Do You Really Need a Wedding Videographer?
3 Questions to Ask Yourself
When it’s all said and done and you are officially married not only will you leave with a new last name, but you will have truly priceless memories that you will carry in your heart and mind forever. Sadly in the whirlwind of your wedding day, the months and months of planning you’ve invested will all be over in just a few short hours! This is why capturing the story of your wedding day is truly essential because it all goes so quickly and it can be difficult to remember it all amidst the beautiful chaos. Not to mention there will be moments you won’t even realize happened as well as memories you will want to share with loved ones and with your future children and grandchildren! This is where your wedding video comes into play.
Now you might be thinking, “But I have a wedding photographer already. Do I really need video too?” To be honest each couples wedding priorities and budget are different, so even though I am a videographer myself I realize that it is not a necessity for everyone. However, I also know that the most common regret amongst past brides was not having video of their wedding day! So with that in mind I would really encourage you to ask yourself these three key questions to determine if hiring a videographer is a must for you.
Are there important relatives or friends that are going to miss your wedding?
Sometimes couples have grandparents that are too elderly to travel, family members that are ill or relatives that are simply too far away to make it to the wedding. In these instances, having a wedding video where they can hear your vows, watch your first dance and share in all of the special moments will allow them to feel like they were really there. Most videographers also offer a highlight reel which is the perfect snapshot of your day that you can easily share on social media while the full edit could be reserved just for the two of you and your closest friends and family to enjoy.
Are you having an action filled wedding day?
If you have some fun events planned to take place during your ceremony or reception it’s important to consider if photos alone will do them justice! Some of the things we have captured on video in the past that just don’t translate in still images include a ring warming ceremony where the couples parents & grandparents blessed the rings, the couple reading tear filled personalized vows, a bride vs. groom dance off, the bride’s father breakdancing (I’m talking floor spins and the whole nine!), the groom serenading his wife with a surprise song, a choreographed first dance, and a bridesmaid toast done in the form of a rap song– just to name a few. As much as I wish photos alone could tell the story of these amazing moments, the fact is that they just don’t do it justice. This is where video (and audio) truly shines!
Budget aside, can you envision yourself watching back your wedding film?
This is an important question to ask because if you can see yourself sitting on the couch with a glass of wine watching your wedding video together years from now– chances are you would regret not having one. On the other hand, I’ve had couples tell me with utmost certainty that they would probably never take the time to watch it more than once and that is okay too! Just be honest with yourself and if you feel like you would want to watch it again then it’s probably worth adding video to your list of priorities.
Author: Elle Baez, Orlando wedding photographer & videographer and avid binge watcher of Parks & Rec