So you know you want a videographer, but after sending a few emails, and hearing some replies you’re realising it ain't cheap. Videography has becoming increasingly popular in the wedding realm, and I’m guessing because you’ve clicked on this article you don’t see the value in it. You aren’t willing to spend much money on it, perhaps because it’s such a new thing, or perhaps because you don't know much about it. All you know is you're calculating that your wedding videographer is going to tip over your wedding budget, and you’re not happy about it. You’re probably thinking the following: Why can’t I just get my Uncle Bob to put a camera on a tripod? Why can’t I just find a student to film my wedding? Why are they so expensive? Isn't it easy to just film something?!
But what if I told you that wedding videographers aren’t ‘expensive’ but rather what they are charging you is actually worth what they are doing. So buckle in and check out 4 reasons why wedding videographers are ‘expensive’ and why it’s worth it.
1. 'Professional Wedding Videographer' generally means they're experienced.
Unless your Uncle Bob is a videographer, and by videographer I mean working everyday honing his video craft, it’s unlikely his experience compares to that of a professional Wedding Videographer. Remember, it's their craft, their profession, something they've spent countless hours on. They will know everything that goes wrong, they know where to be when, they know how to stay out of the way of guests and your photographers shots. They also know how to record high quality, high quality audio, usually bringing their own lighting. They are filming your best day ever in the best possible way. The cheap student / family member has a far greater chance of screwing things up, or lacking the incentive to film and edit your wedding video properly. That might be ok because you understood the price you paid for lower work, but remember there is far larger likelihood of failure and disappointment.
2. Overhead costs are real.
The price which is set before you isn’t the price that goes directly into their back pockets, hence why the price may seem high to you. A third of the price goes straight to tax. Then another % of that price will go to a second videographer. Then another % goes to music rights for your video. Then, depending on the packages, a % will go to travel fees. A % will go to their website, adobe or final cut subscriptions, as well as advertising. Not to mention their thousands of dollars worth of gear that they have to maintain. What they’re left with for their many hours attending your wedding, then sitting down to edit, may be even less than half of the price that they gave you. With dedicating a profession to wedding videography you need to charge to live. That’s a reality. Most wedding videographers aren’t killing it. Most that I know need to work commercially during the winter just to get by. But they keep shooting weddings because they love it. If they don’t charge what they charge they can’t do what they love.
3. Editing takes a sweet while.
Wedding video edits are a lot more hands on than wedding photo edits. We are similar in the way we are handling different angles, colour grading, sifting through our favourite parts. But remember that the difference is Wedding Videographers have a lot more to sift than just pretty frames. We have hours of audio, vows and speeches, then we have to choose the best bits for the video. We need our wedding video to tell a story, from start to finish. We need to choose a song, which takes a while in itself, and need to edit in time with the song, choose the parts where it lifts and lulls and edit accordingly to that. It’s a massive jig-saw puzzle, which is why it takes a while, and why we charge so much to the client.
4. It’s your wedding, and that makes it worth it.
In an ideal world, you’re getting married once. This is your big day. It’s worth splashing a tiny bit more, not on napkins, which I guarantee no one will remember even the colour of, but something that you’re going to be watching over and over again, with your future generations. This is what you have to keep after the day, and it is the only film you get. It’s your one and only moving documentation, and that’s why it’s worth the money. That’s why it’s worth getting someone whose experienced and know what they’re doing.
Ultimately the choice is yours. It's good to weigh up different videographers, assess their work and figure out your values. Just be sure to manage your expectations when hiring someone who are inexperienced.
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