Mrs. Eggplant’s Mistakes, Part I: How NOT To Hire A Videographer
November 6th, 2007 @ 4:55 pm by Mrs. Eggplant
Let me begin this entry by saying that I LOVE great wedding videographers. I adore the finished product of well filmed and edited wedding videos that can capture the magic of a wedding, like the video Mrs. Emerald posted from Still Motion. A talented, professional videographer can immortalize a wedding day into a treasured keepsake for years to come.
Unfortunately, the Eggplants hired the OPPOSITE of a good wedding videographer.
In my last post I mentioned how important wedding photography was to me. We budgeted beacoup bucks to hire the best photographers. All of my wedding-related decisions revolved around the question, “Would this look good in our pictures?” Well, you can imagine my horror when I started receiving the non-pro pics from my friends after the wedding, only to find that our wedding videographer had found his way into a fourth of the photographs!
See the evidence below from pictures taken by various friends:
Exhibit A shows our videographer’s first offense: Don’t wear white if you’re a videographer/photographer!
When I opened the hotel room door to welcome our videographer on the morning of my wedding, I was horrified as he took off his dark coat to reveal a gleaming starch-white shirt. At that moment, I knew that he was not a skilled or experienced videographer. We’ve all learned in second grade science class that black absorbs light and white reflects it. All professional videographers and photographers will show up to your wedding wearing dark colors so that they are less obtrusive and do not reflect light. Obviously, if you are going to hold a camera, carry a HUGE lamp and be near the bride and groom all day… don’t wear white!
Exhibit B shows our videographer’s second offense: Don’t stand at the altar if you’re not part of the bridal party!
What the heck is our videographer doing?? I understand the need to get the shot, but he’s standing in the bridal party lineup like one of the girls! I should have lent him a pink dress and heels. At least he would’ve blended in better. The above picture is also a good example of “Don’t Wear White.” If our videographer was wearing black, you would’ve barely noticed him.
Exhibit C shows our videographer’s third offense: Don’t film key wedding moments from obvious places!
When Mr. Eggplant showed me this photograph, I was at the Honolulu airport, waiting to board the plane to Kauai. My initial shock turned to distress, and then crying. Yes, bridezilla came out after the wedding was over. I am embarrassed to admit that I bawled at gate 37 of HNL international. All I could imagine were visions of our videographer’s round little head appearing in all of our wedding photographs. I was so upset until Mr. Eggplant gently reminded me that our wedding photographers were very skilled and they would not let an obtrustive videographer ruin our wedding pictures.
Exhibit D is just another photograph that shows the sum of all offenses.
And lastly, here is the difference between two professionals and an amateur. Notice how Ray and Erwin are wearing black. Notice how Ray is standing and Erwin his kneeling so that they are out of each others’ line of sight. Now, notice our videographer on the side wearing his lovely white shirt in all it’s glory. Bleh!
Other offenses from our videographer included:
- Getting up front and in the faces of everyone making speeches and toasts at the reception. It was very distracting, especially with his blaring white light shining in the eyes of all our speakers. He was so obtrusive, walking circles around everyone. And from what I saw, he wasn’t even holding the camera steady.
- Standing in the way of our photographers while they were shooting. Erwin actually came up to me at the wedding to ask me if he could get in front of the videographer to take his shots. I gladly said yes.
Originally, Mr. Eggplant and I were not going have a videographer at our wedding at all. This guy happened to be our photographer for our Chinese banquet on Sunday (we didn’t need pro pics for the second day and he has documented many of Mr. Eggplant’s family functions, from weddings to 80th birthdays), and he offered to film our Saturday wedding also. I never met the guy before my wedding day, but I heard that he had been shooting weddings for 30 years, so I assumed that he had some experience. Both jobs were a mere $1500 total. Had I known that he would’ve been a hinderance, I would have gone completely without a videographer rather than hire one who was so obtrusive. My experience is a shining example of the motto, “you get what you pay for.”
Now let me just say, I have not received the video footage back yet. Perhaps when I do, I will change my mind about having this guy film our wedding. However, Mr. Eggplant and I have received the Chinese banquet pictures back and we’re both convinced we both could’ve done a better job with our eyes closed.
Well, I hope that my experience has revealed the benefits of hiring a professional videographer. As you can see, an amateur one can actually do more harm than good. So if you’re in the market for a videographer, by all means, please hire a good one, even if it costs some extra money.
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36 Responses to “Mrs. Eggplant’s Mistakes, Part I: How NOT To Hire A Videographer”
I am so, sooo sorry this happened to you! 
When Mr P and I first met our photographer he asked us if we were gonna have a videographer. When we said no, he breathed a sigh of relief and told us that more than half of videographers at the weddings he’s done were nothing short of obtrusive and distracting - he has missed some really good shots because of them.
Like you mentioned a the beginning of the post, there are some videographers that are amazing and 100% professional, but they usually cost an arm and a leg.
However, with all that said, your professional photos are spectacular and totally drool-worthy. I hope you’re feeling better, because I know there are many many girls out there (myself included) who would’ve killed for a wedding as beautiful as yours. 
oh! the same thing happened to me. my dad really wanted me to get a videographer and said his friend could do it. i thought that his friend would have some experience with it. but no… when i walked up the aisle, the videographer was like almost in the center of the stage!! to the right of our pastor! i was surprised… he was in the middle of the dance floor for the first dance/ father daughter dance. after the wedding i was scared that he’d be in the pictures!! but its true that any good photographer can work around them. and our photographer did! i didn’t see any pictures with the videographer. and it looks from the pro pictures you’ve posted so far there isn’t any sign of him! btw, our video ended up making us laugh. he was trying to use all these effects like blurriness and stuff but it just looked like a wedding in the eyes of someone who was high! it was fun to laugh about it after.
Aww, Mrs. E, that stinks. But, I have hope for you. As Mr. E said, your photogs are pros and I’m sure that even if the poopy videog is in some shots, they can help you crop the shots you choose for your album or do some Photoshop work to get rid of him.
For anyone else who does hire a videog, I’d recommend making it clear to both videog and photog who has priority. And while you’re at it, tell the DJ(s) to wear black too for the same reasons Mrs. E pointed out.
OH man…..Thanks for the heads up. No wonder our photographer was so adamant about working with only certain videographers….he gave us a list of those that he normally works with. I can see now what a pain it is to work with someone that doesn’t know the “norms”. However, you still look so beautiful in all of the pictures. Our church gave us instructions on where photogrpahers and videographers can not stand.
Oh no, sounds like you got a bad one. I’m sure your photographers, amazing as they were, will have worked around him, and if not, there’s always Photoshop! Seriously, at the very least you can Photoshop his shirt to be black instead of white. At best you can remove him entirely.
I understand some of your points..
But aren’t all those pix taken by non-proffesionals? I mean it’s not like it’s your actual proffesional pix that have him in it right?
Just trying to throw out another angle.
I feel kinda bad for him now!
those would have been the same reasons why i wouldn’t like him [in fact, those were some of the reasons why i didn't like a couple of photographers at recent weddings i've attended]. hopefully the video will still be decent. i’m not worried about the photos, the few that i saw look amazing!
Hi Karieck. =)
Yes, those pictures were taken by our friends and family. We have not yet received all the pictures back from our photographers and I’m certain that they won’t give us many with our videographer in the shots. I’m sure that they know the angles at which to take good pictures and crop out the videographer.
What I was most upset about was the missed opportunity for good shots. If you take a look at picture “C” for example… there’s one chance to get a good shot of the bride and groom’s first kiss and our videographer is in direct line of sight. These are only a sampling of the examples. In addition to the pro pics, I also counted on getting a whole bunch of non-pro shots from friends and family to keep, but unfortunately the guy is in 1/4 of them.
I feel bad for him as well, because he’s supposedly been doing this a while, yet he doesn’t know videography basics 101. I intend to gently give him some tactful feedback soon.
I am so the odd one out that my uncle is my photographer and I paid ALOT for my videographer. I really hope that after you see the video you will be happy he was in everyone’s face and you can relive your vows and everyone’s speeches again!!
I’m sorry; this bites. A white shirt? Um professionals wear black. Didn’t he get the memo?
I guess that’s one good thing about hiring a videographer/photographer team, but really a good vendor in general shouldn’t be getting in the way of another vendor. I’m sorry….hopefully the footage he got will make it better.
I’m sorry this happened to you, Mrs. Eggplant, but you have such a funny way of describing it that I couldn’t help but laugh while reading you describe his blunders.
It’s a good lesson to the rest of us, though!
I’m so sorry about your videographer. It is frustrating when photos (that you get to cherish forever) are ruined by one person.
I do understand Karieck’s point about the non-professional photos. Weddings are hard to shoot. There are a lot of things going on. Professionals are usually experienced on how to work around most of the obstructions (not only photographers, but guests as well).
In my opinion, picture C could have been shot at a better angle. A slight move to the left could have centered you and Mr Eggplant in the frame, not cut off the groomsman, miss the videographer, and still get a good shot of your kiss. If the photo was really about the kiss, the photographer would have zoomed in and focused on the two of you.
Oic!
Well I think it’s good that you are going to tell him, but in a gentle way!
No one else has probably told him!
Hopefully he will take the suggestions as constructive and be a better vendor next time!
Hope it works out!
If it makes you feel better, in the photos that the horrible video light isn’t on, all I noticed was your beautiful wedding.
I can see why you see the videographer, but most people will be looking at you. So maybe you can salvage some of the non-pro pics.
This was a great post. You bring up really crucial points regarding the importance of good vendors.
In your particular case, don’t worry too much. Your photographers are supremely talented and I’m sure the photos will turn out fabulous! Remember that narrow depth of field can blur him out in the background and clever cropping can cut him out completely.
As a wedding photographer, let me add one other tip — make sure you TELL your photographer that you are hiring a videographer. Even better, give them each other’s contact info. I specify in my contract that I need to know, because it does effect everything about the photography. Just imagine getting that perfect shot set up only to have them swing their headlight around and alter everything! (I know how to roll with it and it doesn’t slow me down, but it is still good to know in advance!)
My last wedding with TWO videographers, I had to race with them to get the shots of the bride & groom leaving, and they kept getting in every single one of them. Not a fun battle to fight!
Photographers can also edit him out when needed, although sometimes it does involve an extra fee. But like Mrs. Ant said, clever cropping and depth of field are a photographer’s friends in cases like these - and one of my all-time favorite wedding shots was taken while I was crouched under the videographer’s arm, using his headlight to light my shot!
WOW! What a nightmare, but it’s so true that what you pay for. However, I second Cs’s comment regarding I really only see a happy and stunning bride in a really gorgeous dress. (Oh, yeah, and sometimes I noticed the groom ; ). In examples B & C I think it would be a semi easy fix to retouch him out of the shots. I know you’re pro shots will be perfect, but for now while you wait for them it might make you feel better to retouch him out ; )
One word : Photoshop.
From what I see, he can be taken out in Photoshop pretty easily. The ones with a big glow from his lights needs a bit more work, but it is doable. So if you think it is a really big deal that he sneaks into your pictures, maybe pick a few of the good ones, and talk to your photographer and see if they can take him out digitally.
I agree - in B &C I wouldn’t have even noticed him. I just only notice the beautiful bride and her bouquet, and sometimes the groom~
Hope you don’t feel too bad. I also agree, your pro shots will be beyond amazing and they will know how to get rid of any obstructions.
Perhaps you are a little ahead of yourself.
I am sure the selected professional pics will be amazing. I know how eager I was to see my photos, perhaps you are over analyzing a little. My video guy wore a suit all day with a white shirt and tie despite it being 100 degrees!
I never knew this was wrong?
Can someone please elaborate on the rule that professionals wear black or dark shirts?
By the way I love your dress and hair piece!
Is he really a professional? His “video equipment” looks like a camcorder.
it’s funny, we worked with a videographer that was amazing but i can’t remember what they were wearing at all. definitely didn’t get any pro pics back that showed them. i think one of the videographers might have been wearing a dark suit. anyway, i can see both sides… i’m sure you won’t feel as strongly about it when you get your pro pics back… but i’ve been to weddings where BOTH the photographer and videographer are literally right next to the officiant during the ENTIRE ceremony, darting in and out, POSING the bride and groom during the ceremony, and running up and down the aisle at all times. i was afraid that was the case for all weddings but ours wasn’t nearly as horrible as that. i can see the case for great pictures and video to remember the day, but i think having an amazing experience the day of and NOT feeling like you have paparazzi (that you are then forced to pay for) is more important!
actually i am just remembering now that i was in a wedding last year and was surprised when the photographer showed up… she was a petite, quiet, hip woman with a long ponytail, a white button-down, a short colorful necktie, and french cuffs with cufflinks that matched her tie. and it all coordinated with the wedding colors. i thought she was the coolest thing EVER. (of course it helped that she was so quiet and professional.)
by the way… you were a totally gorgeous bride and your wedding was so beautiful!!! like a glamorous fairytale.
Mrs. Eggplant, you crack me up. Especially about giving him a pink dress! This is such helpful advice that did not even cross my mind! Thanks for the helpful information. I’m sure your photographers can find away to get rid of him.
if you’ve ever worked in tv, you’ll understand that for videographers, getting the right picture is more important than anything else. when choosing between being unobtrusive and getting the shot, the good ones tend to go for getting the shot. did you stop to think that sometimes there is only one good angle to get a shot from??? and that angle may happen to be inconvenient.
if i were you i’d review the video you get back before complaining about someone else so vehemently to such a broad audience.
if you didn’t like his style, it sounds more like your miscommunication than his fault.
and to complain that he was wearing white… this is bridezilla at its worst!
this is a very helpful post. and i disagree with suzybrown2b - i don’t think a wedding is like a TV show! i mean, i was sort of surprised that wearing white as a vendor was a big deal too, but i can see it from mrs. eggplant’s view. the first two pictures are beautiful, but the videographer is really distracting!!
Here’s one of the KBOTW’s vendor review comments on her videographer: “a perfect quality for a videographer who seems to be EVERYWHERE without being noticed,” so I don’t see how Mrs. Eggplant is in any way being a bridezilla — I think the norm is to expect that your video guy is not going to stick out, not just in pictures, but on the day of, like a sore thumb!
Ok, take a deep breath. Since the wedding is over and this is all in the past, the last thing you want to happen is have this taint your entire memory of such a beautiful, wonderful day.
I will admit, I wouldn’t have known the white shirt rule until stated right here in your post. And I will also admit that if I were the glowing bride in your pictures, I wouldn’t have thought a thing about the videographer being in them. BUT, and that is a big ‘but’, just because I wouldn’t notice it doesn’t mean that the videographer gets a get-out-of-jail free card. If that is the professional thing to do, than he should have done it.
Since your photographers were so great, I am sure that they were able to shoot around him (as opposed to the friendly snapshots you have seen up until this point). Hopefully that helps assure you, and if nothing else, at least he won’t show up in the video
Just promise yourself that when you DO get your photos back, you will look at them the first time like a stranger would. That means, no searching for flaws. I ended up hating my pro-pics at first because all I could see was my stupid grin and my ‘bat wing’ hanging over my dress in every picture. Once I stepped back a bit and viewed them like everyone else would, I was able to accept how beautiful I really was that day.
Mrs Eggplant firstly you do look like a wonderful happy bride!
In regards to the “no white shirt policy” for vendors I mentioned it to my DOC and she said there is no policy or rule of thumb. Provided they are neat/professional and presentable at all times shirt color does not matter!!
Now that I think of it each of my waitstaff wore white shirts, and I do not consider them less than professional!
Take a deep breath, you may well be so thankful for a great video you may receive!
Okay, Mrs. Corn has a great point….thanks for posting a response. I think we sometimes forget that not everyone is going to be so critical of our wedding as we are.
Aww, rest assured that the rest of your photos will 200% fantabulous, I have no doubt!!
I was slightly annoyed by our videographer on our wedding day as well. Ours was a substitute cuz the guy we hired got into an accident over the summer (but he’s ok!) and can’t shoot for a while. So this sub-guy shows up with a MASSIVE over the shoulder camera, news crew style. When we first met with the videography company back in the spring, I expressly told the company owner my dislike of those huge obtrusive cameras, and he assured me that their equipment is smaller, more like a hand-held, but very high quality. GREAT! We signed the contract.
But that was not the case. What was also interesting is that during the reception, the videographer had his camera on a huge rolling tri-pod with a glaring white light, which he used to travel around on the dance floor. I was NOT expecting that!! But in the end, I seriously barely noticed him after a while and just didn’t let it get to me!! I don’t have super high expectations for our video, but who knows!! I’m hoping I’ll be pleasantly surprised (please please please!!)
Wow, lots of responses on this one!
First off, I wrote this entry perhaps with a harsher tone than necessary, to get a point across. I had an AMAZING wedding. It was the best day of my life. This is just one tiny thing that I did not expect and I wanted to share it with everyone because I’d hate for other brides to have to have to deal with an unprofessional vendor as I did.
Suzibrown, let me clarify by saying that I did not expand on this post, but this guy was NOT professional for more than the fact that he did not wearing a white shirt. It was quite obvious that he was a guy with a camcorder who happened to shoot a bunch of weddings. We have received some of his products back (photographs from day 2 of our wedding weekend) and my husband, who originally thought I was acting bridezilla, agreed that he could’ve shot a better wedding. You’re correct in saying that there it was partially my fault for miscommunication (or rather, LACK of communication): I hadn’t talked to/met the guy until the day of the wedding. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the one who hired him. But I DID have the same basic expectations that I had with my photographers: Record the wedding. Don’t get in the way. My photographers barely appeared in any of the non-pro pics from my friends. I don’t see how this is a “bridezilla” expectation.
To Miss Petunia’s point, when our photographers showed up at our wedding, they quietly knocked on the door, came in, barely said a word to us and commenced picture taking, only asking us questions when they needed something. At first, I was a little taken aback at the lack of conversation until I realized that they did NOT want to notice them. They wanted us to be forget about them and behave naturally, which is precisely what happened. This was the opposite of our videographer. He did not bother trying to make himself unobtrusive at all.
Vicki, as for the “no white shirt” policy, there is no formal policy, but it’s just a good rule of thumb that if a vendor is going to be close to/recording the bride and groom all day and may get in the way of photographs/video, to wear black because if he happens to get into a shot, he won’t be noticed. To Tina’s point, if it’s the person recording the event behind a camera and she is the ONLY person recording the event, she will obviously be unable to get in the way of her own camera, so white is fine.
Emerald, sounds like your guy had some professional equipment! That’s a big plus. I’m sure that despite the distraction, he will give you back some GREAT footage. And it will be smooth since he had a rolling tripod! My guy was running around with his camera wobbling around in his hand. I really don’t have much expectation at all. Please do show us when you get it back!
Hi Kelly. Ray & Erwin shot our wedding also & we had the same situation with our videographer being a bit obtrusive! He wore a white shirt & bright white sneakers that sneaked their way into some photos. I was extremely nervous to see our proofs, but luckily, they’re so talented…they were still able to capture amazing shots. Part of me wonders if there were even more amazing shots that were partially ruined because of our 3rd wheel.
Your post is great because I don’t think most brides even consider telling their videographers what’s appropriate attire & how to be discreet while filming. We just assume they know what they’re doing.
That aside, we got our video back & he actually did a pretty good job capturing the day. so hopefully hiring a videographer won’t be a total loss for u. best wishes.
First of all, congratulations on a beautiful wedding, Mrs. Eggplant! And congrats, too, for having the foresight to hire a videographer. Hope you’re feeling better about it. Love it or hate it, the decision to have hired one is good. My grandparents had a crappy video of their 50th anniversary but fifteen years later, I have completely forgiven its quality– it is priceless now.
Next… after some hesitation, I decided to reply to this post. I am hoping that a response from a videographer is welcome and possibly beneficial to add some reason from the other side.
I say that I am a videographer with much pride and some angst. I love what I do and I recognize its value (not just its immediate entertainment value but its full archival value); but I battle the stigma that comes with being the wedding vendor that is generally viewed upon by guests, and other wedding vendors with derision and antipathy (this is where a healthy sense of humor, friendliness and patience come into play).
While I won’t get into the argument of good vs bad videographer, or stylistic differences in camera work, I do want to make the point that if you hire us, we will be there. Regardless of how unobtrusive we’d like to be (I for one wish I could be invisible), sadly, the facts are that we have a body, a video camera, and that we’re there to shoot “the action”… kind of inescapable.
So, to shake off that feeling of annoyance, just remember that what we’re doing is preserving your day for posterity
PS. Personally I think this videographer’s offenses are: 1) using a consumer 3CCD video cam and claiming to be a professional, and 2) wearing a brown belt with black shoes! {compare Exhibit D and last pic}
Hi Leyda!
Thanks for your response! It was very welcome and I’m glad I got to read a perspective from the other side. I’m definitely feeling a lot better about the whole videographer situation (it’s actually amusing now. )
We haven’t received the videos back yet, but I know that despite my original negative thoughts, I will be happy to relive our day via video. I can’t wait to hear the speeches again! My only regret now is that I wish that I could’ve hired a real professional to film the wedding.
At my wedding on November 10, 2007, my friend who is a videographer and does documentaries, showed up and filmed our wedding from 8am to 5pm. BUT……he then text messages me right after our wedding church ceremony to tell me he can NOT make it to our dinner reception because of a family emergency!!!!
Mrs. Eggplant, San Francisco
Age and Occupation: 28, Human Resources
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Associate Marketing Manager
Engagement Date: January 19, 2007
Wedding Date: October 20, 2007
Blogging Since: May 31, 2007
Venue: Ceremony at a cement and stained glass cathedral and reception at a boutique hotel ballroom
About Me: I'm a shopping junkie who lives to discover great deals and a craft addict that loves to scrapbook and knit. My profile picture was taken on the day I got engaged which is why my smile is so huge!
what a bummer! i’m sure if the rest of your photos are as wonderful as what we’ve seen from your photographer’s blog, they’ll be beautiful!
we too hired a videographer at the last minute (2 weeks before the wedding) but i have high hopes! mrs. snow pea used him for her wedding too and she really liked him.
i hope that you’ll at least be glad to have the video footage from the day to show your kids — try to put aside the money wasted and hopefully you’ll be glad to hear your vows!