Every time I visit a wedding Facebook page or group, I always see the same question. Is a wedding videographer necessary? And the answer to that question is an easy “YES!” You may think that because you are hiring a photographer you don’t need a videographer, but they are two very different forms of art and one does not cover the other, and I can tell you 10 reasons why you need a videographer.
1. Some Moments Cannot Be Photographed – Good photography is powerful; it’s one of, if not the most important thing you should budget for. Investing in a good photographer is a must, but even the best photographer in the world cannot capture sounds and movement. The sounds from your video could be the vows you and your soon-to-be spouse speak to one another, a word of wisdom from the father of the Bride, or the Best Man sharing a funny and unforgettable story about the Groom. Movement could be the Groom seeing his Bride for the first time, a mother holding her “little boy” during the mother-son dance or watching the couple smash cake into each other’s faces.
2. The Emotional Impact – The emotional impact that videos can bring basically go hand-in-hand with sounds and movements, but also added music that go with the couple’s taste and carefully selected clips to bring everything together. It can leave you crying one minute and laughing the next. For example, my husband assisted me with a ceremony and he managed to capture such a tender moment: The officiant along with everyone else had their heads bowed and eyes closed. As the officiant prayed, the Groom opened up one eye and peeked at his Bride. She just so happened to peek up at him at the same time. She shot him a quick smile and closed her eyes again. You better believe you’ll see this clip in the highlights!
3. Easily Shareable – It’s unfortunate when a family member or friend cannot make your wedding due to distance, sickness or other reasons. Nowadays, videos can easily be uploaded through YouTube or Vimeo and can be shared within a click of a button. Having video will allow those who were unable to attend your big day in person a front row seat of your ceremony, digitally.
4. You’ll Get To See Moments You Might Have Missed – On the day of your wedding, you will want to take everything in, but in reality, this cannot happen; you won’t be able to see everything. You could be talking with a guest and thanking them and miss your parents dancing cheek to cheek with one another. You won’t be able to see, behind closed doors, your adorable little flower girl struggle to carry her pail of flower petals down the aisle. There’s nothing else like seeing your mother tear up while you read your vows. With video – you will see priceless moments you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
5. Play Celebrity for the Day – You are the Bride and Groom, King and Queen; it is your day after all! You walking down the aisle comes to life in video – just imagine the doors opening along with the music revealing you. It is one of the few days where you get to be the focus and are surrounded by all the family and friends who love you. Your wedding is a day where you have worked hard to create an atmosphere that reflects you, your spouse, and your life together. All eyes and lenses will be on the two of you as we adore the charmingly dressed Groom and his Bride’s beautiful white dress sweeping across the floor. You’ll forget those little things, but your videographer will help you remember!
6. A Professional VS Uncle Larry – With the new iPhone specs being better than ever and cameras being more affordable everyday – it may seem like a good idea to pass the videography job to a friend or family member – don’t do it! There have been too many incidents about the lack of quality, missed moments and even worse, lost footage. You want Uncle Larry to attend your wedding, not work it; let him celebrate with the rest of the family. He may not be able to handle low light settings (causing grainy footage) and capture clear audio from the ceremony or toasts during the reception. Professionals come in 100% invested and excited about your wedding day. They know the toll the job can bring and they come prepared for the unexpected. You may witness the work they do on the day of, but the pros are still thinking of your wedding, weeks after going through all your footage and piecing everything together to tell your story cinematically. Professionals are worth the price they charge – which brings us to Reason 7.
7. May Not Be As Costly As You Think – If you didn’t add a videographer to the list of must-haves because you might think having a video would cost too much then be sure to re-consider your list. Do your research, compare prices with the amount of quality and quantity you will receive, and know about how long you need them there for; you might not need them there as long as you need your photographer. Once you’ve done this, meet up or speak with any videographers to see if they match you and your love’s personality and style. You may be pleasantly surprised!
8. A Keepsake – So your wedding day has come and gone, but you still have your video. While you can’t physically touch your video as you can with photos, you can still watch your day over and over again. You can make it a tradition to watch your video every anniversary; it’ll bring back memories and be a reminder of why you chose each other. This will be the closest thing you have to re-living your wedding day.
9. Remembering Loved Ones – Not only is having a video a keepsake, but it’s also a way to remember our loved ones as well. The people we love come and go, but your wedding video will bring back happy thoughts of when they were still with us. Like when they walked down the aisle, danced in the competition of who’s been married the longest, or gave a word of advice. All those emotions and memories from your day will come flooding back in.
10. No Regrets – This might be the reason that breaks my heart the most. Along with the question of “is a wedding videographer worth it?”, I also see this post around a lot – “What is your biggest wedding regret?”. 9/10 you will always see someone comment “not going with a videographer”. You won’t want to go through your wedding day and realize that you should have hired a professional; by then, it’s too late. There are just some moments in life that cannot be a re-take.
If you are getting married and have any questions about hiring a videographer for your big day, you can always visit our contact page and send your questions over. Remember, shop smart and happy wedding planning!
– Sarah, Skys the Limit Production
Other related blogs:
Video and photographers working together – Shoot together, not at each other
Wedding blogs – Lauren & Sean |The Barn at Four Pines Ranch in Crosby, Texas
Proud moments for video and photography – Bragging Rights