Questions To Ask Your Wedding Videographer Before Hiring
Everyone wants the best for their wedding and this includes videos that will record and capture important aspects of the event for years to come.
When hiring a wedding videographer, there are certain questions you can ask to ensure that you are not just getting your moneys worth but also someone you will feel comfortable working with and who understands your vision for the wedding video. Below are a few important questions to ask before hiring.
Your wedding video will capture the magical moments of your wedding day and help keep those memories for years to come. While we cant place a price on quality, it is still helpful to know the average cost of a wedding videographer.
Tip : Consider Charging Hourly For Elopements Marriage Proposals And Ceremony
The only time to charge per hour would be for a short elopement or proposal shoot or if youre commissioned to only film the ceremony to produce a ceremony film. If you want, you could also charge for up to 12 hours per day and tell your clients if youre staying on later for additional events like fireworks, etc. then there is a premium to pay for that service.
What Are The Different Video Styles For Weddings
Each videographer has a unique way to show your love story. Choose someone who specialises in the style or editing process you want. Here are your options:
- Concept videos. These show a lot of scripted actions on your wedding day and might include a few interviews with the bride and groom and their friends and family. They cost $1,000 to $2,000.
- Documentaries. These are candid or authentic. They have clean transitions and show different points of view simultaneously. You can ask a documentary wedding photographer to team up with your wedding videographer for $3,000 to $5,000.
- Cinematic videos. These show your wedding like a movie. They have dramatic shots and transitions to tell a story, costing $2,000 to $3,000.
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Wedding Video Cost For Raw Footage
Wedding video raw footage costs $150 to $550 as an add-on to a videography package. Raw footage is the unedited footage of your wedding day and contains hundreds of video clips in separate files, not one continuous video. Raw footage does not incorporate high-quality audio from external microphones.
But What Can You Expect To Receive
Will of Duuet said that their couples will receive a fully edited live footage thats 2-3 hour long, including full vows and full speech. For Neaton Photography, the most popular package is their full day photo and video option, which includes the services of two photographers and one videographer for up to 12 hours, and is set considerably higher at $6,599, but of course covers your photography as well, which on its own, sets couples back on average, $3,211. This package notably includes a professionally designed photo album as well.
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What Goes Into A Wedding Videographer’s Pricing
While the average cost of wedding videography is around $1,900, many elements factor into their final prices. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Travel and lodging costs. If your wedding takes place far from home or at an inaccessible venue such as a mountaintop chateau, you’ll pay more for travel expenses. Some videographers also tack on a “travel fee” to their prices.
- Time spent shooting. Videographers typically charge based on packages that outline deliverables, but your contract should spell out how many hours are included in that price. If you need longer, be prepared to pay more per hour.
- Second shooters and staff. If your videographer needs a second shooter or anyone else to help with lighting, etc., be prepared to pay an additional fee.
- Extras and specialties. Want drone footage? An edit for your highlight video only? A music licensing fee to play popular songs that played during the reception? All of these factors can bump up your price.
- Production quality and style. The more post-production work required, the higher the price tag. This could be anything from time spent creating custom graphics or animations to intensive color corrections.
Average Cost Of A Wedding Video
When we talk about the cost of the wedding video, we definitely need to see how long we are hiring the videographer for, what sort of footage we will be getting from the reel, and how many videographers will be in the team etc. More often than not, most video companies or cinematography companies offer two videos to film your special day, and mostly both of them will be operated by one videographer. For instance there will be a fixed camera filming the ceremony and the videographer will be roaming around to get the other shots of the day.
If youre are also planning to have a wedding videographer in your wedding and you have secured a budget for that, then you are truly lucky. Usually, the cost of the wedding videographer depends on the locality, especially where you live. Accordingly, you can expect to pay $1000 USD on the low end for a good videographer and $10,000 on the high end for an amazing videographer. However, on an average a videographer can cost you $2500 USD.
For instance, if you are in Australia, an Australian videographer should cost you around $2,700 AUD. While a good videographer in USA may cost you around $3000 USD. Likewise, the average cost of the videographer can go up or down a little bit depending on which state you are based in and the availability of suppliers near you. Mostly couples look for budgeted videography packages for their wedding, the average cost will somewhere between $2000 and $3500 for a popular videography package.
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What Are The Different Wedding Photography Styles
As you start researching wedding photographers by checking out their work and reading their online reviews, be sure to pinpoint the wedding photography style you like best. There are a few wedding photography styles to choose from, including:
- Traditional: A more formal, classic photography style, traditional wedding photography includes lots of posed shots.
- Fine Art: This style is all about dramatic compositions and stylized images. Its a more modern approach that creates frame-worthy images.
- Fashion: If you want images that focus on your attire and look like they belong in a magazine, this is the wedding photography style for you. Think creative backdrops and unique poses.
- Vintage: This photography style uses filters and other techniques to give your wedding photos an old-school feel.
Do You Have To Tip Your Wedding Videographer
Tipping is common in many countries, and a way of showing appreciation for service rendered. If your videographer works for a company and provided an exceptional service, you may choose to tip anywhere from $100 to $200. If they won their own business however, it may not be necessary to tip.
It is also recommended to write an online review of their services as a kind of additional thanks for their well-rendered service.
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What’s Included In The Cost Of A Wedding Videographer
You may think that youre just paying for your final wedding videos, but actually theres a lot more to wedding videography prices than just the actual videos. Here are the main things that are typically included in a wedding videographers cost.
- Videography Service: You are paying for your videographers time and presence at your event, usually for a previously agreed-upon number of hours. Any extras, like drone footage, or travel expenses can add to this cost as well, as can additional team members.
- Post-Production: The editing process is actually the most time-consuming part of creating your wedding video. Sometimes the editing will be done by the same person who filmed your wedding, other times a separate editor will work on your wedding film. Your videographer may also allow you to make a round of edits to your wedding video, but additional edits may cost more.
- Final Product: Your wedding videos will likely be provided to you via DVD, Blu-ray, or USB drive. A highlight reel may also be made available via YouTube or Vimeo for easy sharing. If you require additional copies of your wedding DVD, Blu-ray disc, or USB, you will likely incur additional charges. Some videographers add personalized packaging to your final product, which can be a nice touch.
- Equipment: Your videographer should have the most up-to-date equipment that is in working orderfrom high-definition cameras to lighting equipment and more.
Should I Get A Second Shooter For My Wedding
When it comes to the great one versus two wedding photographers debate, the right answer tends to vary from photographer to photographer, and often depends on the size of your wedding. If youre having a very intimate and small wedding, having just one photographer present may suffice. However, if youre hosting a larger wedding with lots of guests, you will likely need a main photographer as well as a second photographer, and perhaps assistants to help with lighting and coordination. 34 percent of wedding photographers include a second shooter in their starting rates, but for many, it’s a separate charge.
Having a second shooter can be beneficial in capturing different perspectives and angles throughout the dayand can make your wedding-day timeline run even more smoothly. With two photographers on hand, both your and your future spouses getting-ready processes can be photographed at the same time. Its best to discuss your specific wedding and needs with your photographer to determine the best staffing situation.
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How Long Can My Video Be
The length of the final video depends on the raw footage you paid for and the type of video you want to receive. The shortest videos are teasers that last no more than 1.5 minutes. Short clips with highlights last about 3-5 minutes. Feature films generally consist of the ceremony time + 40 minutes . And documentaries may run as long as 1-2 hours.
How To Find And Choose A Wedding Videographer
Before choosing a wedding videographer near you, be sure to:
- Determine which end products you want, including highlight films, documentary films, and add-ons.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family, your wedding planner, the venue, and other wedding vendors.
- Read their reviews on Fash and Google.
- Interview your favorite videographers and discuss your ideas and vision.
- Ask the videographer about their pre-wedding, wedding day, and post-wedding process.
- Get a detailed contract in writing that breaks down everything included in your package, the payment plan, and the refund and cancellation policy.
- Discuss the video usage rights to confirm how you and the videographer can use the footage. Videographers often retain the copyright, giving them the right to use the videos for marketing and social media.
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Are Albums Included In A Wedding Photographer’s Prices
Many photographers do include an album in their wedding photography rates. However, some photographers offer it as a separate line item, which can add several hundred dollars to your total. There are indeed other services that allow you to create your own wedding photo album, but it can sometimes be more seamless to go through your own photographer.
Do I Have To Cover My Wedding Photographer’s Travel Costs
If your wedding photographer is based near your wedding location, you likely wont have to pay any additional travel costs. However, if your photographer will be traveling a significant distance , you will likely incur additional travel costs, up to $2 per mile or more. If your photographer is flying to your wedding destination, you will probably have to pay for his/her airfare and accommodations, as well as an additional travel fee. Again, these wedding photographer prices vary from pro to pro, so be sure to ask your chosen photographer for pricing details before booking.
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Know Your Niche Offer And Your Client Avatar
I mentioned above that, at a certain point, other factors started to come into play which allowed me to increase my prices exponentially. Well, this is where the work began. Knowing your ideal client helps you save time and money on marketing, because you know where to find your ideal clients, and you know what they want and need.
These are essential aspects of your marketing process to enable you to identify your niche offer. By that, I mean making sure you offer something unique and different to your ideal client.
I was lucky when I came into the industry because I started out by doing something which was new at the time, storytelling. Back then it wasnt the on-trend way to describe your filming style, it was simply because I came from a journalistic and storytelling background. Telling stories is in me. Working on that ethos led to everything Story Of Your Day and The Story Creatives have become today. So, forget what other videographers are doing. Stop worrying whether your films can be as good as theirs or which suppliers theyre working with. Instead, concentrate on finding your own niche and stand out!
How Much Should I Charge For Wedding Videography
In the ten years of filming weddings and building up a highly successful international wedding film company, Story Of Your Day, the same hot topic remains on the lips of all videographers, How much to charge for a wedding video.
Unfortunately, instead of being driven by their product and service, most videographers are driven by confidence, competition, a desire to film as many weddings as possible andof coursewhat potential clients think a wedding videographer should charge.
According to The Knot and WeddingWire most couples pay their wedding videographer between $1500 and $2500. The average spend on wedding videography is $1800.
Ive done research in several communities of wedding videographers online, and it turns out that among UK-based wedding videographers:
- 55% of videographers are happy charging even less than $1800
- 28% of videographers charge between $1800 & $2500, on average, and
- 11% said they charge above the $2500 average.
But I want to focus on the how in how much to charge for wedding videography. What you really need to know is how much to charge as a beginner wedding videographer, as a wedding videographer with some experience, more experience or even how much to charge for luxury wedding video.
And its not just experience, there are several other factors which you should consider when working out how much to charge.
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