The complete guide on how to choose one of the main vendors for your wedding.
Do you need a videographer at a wedding?
Just a few years ago, a wedding videographer was the exception rather than the rule. Many brides still had fresh memories of wedding films from the 90s—boring, hours-long reports featuring all the wedding trappings of the era.
Fortunately, modern weddings are no longer like they used to be, and the approach to wedding photography has also changed. While the need for a professional photographer or stylist is unquestioned, the question of whether a videographer is necessary remains a pressing one for many.
In my opinion, a videographer is as essential a wedding professional as a coordinator or decorator. If wedding photos are captured moments of the most important day, then video is its dynamic. It’s not just a beautiful picture, but also an opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of that day, relive its mood and emotions, hear your loved one’s voice tremble as they say their vows, and see tears of happiness in your loved ones’ eyes…
A wedding video, in addition to the photos, creates a complete, three-dimensional picture of the celebration and undoubtedly evokes a strong emotional response. Incidentally, a short 3-5 minute video is also a great way to share your wedding with friends on social media, as not everyone can handle scrolling through an album with 500 photos.
What do you need to know before choosing a videographer?
Before you begin your search, discuss with your groom what you want from your wedding video. Should it be a short clip with music, capturing the most important moments of the day, or do you want a reportage-style ceremony? What style of filming and editing do you prefer? Do you need drone footage? What’s your budget? Are you planning a pre-wedding love story shoot?
You’ll likely need to watch quite a few wedding videos to clearly formulate your filming requirements, but don’t skimp on this—after all, like photos, wedding videos are memories that will stay with you for years to come.
How to view a videographer’s portfolio?
Every videographer, like any other contractor, should have a portfolio with examples of their work. Be prepared for it to take much longer to review than a photographer’s portfolio. You’ll need to watch several shoots from start to finish to understand the professional’s style, what they emphasize, and how they gather footage. Pay particular attention to:
- Having a “plot.” A wedding video shouldn’t resemble a presentation with a collection of disjointed images. Rather, it should be a short film with movement, action, and a logical flow to the presentation.
- Image quality and editing style. You should be close to the professional aesthetic. If the image seems too dark or, conversely, the tones are too muted, move on to the next candidate.
- Video length and editing. Do you like the final “rhythm” and speed of the clip? Do some parts seem a bit drawn out?
- Are you interested in watching a videographer’s work? If you find yourself skipping videos because they look too similar, lacking any personality, and if you’re distracted by social media while watching, this is clearly not the right choice for you. Did you get emotional or even teary-eyed over a touching ceremony? Take a closer look at this professional!
- Special effects. How well-designed and appropriate are they? Too many effects will bore any viewer, so the clip should be engaging in its own right, not relying on explosions, slow-motion, or fast-motion footage.
- Music selection. Of course, you can communicate your musical preferences to the videographer personally once you’ve decided to collaborate, but music largely determines the impression and emotional tone of the video, and the professional’s taste should be close to your own.
A portfolio is a collection of the best work, according to the professional himself. If you give some work a weak “B,” remember—it won’t be any better at your wedding.
What else should you pay attention to?
After reviewing the portfolio, examine the specialist’s terms and conditions : cost of services, working hours, package deals, availability of an assistant, the possibility of traveling to other cities, current promotions (for example, discounts for early booking or special conditions for love stories when ordering a full wedding day shoot).
Before signing the contract, make sure it clearly specifies the deadline for delivery, video quality, and final cost. If you plan to order a pre-wedding video, make sure you receive the footage before the wedding so you can show it to guests at the reception.
And, of course, it’s crucial to arrange a personal meeting to chat and understand whether you like the videographer themselves, not just their work. For non-professional models, i.e., the vast majority of brides and grooms, filming a music video can be quite challenging: while during a photo shoot, a photographer might dictate a static pose, for a video, dynamics, your movements, and your relaxed attitude in front of the camera are crucial. And if you don’t like the person behind the lens, awkwardness and tension are inevitable.
Top 5 Tips for Choosing a Videographer
Make sure their shooting style suits your wedding style. For example, if a videographer’s portfolio primarily features classic, slightly pompous wedding videos in luxurious restaurants, they’re unlikely to dramatically change their style and create a bright, vibrant, and fun video for your youthful loft wedding. If you’re dreaming of a small, intimate wedding and an atmospheric, leisurely film with an emphasis on detail, a reportage videographer isn’t the right choice for you.
Consult with your photographer. They’ll likely be able to recommend several professionals they’ve worked with. Sometimes, a photographer and videographer work together—and that’s a big plus. A well-coordinated team is the key to great results!
Experience working specifically at weddings is crucial for a wedding videographer. Shooting with professional models and creating a beautiful video at a wedding with 60 guests are very different challenges. Weddings have their own specifics—nothing can be repeated, no one can expect the newlyweds and guests to “re-enact” a particular situation. They require the ability to connect with all the guests and capture the moment, and this only develops with experience.
Don’t choose a videographer based solely on the lowest price. You risk ending up with a video you won’t want to watch again. In that case, even a small expense isn’t justified.
Be sure to sign a contract! This will save you from unnecessary worries on the eve of the wedding.
Wedding Photographer – 10 Tips for Choosing the Best
Regardless of the time of year or location of your special day, it’s important to look for a wedding photographer well in advance. Professionals work to tight schedules, and bookings for specific dates begin months in advance. Especially if you’re looking for an affordable wedding photographer, it’s best to start searching as early as possible. Unlike decorators and cover bands, a photographer/videographer isn’t tied to a wedding venue. It’s perfectly acceptable to negotiate with such a wedding photographer even before the banquet hall has been selected.
The ideal wedding photographer is unique to everyone. For example, some couples prefer classic shots, while others seek a more creative approach. We suggest focusing on a few key factors when searching for a wedding photographer. This will help you identify the best specialist or team, as some tasks, such as weddings with a large number of guests, require two or three photographers. Check out these 10 criteria to help you find the perfect photographer for you.
1. Lightness or thoughtfulness
Every couple is different. Some seek vibrant photos with lots of color accents. Others see the ideal wedding photoshoot result as atmospheric shots with shadows or black-and-white images reminiscent of retro films. The uniqueness of modern photographers and videographers lies in their ability to convey their own vision. A wide variety of camera types and additional professional equipment helps wedding photographers express their own unique style and its distinctive features. Whether you want to see contrast or intentionally blurred areas in your photos, look for these elements in candidates’ portfolios.
A wedding photographer may work in a fairly standard manner, using decidedly “cliched” angles and poses for the newlyweds. But subsequent editing can work wonders. Be sure to inquire whether the price of the wedding photographer’s services includes processing of selected images in specialized editing programs.
Light and bright
Dark and atmospheric
2. An artistic view of photography
Artistic wedding photography isn’t simply capturing touching and memorable moments. It’s a conceptual art, a photographer’s ability to immerse themselves in the atmosphere, capture the guests’ mood, and the feelings of the bride and groom. Through their vision, the photographer and videographer captures emotions to immortalize them in a family album.
Beauty in artistic photography is conveyed through details that seem insignificant, even imperceptible, in the overall picture. Through a carelessly stray lock of hair from the bride’s hairstyle or the barely perceptible smile of the groom’s mother, a wedding photographer captures the tenderness, romance, and love that permeate the atmosphere.
3. Film photography
Looking for a wedding photographer in Delhi NCR who loves and knows how to shoot film is worthwhile if you find these types of images moving and help you relive happy moments. Film photography may be considered a vintage possession, but it’s enjoying a resurgence in popularity today. Analog photography requires a special approach, preparation, and experimentation. Equipment requires more complex maintenance, and printing wedding photos takes longer. While digital photography allows you to evaluate the result immediately and take additional shots if necessary, film photography is much more complex and in-depth.
In the creative process, which is inextricably linked to film photography, the photographer must visualize the final result as clearly as possible. Many wedding photographers utilize the magic of film to capture light and emphasize the background. This makes the finished images appear vibrant and three-dimensional.
4. Photos of the bride and groom
Couple photos from a wedding are the centerpiece of all the other images in a family album. To determine if a particular wedding photographer is right for you, ask them to show you samples of their work. Carefully examine shots where the bride and groom are the only ones in the frame. This will help you visualize how you will appear. Consider how you like the way the couple photos convey emotions and feelings. Consider at what distance the photographer and videographer typically shoot. Select these options and capture them as ideas for your wedding photo shoot.
5. Group photos
Photos with the groom’s family, then with the bride’s family, and then separately with colleagues and friends… this approach used to be standard. But today, wedding photographers bring together a wide variety of guests in groups, keeping things casual and not forcing people to stand rigid and pose. Instead of staged wedding photos, you can choose original, dynamic options. If the bride and groom aren’t particularly fond of group photo sessions, it’s best to avoid such shots altogether.
6. Details in the photographs
Everything about a wedding day is beautiful – the setting, the people, the excitement and excitement, the smiles, the tears of joy. While almost any wedding photographer can select a few high-quality, beautiful photos from hundreds, only professionals can master the details. Capturing the fleeting sparks of energizing emotions is a true art. Therefore, ask your wedding photographer to provide as many photos as possible and pay attention to the details. Capturing unexpected moments is what makes a good photographer great. Most wedding photographers have websites with full portfolios. You can also browse their work in the WedWed catalog .
7. Photographer’s style
Like any creative individual, wedding photographers have their own style, their own signature style. For this reason, there’s no perfect photographer who suits everyone. To achieve the desired result and open your wedding album often and with pleasure, you need to take the time to select a photographer. For example, you liked the work of a wedding photographer from our catalog, but didn’t see the right fit among them. You appreciate their style and ability to find touching moments in the most ordinary things, but you can’t imagine how this would work for you. Ask for additional photos from weddings that match the style and theme you envision for your big day. This will help you fully understand whether a particular photographer/videographer is right for you, or if you’d like to consider other candidates.
8. Working in different lighting conditions
There are situations when the result leaves neither the bride nor the groom happy. Everything was perfect when choosing a wedding photographer, but the resulting photos seem unsatisfactory. This often happens due to differences in lighting. For example, a wedding photographer might have provided photos from well-lit banquet halls and from the registry office. Your wedding is planned in a loft or an old mansion. The specific lighting can make the photos appear gloomy. To avoid this, ask the photographer to show you the part of their portfolio that best suits your needs. The same applies to weddings on the beach or an outdoor venue with plenty of light. Choose a photographer who is comfortable working in these conditions.
9. Forget about compromise
Some photographers are suitable for reserved couples, while others are suitable for creative ones. Therefore, look for someone who is close to you in spirit, who understands you, and anticipates your desires for specific results from the photo shoot. The first meeting will help you make a final decision. Don’t be persuaded to choose a wedding photographer simply because of an attractive price or other reasons. Above all, they should be easy to communicate with and you should feel “on the same wavelength.”
10. Price of a wedding photographer
A photo shoot will be over quickly and even forgotten, but the result will be treasured for generations in a family album. Therefore, it’s worth considering the price of a wedding photographer. Sometimes it’s better to reduce the budget in another, less important expense than to regret it later. The cost of services depends on the profile – the videographer and photographer are one person, skilled in the use of various photographic equipment. If an assistant is hired, the price of a wedding photographer’s services also increases.
To always have the contact information of contractors at your fingertips and easily allocate funds between different wedding planning tasks, get access to an online planner designed for stylish and independent couples.