Weddingbee

For many brides, the choice to hire a videographer is a tricky one. For me, it was a no-brainer. My parents love videotaping everything. We have an entire cabinet in our house devoted to dozens upon dozens of videos of my brother and I from childhood. During graduations, I could always pick my mom out of the crowd: she was the one wielding the giant video camera. Even today, most family get-togethers revolve around my parents pulling out a home video for the amusement of our relatives and friends. There was no question that my wedding day would be videotaped– professionally, no less.

The Wedding Channel has an excellent list of questions to ask any potential videographer:

1. How much experience do they have? How many weddings have they shot?

2. What’s their style and approach in filming a wedding, i.e., interview-style, artsy, documentary, short form, avant-garde? Do they have a standard shot/set-up list?

3. What form will your final video take? Will you get an industry-standard, chaptered DVD with thumbnail image menus? Will you get to select images from your movie and have photo prints created from them? Can they deliver your entire wedding online in StreamingDVD format so you can send friends and family to look at it for a year after your wedding?

4. What type of equipment will they use? Is it new and modern or old and potentially obtrusive? Will they have backup equipment should something go wrong? How will the tape be edited (so you get a feel for how technologically-advanced the videographer is)?

5. Who will actually be taping your wedding — the person you’re talking to, a colleague, or an assistant? Will an assistant be on-hand to help out, and will that cost extra?

6. Do they have other weddings scheduled that day or weekend?

7. What kind of lighting will they use? If you’re having a romantic evening wedding with ambient candlelight, and they need the lights on in order to get footage, there could be a problem.

8. Has the videographer worked with your chosen photographer before? If so, find out if they worked well together — and get the story from both sides.

9. Have they filmed at your venue before? If so, ask to see the StreamingDVD or tape(s).

10. How much and how do they charge for services? Hourly? Project-based? Get a price list — often prices and packages will be listed on their website, but you may have to call for pricing in some instances.

It was not easy choosing a videographer. There are some truly fantastic options in southern California. But in the end, I came down to one clear choice: Today’s the Day Weddings. I’ve heard only the best things about their style, unobtrusive wedding day presence, and the high quality of their work. Their rates are also extremely competitive. But most importantly, they were extremely easy to talk to, very receptive to all my questions, and the chemistry was great. I feel confident that they will be an asset to our wedding.

Are you using a videographer? Who did you end up choosing?

image by Romero Britto, via allposters.com

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