I’m sure you know what it’s like to walk into a room just after someone has revealed the punch line to a hilarious joke. People are rolling on the ground cracking up and you’re left wondering what you missed. I feel the same way about looking at still pictures of people doubled over in the midst of a laughing fit. I’m always left wondering what was so darn funny.
In my opinion, nothing captures the true experience of being at an event than having life-like moving images… and audio. These are elements that still photography simply can’t match. For instance, a still photographer can shoot unbelievably lovely shots of you and your spouse exchanging your wedding vows, but he will never be able to capture the emotion laced words with a 35-millimeter camera. The same is true for capturing the corny (yet wonderful) wedding toasts given by friends and family members at your reception.
By now you can probably deduced that I had a videographer at my wedding. It’s true. I am an advocate of videography and save for the birth of a child, I don’t think there is a more momentous occasion to capture on video than your wedding day. With that said, the service doesn’t come cheap. (I was lucky to have a friend shoot my wedding. At the time of my wedding I worked at a TV station, so the videographers there took turns shooting colleagues’ weddings and provided the service as a wedding gift.) The average wedding video runs about $900, though prices can vary greatly depending on what you want taped and what you want the end result to look like.
If you simply want raw footage of the wedding and reception you will be spending significantly less than a bride who wants all the bells and whistles. Another way to save money is to opt for videos that are edited ‘in-camera,’ meaning the videographer turns off the camera during downtimes, and tapes over unneeded footage. The most expensive option is the professionally edited video. This includes shooting and editing all raw footage, and adding in titles, graphics, music and other special effects.
In most cases, wedding videographers offer packages with a set shooting time limit (typically 3 to 5 hours) anything over that requires you to pay an additional per-hour fee. As I mentioned in my previous blog about choosing a still photographer, it is critical to set up an introductory meeting with a potential videographer to see if his/her personality is compatible with yours. Also, look for a videographer who shoots with professional-grade video cameras. Newer digital cameras offer great quality as well. You may even consider asking for your events to be shot on two different cameras. Finally, some churches and synagogues have restrictions on where the videographer can stand. It’s a good idea to have your videographer attend your wedding rehearsal, so he/she can determine the best place to set up.
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