So many brides wonder, "Should I book a wedding videographer?"
Dear bride, if you’re asking this question, I’ll tell you what I tell every bride or groom I run into… just do it.
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From a wedding videographer’s perspective.
Let’s break this down into two sections and start with telling you WHY I as a videographer, believe you MUST have a wedding film for your wedding.
You see, it was after I completed the teasers for my first few weddings that I truly realized the value of what I do. As a videographer, I see things from a different point of view that provides invaluable insight into the process for the bride and groom.
And one of these realizations is that you, the bride, gets to see your wedding from a different perspective.
Let me explain.
As the bride, your experience during your wedding day as wonderful as it may be, is limited to just your single experience.
First of all, remember this is YOUR day.
If possible, take the time to enjoy the moments, soak in the details. However, even if you try to do that, remember that you’re missing an entirely different perspective of your wedding… that being of your significant other! You, Miss Bride, (and yes you, Mr. Groom, if you happen to read this), are only seeing and experiencing your individual moments, until you both meet together.
For example, take the wedding ceremony.
The bride is MISSING EVERYTHING that happens before she walks down the aisle. And even though he is likely standing there at the start of the ceremony, the groom may also be missing the chance to soak in the details because of the anticipation of the bride’s pending entrance!
As we get older, we all know that the littlest things can be the most precious memories. Like having your dog (man AND woman’s best friend, thank you very much) walk down the aisle dressed up in his tuxedo as part of the wedding party, your mom crying before you, dear bride, even start your bridal walk, and your flower girl and ring bearer confusingly but in all their cuteness, walking the wrong way or doing the wrong thing. And let us not forget all your groom’s nervous antics in anticipation of your entrance! Even IF there has been a first look, this is something your groom absolutely anticipates with excitement!
Check out this Groom's reaction. Uh huh, go ahead and get your tissues.
You, as the bride, are missing ALL of this. And let’s be honest here, photos are helpful in giving you a glimpse of these moments… BUT they do not allow you to re-live these moments. For the sake of keeping this focused on our topic at hand, I will suggest you read my blog on the comparisons of photography versus videography for weddings and why you should have both and not one or the other. Because in my opinion, you need BOTH.
Anywho, back to the subject… as the bride awaiting your moment to enter your ceremony, your focus should be on enjoying every second of the anticipation. Talk to your father or brother, or whoever is walking you down the aisle. Take in the sight, sounds and even smells of what you are experiencing because you will never have that moment back. That moment that has value for a lifetime is lost in seconds so SOAK. IT. IN.
You will never experience seeing the reactions you missed during the ceremony. BUT the beauty is, if your wedding is being filmed, you know that you will get to experience everything you are missing.. later.
But it’s not only your significant other’s perspective that you are missing during the ceremony. You are also missing the opportunity to see everything through your guests’ eyes. That of your family, friends and loved ones.
And most importantly, every bride I’ve worked with has mentioned that it was beyond special to see herself as well. Because, remember, you aren’t seeing yourself enjoying the glory of your day as it happens. To see the nervous energy during the getting ready process and interacting with your mother and best girls. The tears when you finally put the dress on and you realize, this is about to Go. DOWN.
These are moments you will NEVER get back. And to be able to go back, weeks later, and watch those moments again, brings literally EVERYTHING back. All them feels though!
Getting to watch yourself back is amazing, emotional, and so so SO worth it. Which brings me to my next reason for why you need to book a wedding videographer.
You get to re-live your day. OVER AND OVER again.
A wedding film freezes an entire experience in time as opposed to a snapshot.
But here’s the thing. There are different types of wedding films you can purchase. Which, that is an entirely different discussion that I will discuss in the near future.
Personally, my favorite wedding film type is a highlight reel. In fact, I consider it essential to my wedding film services so I have it packaged as an absolute must in ANY package I offer to my clients.
This takes all your special moments of the day and blends them into a story. YOUR story. Your wedding day story that features you and your groom as the main characters.
In this way, you will get to relive your entire wedding summarized into minutes.
Moments you will never get back, are preserved forever. Your parents walking down the aisle, your groom standing at the altar trying to be macho man and hold himself together. Your first kiss. Your first kiss accidentally taken when you and your honey-bunches-of-oats get lost in the moment of the prayer during the unity candle lighting. (I have filmed this happening and it was so hilariously sweet, and incredibly special to be a part of).
The tears, the smiles, the laughs, the joy, the bittersweet moments are all emotions and experiences you will get to re-live only with a wedding film.
So yes. It is an ABSOLUTE MUST when it comes to your wedding. Hire. Book. Contract a wedding videographer now!
Ok, let’s decrease the dramatics a bit.
It’s not that you just get to have your own personal wedding day story movie.
BUT this can be a film that you use to make anniversaries special.
Can you imagine reliving that day consistently every year? It’s more than romantic, it’s a reminder of why you and your spouse chose each other. As you both grow, you’ll get to experience the reminder of how much that love has grown since your wedding day.
Shawn Johnson and her husband, Andrew East, are some of my favorite YouTube stars to sneak a peek on. You know, Shawn, the former Olympian gymnast? Yes… her and her hubby! Totally ADOREable. Now I’ve heard about this from other couples, but she and her husband are the first high profile celebrity I’ve heard of that does this.
Anywho, they do this very thing with their wedding film! Every year, on their anniversary, they watch it together. Talk about the RAW emotions!
And if you go watch some of these episodes where they re-watch their wedding film, you can see clear as day, their love re-ignite as they reminisce over every memory they re-live as they watch their wedding day film. It’s as if their love is palpable and gets rekindled. It makes me emotional, watching them get emotional, about reacting to their wedding film ALL OVER AGAIN.
It is absolutely the sweetest to witness and every married couple should be able to experience that.
If you don’t believe me, check them out. And if you still are on the fence about booking a wedding videographer, watch them and then tell me where you’re at after the fact!
I’m SURE you will be sold!
Just think… it’s your one time to splurge on something unique and meaningful to you that you will never have the chance to do again. Do NOT miss out on this!
It’s the worst regret that is totally preventable but if you miss it, you will never get back.
Besides it becoming an anniversary tradition for you and your love, it could very well be a special gift you can pass down to your kids one day.
That… is priceless.
Remember, memories fade in time. But this will keep your special day fresh.
So, what do brides say?
The bride and groom pictured above are one such couple that did not believe they had room to include a videographer. I’ll tell you more about their film one day and how it came to be. But in short, theirs was the first wedding film I ever filmed and it was truly an honor. What made it totally worth it was her reaction upon watching it.
(Of note, I have yet to work with a bride that has not loved their film. And honestly, if they don’t, I’ve done something wrong).
In her case, her review blew me away (find it in the testimonials section). Her reaction is why I took this leap in this arena. You brides out there (and grooms too) should have a beautiful film to relive, arguably, one of the best days of your life. You deserve it.
Another reason from a bride’s perspective for booking a videographer is this…
NOT booking a wedding videographer is in a bride’s top ten regrets!
The Knot also has an article supporting the need for a wedding film as well. Check out their advice!
I have heard horror stories of couples who lost a loved one after their wedding and they regret not having a videographer (or skimping on a high quality one because of the cost) to capture those moments of hugs, dancing, smiles, laughter.
If you frequent bridal groups on Facebook, I’m sure you have read posts of brides saying they wished they’d made room in their budget for a wedding videographer to capture the last time their mother was enjoying herself dancing at the reception because unexpectedly, they died soon after. Don’t let that be your experience!
Our memories are faulty and as time passes, those moments fade. Capturing them in real time… is truly priceless.
On the other hand, there are brides who did have a wedding videographer but wish they would have budgeted or made room on a budget for a higher quality video.
So here is my plug on this… if you are going to book a wedding videographer, make sure that whatever your budget is, you do NOT substitute the quality for the cost.
Sometimes those deals that look too good to be true, are exactly what you think they are.
An offer for an entire day of coverage for a documentary film, highlight reel, teaser and then photos bundled into the cost for only $1700 is a huge red flag considering the cost of equipment, editing software, delivery fees, and other expenses. In a future post, I go into detail about why hiring a videographer can be expensive, to further break this down.
But considering all that, it is STILL possible to book a videographer for a reasonable, budget-friendly cost without sacrificing the quality of your wedding film. You can read more about that in my blog on why a wedding video costs so much.
For my final thoughts…
Just hire a wedding videographer.
Regardless if it’s me or someone else, just hire a wedding videographer.
No bride or groom ever regrets the decision.
They may regret other things, like the quality of the film, or the personality of the videographer he or she booked, but they never regret the decision to have someone film their wedding.
You can always upgrade a ring. You won’t starve if you don’t book all the niceties for your meal options at your reception. But you can NOT go back and replace or substitute for a wedding film.
So what about the cost? What things should I look for in a videographer? These are extremely important questions that need to be answered before you search for a videographer and if you stick around I will be happy to give you what I consider to be vital tips to help you find what you are looking for.
But in short, if you are wondering if you should book a videographer for your wedding, wonder no more.
DO IT.
I do not care if it is an elopement, small wedding or big wedding. This is one day that is worth it to expand your budget for what most consider a “want” but is actually a true need. You can thank me later.
If you’re convinced and want to chat further, shoot me an email.
Otherwise, I wish you the best and hope you found some helpful information! Cheers!
~Ruth Elaine