March 12, 2025
Wedding
Top Tips and Advice for Hiring a Wedding Videographer
Top Tips for Hiring a Wedding Videographer
As a wedding videographer with over 100 weddings captured, I’ve had the privilege of documenting countless love stories. Over the years, I’ve learned what couples value most when choosing a videographer. Your wedding films should be timeless keepsakes that allows you to relive your special day for generations. With so many options available, how do you select the right one for you?
Research Tip 1: Understand Your Vision and What It Means for Your Package
Wedding videography packages can vary significantly, so it’s important to first consider what you want in a wedding film. Some couples prefer a short highlight film, while others opt for a more comprehensive documentary-style video.
Key package options include:
- Sneak Peek / Trailer Films: Short 30-60 second glimpses into your day.
- Highlight Film / Short Film: 4-12 minute films showcasing the best moments, often with music and audio from vows, toasts, and key moments.
- Documentary Films: Full coverage of the day, including ceremony, speeches and reception moments, with less cinematic editing.
- Coverage: Most couples opt for 8-10 hours of coverage, but non-traditional weddings may require more or less.
- Extras: If drone footage, a second shooter, social media edits, raw footage, live streaming or rehearsal dinner coverage are important to you, confirm these features are available.
Pro Tip: Not all highlight or documentary films are of equal quality—always watch the videographer’s work before making a decision.
Research Tip 2: Choose the Right Videographer Style for You
Now that you know what you want in a wedding film package, it’s time to decide what you are looking for in a videographer. Every videographer films and edits differently, the best way to decide what is right for you is to watch films and imagine that you are watching your wedding film.
Which films capture what’s important to you? Which films stir up your emotions? Are you drawn to films that show more candid moments, posed shots, or maybe a mix of both? Do you like a lot of slow motion? Drone shots? A lot of vows and toasts audio, or mostly just music? There are no wrong answers!
Understanding which style resonates with you will help narrow down your search.
Pro Tip: Watching films and browse a videographers website is a great step to learning about who they are and seeing if their style resonates with you.
Pro Tip #2: Be cautious of companies who use the term “our team” because you may not know who will show up to film your big day. If you’ve fallen in love with a particular videographer’s work, make sure that person will be the one filming and editing your wedding and not someone from their team whom you haven’t met and haven’t seen their work.
Research Tip 3: Where to Look for Wedding Videographers
There are several ways to find a wedding videographer:
- Social Media: Instagram and Facebook are great for browsing videographers’ work and getting a sense of their style.
- Referrals: Ask recently married friends or family for recommendations. Personal referrals often lead to reliable choices.
- Google: A quick search for “wedding videographers in [your area]” will reveal a range of options. Review their portfolios and customer feedback to assess quality.
- Wedding Directories & Websites: Sites like The Knot, WeddingWire, and Zola help you filter by location, budget, and style, though they are often overly saturated with larger nationwide companies.
Pro Tip: Social media profiles can be attractive, but can be deceiving. Make sure you watch some full films! You are hiring someone to capture your whole day, not just a 10 second reel!
Research Tip 4: Read Reviews and Testimonials
Reviews and testimonials provide insight into a videographer’s strengths. Look for feedback on:
- Communication: How well did the videographer communicate during the planning process?
- Experience: How did they handle the wedding day and interact with other vendors?
- Final Product: Did the video capture the essence of the couple’s day?
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to leave a review after your wedding to help future couples find the right videographer.
Inquiry Tip 1: Inquire About Packages, Pricing, and a Personal Connection
As you reach out to videographers, ask about their pricing and package options. Transparency about pricing means transparency in the rest of the process as well. Additionally, request a phone or Zoom call to connect personally and gauge whether you’re comfortable working with them.
Pro Tip: High-end luxury videographers may not list pricing on their websites and may request a consultation before sharing costs.
Inquiry Tip 2: Understanding the Cost of Wedding Videography
There is a lot of misinformation about the cost of wedding photographers and videographers. There are a number of factors that come into play, the biggest being your area and the package you want. However, here are some general estimates based solely on what I know photographers and videographers are charging in the Charlottesville, VA area.
- Value Videographers / Larger “Video Team” Oriented Companies: $1,000 – $5,000
- Experienced Boutique Videographers: $5,000 – $10,000
- High End Videographers: $10,000 – $20,000
- Luxury Videographers: $20,000+
Pro Tip: There are extremely talented videographers at every level, a lot of pricing is based on what kind of weddings someone likes filming and how they market themselves, the key is finding who’s right for you!
Inquiry Tip 3: Essential Questions to Ask During the Consultation
Hiring a wedding videographer is a big decision, and the consultation call is your chance to ensure you’re choosing the right person to capture your special day. To make sure you get the most out of your meeting, here are some essential questions to ask your potential wedding videographer:
- How many hours of coverage do you recommend?
- Describe your filming and editing style.
- How do you record audio throughout the day?
- Have you worked at my venue before, or with my photographer / planner?
- Who are your second videographers?
- Will you actually be filming and editing my wedding?
- How does music selection work for the highlight film?
- Do you back up footage?
- What happens if it rains?
- How will our films be delivered?
- What do we need to do to officially book our date?
- If an act of God happens and you can’t make it to our wedding, what happens?
Pro Tip: Watch a couple of highlight films before your call. This will help you understand their style and allow you to ask more relevant questions.
Booking Tip 1: Plan Ahead, Especially During Busy Seasons
Wedding seasons can get booked up quickly, particularly during peak months like spring and fall. To ensure you secure your ideal videographer, it’s important to book as early as possible. Popular videographers can have limited availability, and dates fill up quickly. Ideally, try to book your videographer at least 8 to 12 months in advance.
Pro Tip: Reach out to videographers early and be prepared to make a decision quickly if you find a great match. Waiting too long may result in your preferred videographer being fully booked.
Wedding Day Tip 1: Trust Your Videographer on Your Wedding Day
Now that you’ve hired the perfect videographer, trust them to do their job. Enjoy your wedding day without stressing about directing every shot—after all, you hired them for their expertise and experience.
Conclusion
Choosing the right wedding videographer is one of the most important decisions during your wedding planning. I can confidently say that you don’t need to overspend to get a beautiful wedding film. By following these tips, you can find a talented videographer who matches your style, budget, and vision for your wedding day.
Happy wedding planning!