Videographer For Wedding Ceremonies? Get 6 Great Insider tips!

I often get asked as a photographer if I can also be a videographer for wedding ceremonies. –The simple answer is not professionally no. It would be the same as asking one of your family members to do it.

It might be even worse as I then won’t be able to concentrate on the photography side of things and will be spread too thin.

Although there are similarities between wedding videography and photography, they are entirely different disciplines.

Yes, there are those out there that may have mastered both arts, but you do need to realise if you are employing someone to do both for your wedding, you are asking them to do two different jobs, which are equally demanding and require a lot of skill and attention.

With one person doing two jobs, it’s almost guaranteed that there are critical moments that will be missed.

The above is the main reason why you should hire a professional videographer for wedding ceremonies separately from your photographer.

 

Still, there are many other reasons you will benefit from a wedding videographer. Here are a few of them below!

 

1. You can capture what is being said – this is probably the most obvious one, but many people seem to overlook that video also captures sound!

This means the banter while you are getting ready, reading your wedding vows, and speeches, to name a few things, are all captured and recorded in perfect detail for you.

Not many people can remember what was said at their wedding ceremony or the speeches, no matter how special. This way, you can re-hear them with all the drama and emotion from your wedding day.

2. Your wedding dances – particularly if you have put some effort in and learnt a few moves or if you love to dance together and want to capture that closeness, then this is a great moment to capture on video.

This goes for the father-daughter dance as well. Yes, you will also have the photos, but hearing it with the music you chose and seeing the moves you have been working on play out is quite magical.

3. Video messages from friends and family – your guests might have something unique to say, and it’s even better to hear it in their own voice. Video is perfect for that, and you can get your videographer to do this at various stages throughout the wedding day.

4. Wedding highlights video – in addition to the full video from your wedding day, a professional wedding videographer normally provides a wedding highlights video.

This is great to share with friends and family and will show off the fantastic moments from your wedding day a bit like a movie trailer.

5. It adds movement and makes your wedding day come to life. When added to your photography package, it’s awesome to see the photos and video work together and to see the different parts captured by both disciplines.

Just like a beautiful moment can be printed and put on your wall to view, watching the video will also remind you of that moment as it happened exactly.

6. We are moving into an age where videography is becoming more and more popular. It is seen increasingly across the board, from your Instagram reels to websites with videos in them.

So hiring a videographer for wedding moments, which you can then take snippets from and post to all your social media fans, is definitely a must!

Wedding videography can also be quite expensive – after all, it is many hours of work both on the day of the wedding and afterwards, editing many hours of footage.

And there is only one chance to capture the moments from your wedding day. So this is a highly skilled discipline. But there are ways you can save costs on a wedding videographer.

It does not have to cost an arm and a leg – many videographers are reasonably priced, reliable and produce amazing work.

 

Try to find a wedding photographer and videographer combo package.

 

Many photographers and videographers partner to create a discounted package if both are booked for the same wedding.

Renphotos offers this with our videography partnership with Camsol in South Africa – offering favourable pricing and videography packages for those who book a wedding package with us!

 

Research beyond the first page of Google!

 

There are many other avenues to check for amazing videographers. Unfortunately, it often takes a lot of money to advertise with Google or get on the first page of Google – think of it as prime real estate.

Yet this is often where people look first and no further.

The problem is that these costs reflect in the pricing of the packages these companies offer. There is nothing wrong with that, and if you have the budget for it, go ahead and book them – they are often the absolute best videographers out there.

But if you are looking for more budget-friendly options, look further than the first-page search results! Instagram and Facebook are also great places to search.

Do enough research on who you are hiring, ask to see as much work as possible, and meet beforehand.

 

You don’t necessarily need to take the videography and photography for the same number of hours.

 

Check with your preferred vendors if they offer smaller packages and perhaps look at hiring the videographer for a shorter time and only capturing the essentials from the ceremony to the speeches, for instance.

If this is the most crucial part for you to catch and hear afterwards.

The same can be said for photography – work out a timeline that will allow you to get the most from each vendor, as videographers and photographers normally have packages for a certain amount of hours.

 

A WORD OF CAUTION

 

Although it’s good to shop around and get the best price for your budget – try to be realistic with your budget.

Many people out there call themselves professional photographers and videographers but have bought a camera and think that’s all it takes.

Be sure to check previous work before booking and paying for either.

A videographer for weddings should have plenty of experience and therefore should have plenty of previous work to show you and be comfortable doing so.

If you aren’t sure what to expect, set up a meeting with the one you love but might not be able to afford first. Then set up a meeting with someone who may be cheaper, but you aren’t 100% sure of their work.

I would bet that by the end of both and seeing the work etc. You would be more likely to go with the first option.