being filmed rather than elaborate visual effects or carefully staged scenes. In these movies, the dialogue often serves as the inspiration for the musical score.

Filmmaking as storytelling: with my approach, you get the best of both worlds. It's artistically on par with a high-quality music video, yet it's got the raw emotion of a Candid film. This style incorporates not only beautiful cinematic views, but also the raw passion and realism of the day through actual dialogue.

The best criteria for selecting a videographer are whether or not you enjoy their previous work and personal aesthetic. Once you've hired a videographer, don't bother them with footage shot by anyone else.

Make Sure The Person Filming Your Event Is Qualified To Fly a Drone Safely.

The drone is the best tool for capturing Maui's breathtaking scenery. It's against the law to take to the skies without a valid pilot's licence. The use of drones is also prohibited at several sites.

Integrate a Sense of the Individual.

If you'd rather not make personal vows during the ceremony, you can always do so before the first look, if you're planning on having one, or you can exchange cards with prewritten vows that can be read aloud.

Having a one-on-one conversation with you enhances the telling of your narrative.

If You're Making a Film, You Should Know How Long It Will Take Your Videographer to Complete it.

While some brides have to wait up to a year for their film, the average wait time is closer to six months. Our contracts stipulate a 120-day delivery window. Consider your videographer's availability before making a hiring decision. You should avoid the nightmarish scenario in which you have to try to locate the videographer for your wedding film months or even years after the fact.

There is a Legal Requirement That We Use Only Licenced Music.

Unfortunately, not every song can be licenced by anyone. Use music that not many people will have heard before to give your film a more unique feel; there are many of licencing sites and possibilities out there.

Possible Last-Minute Revisions.

Final delivery can be made in a variety of ways; the most common methods are listed below.

• An Instagram-friendly trailer/teaser is between one and two minutes long
• Highlight video, lasting between three and six minutes, capturing the best moments of your big day; ideal for intimate weddings with little in the way of a reception or speeches.
• Short films between eight and ten minutes long strike, in my opinion, the ideal balance between the engrossing visuals of the shorter films and the time to add necessary dialogue and other elements of a complete narrative.
• Twelve minutes or more is perfect for a feature film, allowing you to immerse yourself entirely in your day and the tale. It's smart to provide both the full Film and a trailer for it, so that people can pick whichever one they like better.
• This is a documentary-style or long-form cut of the entire wedding, from the ceremony to the afterparty. The lack of cinematic quality makes this sound like a live cut. It just presents the day's events in a palatable sequence.
• These cuts average 45 minutes in duration, however that can vary widely based on the ceremony's religious orientation and the length of the remarks given.
• Uncut or "raw" video means that the video has not been altered in any way. It's not as enjoyable to watch as the Documentary cut, but it's usually cheaper, so it's something you should have on hand for posterity's sake.

When it comes to the movie's format, though: For those concerned with the longevity of their film, the advent of 4K resolution (four times that of HD) as the new video standard within the next few years is encouraging. Typically, a supplementary component.

Only 4K displays or computers can display 4K content. Getting your movie these days usually means getting it on a USB drive or watching it online. Years have passed since I last shipped a DVD or Blu-ray. Although we still provide this option, the USB drive is by far the most popular method of delivery, followed closely by online distribution via download link.

It's vital that you make a copy of your films immediately after getting them. It is highly suggested that you have a copy of your films stored offsite or in the cloud, as hard drives eventually fail. Do not rely on a single copy of the project, as most videographers only keep it for a limited amount of time after delivery.

Put it in The Hands of Experts.

Since many attendees are amateur photographers, iPad owners, or otherwise keen to record the event, it's a good to have the officiant ask everyone to refrain from doing so before the ceremony begins. Walking down the aisle with a pink iPad in sight is not a good idea.

Timing.

Due to the greater number of variables in video production compared to still photography, we rely significantly on the timetable to ensure that not only can we cover what is happening, but that we are also prepared to cover what will happen next. Sometimes it seems like everything is happening at once: the bride is changing into her dress, the groom is getting dressed, and the wedding site is all set up and ready to be filmed. We will be using the comprehensive timeline that your coordinator has prepared to ensure that we don't miss any of these crucial events.

Benefits of Working with a Professional Videographer for Your Wedding

They'll be Able to Record Everything You Missed.

Some of the most memorable parts of a wedding are the tiny things that happen before, during, and after the big events, like the first glimpse or the guests' expressions as you walk down the aisle. To make the most of your videography budget, discuss creating a blooper film with your videographer with all the hilarious outtakes. When the party is ended, you'll still be laughing.

The Best Way to Relive Your Wedding is Through The Eyes of Those Who Were There.

Your wedding day will be a blur due to all the anticipation leading up to it. There will be parts of your wedding that you want to rewind and watch again and over, like when you say "with this ring" or when you dance for the first time. The day of the wedding can be relived in its entirety by viewing it through the eyes of the guests.

Your Guests Will Have The Chance to Express Their Best Wishes For You in This Special Way.

In addition to signing a traditional guest book, attendees can leave a personal message for the couple in the form of a video tribute played at the reception. It's unnecessary, but it's just another memento to build your wedding album.

Remembering Special Moments Together as a Family Unit Has Never Been Easier.

Your wedding film will serve as a lasting record of your marriage and of the bonds you've built with your spouse and your children. There are so many priceless moments that can be preserved on film for posterity, from your mother's emotional reaction to seeing you in your wedding dress to the lively dancing of your grandparents at the reception.

You Can Use it For Commemorating Special Anniversaries.

A wedding video can be a thoughtful anniversary present because it serves as a lasting reminder of your love for one another. Treat it as a milestone in your relationship by watching it every year on your anniversary.

What to Know Before You Hire a Wedding Videographer

Investing In Expert Help is Crucial.

It's tempting to say, "I'll just have __ (a friend or family member) take some video," given the widespread availability of high-quality video recording equipment these days. However, there is much more to wedding videos than that. A professional videographer has the resources and experience to create a film that will stir up the most beautiful and lasting memories of your special day. They know everything there is to know about shooting from different vantage points, making the most of available light, and finding the best places to convey a story on film. Videos shot with a regular camcorder or even a smartphone just can't match. However, a good videographer will cost you as much as a professional photographer, if not more, so make sure to include that expense in your planning. Package deals are available, as several photographers also offer filming services.

Conventional Runtimes for Wedding Films

A trailer or teaser is a short video (often between one and two minutes long) that summarises the most interesting and noteworthy aspects of your day. Ideal for posting on social media due of its conciseness.

A highlight film is often only three to six minutes long, and it consists mostly of audio clips of important aspects of the day such vows, letter readings, and speeches. For example, the clip that follows fits this description. The clip that follows fits this description.

The above-mentioned audio aspects can be covered in full in a short film that last 8-10 minutes.

Longer than 15 minutes, a feature film provides a more comprehensive way to relive your day by using voiceovers to tell backstories and sounds from portions of the day not covered in other formats.

Long-form: a film of this length will have less cinematic editing, but it should feature nearly all of the highlights of the ceremony and reception.

The longer the wedding video is expected to be, the more money will be needed. If you keep this in mind, you can compare the styles employed by different videographers to get a sense of what to expect from your own Film, or you can simply ask the videographer what they tend to focus on. To provide you more sharing options, many videographers will provide you with both a shorter trailer and a full-length version of the film.

Just to be Safe, You Should Probably Cover All Your Bases.

If you have discovered a videographer with whom you click but for whom you still have questions, now is the moment to ask them. Read the contract carefully and make sure everyone knows what to expect in terms of cycle times ,  they send your video in, and will those formats ensure the longest potential shelf life? While having your film exclusively available online is convenient, there are times when having a physical copy of the film would be preferable.

Don't forget to plan for the worst-case scenarios, like as inclement weather, a need to reschedule, or the videographer being unable to attend. In the event that the videographer needs to travel to film your wedding, what expenses will you be responsible for covering? Does your videographer have the necessary insurance and permits to operate drones in your area? In the editing process, do they only employ tracks that have been properly licenced? Just to be safe, it's best to prepare for anything.

You should inform your videographer, as you would your photographer, of any key moments or people they shouldn't miss, but you should also give them plenty of leeway to capture your special day in their own unique way without micromanaging your every move. This is something that they routinely engage in.

Expect to Have a Microphone Placed in Front of you.

If the wedding videographer you've hired plans to incorporate interviews and other forms of spoken narration in the final film, they'll need a variety of audio recording devices to capture the proceedings. There is a possibility that you will spend at least parts of the day with a wire and a tiny microphone attached to you, or that you will be asked to hold a microphone. Be flexible and trust your videographer's judgement about how much time they'll need to acquire the best possible footage for your wedding film. In the long run, it will be well worth it.

Extra Note

Engage with the filmmakers you drafted by following their social media accounts. From Facebook and Twitter to Instagram and YouTube. Learn as much as you can about them as a person by keeping up with their every move. Simply put, a filmmaker's personality will bleed through into their work.

Constantly, we hear from brides that they wish they had hired a videographer. They now regret not allocating a larger portion of their budget to hiring someone to document their special day in a more detailed and meaningful way than photographs can. If you're still on the fence, a professional videographer is an absolute must-have for your wedding team.