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It’s natural that people want to document a major milestone like a wedding in a beautiful way. Traditionally, wedding photographers have been seen as the essential vendor to capture nuptials, but with improvements in digital production, the often amateurish wedding videos of yesteryear have been transformed into cinematic works of art emphasizing style and storytelling. While a photograph offers a snapshot of a moment in time–and that’s great, for lots of reasons–video can convey the emotion, sound, and movement of an experience in an entirely different way. Videographers are now considered an often invaluable addition to a wedding’s vendor team.
“When it’s all said and done, the photos and videos are often the only mementos you have from a wedding day,” says Lindsey Conklin of Le Rêve Films. “Wedding videography should not be considered a luxury. Not hiring a videographer is often the biggest regret couples have after a wedding. One thing a photo can’t do though that video can is capture important audible moments. Reliving the emotion in your voice as you recite your vows or the sweet words spoken by your father when he sees you in your dress for the first time are invaluable moments that only video can provide.”
Videographer Peyton Frank emphasizes that creating a film of your wedding serves as an incredible gift to your family—now and in the future. She says, “I cannot even fathom how meaningful it would be to me to have wedding films like the ones I create for my clients of my own parents and grandparents, to see what they were like when they married and to see everyone that was significant to them celebrating and having fun!”
Want to look back at your nuptials in film? Read ahead to get insights from some of the top wedding videographers in the business so you can hire the right team to capture the important moments of your big day.
Why You Should Hire a Wedding Videographer
If you are looking to hire a videographer to document your nuptials, the pros say it s important to find one that specializes in weddings. “A typical videographer might be used to working in an environment where they have more control and the ability to do multiple takes. But there’s no safety net for wedding videographers,” shares Conklin. “The experienced ones are usually flexible and prepared to handle any curve balls that may come their way, while still being able to capture stunning visuals.”
“Weddings are a really specific type of live production,” elaborates Frank. “A wedding filmmaker has the highly specialized skills of navigating a wedding timeline, working without interfering with the couple or guests experience of the event, working alongside the other creative partners, and navigating unexpected bumps along the way to ensure that no matter what, your wedding day is documented to perfection.”
Another important factor to consider is how your videographer and your photographer will work together. A video team experienced in weddings will have a greater ability to collaborate with your photographer and understand the nuances that go into both of their workflows. “Photographers and videographers have a dance that we perform throughout the day, each of us taking the lead at different times, finding inspiration from each other, and creating beautiful imagery for the couple,” says Chris Jespersen of Storybox Cinema. “We both know what the other is looking for in regards to coverage, so we always are trying to help each other out.”
That relationship not only is important on the big day, but also before and after your celebrations. “At every step of the process—from location scouting to social media rollout strategy—I am communicating and collaborating with the wedding photographer,” adds Frank. “This allows me to provide a seamless experience for my client and ensure that I am able to get the footage I want, while also respecting the needs of the photographer.”
How to Find the Best Wedding Videographer for Your Celebration
Once you’ve determined that video is a must for your wedding, it’s time to search for the videographer who fits your goals. Not all videography is the same, so you should get an idea of some of the commonly used styles before you start reaching out to people. Documentary is a traditionally hands-off approach where the videographer will not stage any moments. Cinematic videography creates a movie-like experience of the entire wedding with strategic use of audio and music throughout. A storytelling approach may infuse the story of your relationship throughout the film of your big day. Some videographers have a vintage style, using Super 8 film or older cameras to give a slight retro feel to footage. “There are plenty of options for every style and taste” notes Conklin “Some videographers are more known for bold and high energy editing, while others may be known for a more timeless approach.”
Once you get an idea of your aesthetic, you should take a look at what videographers are local to your venue or have the ability to travel to your nuptials. A recommendation, particularly from your wedding planner or photographer, also can be extremely helpful in your search as they will likely have experience collaborating with whomever they recommend, which will make the process more seamless.
While the look of a videographer’s style is important, don’t forget to consider that they will be with you throughout your wedding. “I recommend finding someone that you enjoy being around, who you connect with, and who has a clear vision,” says Jespersen. “If you love the energy and work of the person and align on their vision, then bravo, you found your wedding videographer!”
How to Add to the Wedding Videography Experience
While your wedding videographer’s fees will often cover their time, assistants, travel, equipment, hard drives, and editing, there are some additions that you can make to create a more robust film. While most couples limit videography to the main wedding day, you can also shoot the rehearsal dinner, welcome event, or smaller events you host around a wedding weekend. “Being able to relive the full experience of your entire wedding weekend is priceless. I even have clients who decide to bring me on for their engagement session or bachelor and bachelorette parties,” says Frank. Drone footage is also now a common add-on for sweeping overhead shots of ceremonies and reception layouts.
For couples that want a deeper look into their relationship in their wedding video, you can hire your videographer to film an additional adventure session. “[It’s] kind of like a ‘day in the life’ of the couple,” explains Conklin. “The videographer follows them around while they engage in a favorite activity. This content really adds a personal touch to the couple’s wedding video and is very compelling.”
Since many couples want to share their weddings on social media, a videographer can also provide specific additional edits that are properly sized down for different platforms, as well as the full-length film. These short clips can occasionally be turned around the week after your wedding. “Couples can absolutely ask their videographer if there is an option for quick turnarounds for highlights for social media,” adds Jespersen. “A lot of our clients do this and we love providing it. A video that is turned around the next day really elevates the experience and connectivity at an event.”
