Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

Hiring a videographer??? is it worth it

We are having a budget wedding... and the topic of hiring a videographer or not is up for debate. My fiance and I dont see the sense in it the least expensive package we have found is $1,500 which is more then we can. And we don't think we will ever really watch the video that it will just collect dust!!!! We have a phenominal photographer and know she will capture the most stunning moments isn't that enough? My mother keeps pushing that we should have a videographer. advice please

Re: Hiring a videographer??? is it worth it

  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_hiring-a-videographer-is-it-worth-it?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:6940bbb0-d712-494a-b18b-6223e812f9bfPost:937af12e-5d95-4219-8b49-12b2e8768cb8">Hiring a videographer??? is it worth it</a>:
    [QUOTE]We are having a budget wedding... and the topic of hiring a videographer or not is up for debate. My fiance and I dont see the sense in it the least expensive package we have found is $1,500 which is more then we can. And we don't think we will ever really watch the video that it will just collect dust!!!! We have a phenominal photographer and know she will capture the most stunning moments isn't that enough? My mother keeps pushing that we should have a videographer. advice please
    Posted by CCforever12[/QUOTE]

    <div>I think you should listen to your mother (especially if she can help you with the cost of having a videographer). Photos are great but they have some limits. They'll allow you to relive some memories. However, no matter how phenomenal is your photographer, your photos won't help you view your wedding as it really happened. Think about this scene: your grandpa doing the chicken dance on the dance floor. Your photo will only show an image of the dancing but your video will provide the actual dancing and the music. That's the advantage of a wedding video. Photos only bring images to you; videos will bring the image and the sound. Don't you think that, ten years after your wedding, you'll want to hear again your vows, your friends' speeches and jokes, laughs...<div>
    <div>"<span style="background-color:#ffffff;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;">And we don't think we will ever really watch the video that it will just collect dust!!!!"</span></div><div><span style="background-color:#ffffff;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;">
    </span></div><div><span style="background-color:#ffffff;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;">It all depends on who creates your wedding video and how they edit it. Some videographers create boring videos that you wouldn't watch twice but professional videographers should be able to create a wedding video that you'd want to watch again and again. Try and find a 'phenomenal' yet affordable videographer who will create a video of your wedding as captivating as your photos. There are many of them out there.</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color:#ffffff;font-family:Arial;font-size:12px;">Last word: the older your wedding video get, the more precious it becomes. You might let it collect dust but 20 years from now; the dusty video will become one of your precious home items. Your mum knows it better.</span></div></div>
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_hiring-a-videographer-is-it-worth-it?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:30Discussion:6940bbb0-d712-494a-b18b-6223e812f9bfPost:d90effc3-ea1d-4b27-9358-6b43d79f2574">Re: Hiring a videographer??? is it worth it</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Hiring a videographer??? is it worth it : I think you should listen to your mother (<strong>especially if she can help you with the cost of having a videographer</strong>). Photos are great but they have some limits. They'll allow you to relive some memories. However, no matter how phenomenal is your photographer, your photos won't help you view your wedding as it really happened. Think about this scene: your grandpa doing the chicken dance on the dance floor. Your photo will only show an image of the dancing but your video will provide the actual dancing and the music. That's the advantage of a wedding video. Photos only bring images to you; videos will bring the image and the sound. Don't you think that, ten years after your wedding, you'll want to hear again your vows, your friends' speeches and jokes, laughs... " And we don't think we will ever really watch the video that it will just collect dust!!!!" It all depends on who creates your wedding video and how they edit it. Some videographers create boring videos that you wouldn't watch twice but professional videographers should be able to create a wedding video that you'd want to watch again and again. Try and find a 'phenomenal' yet affordable videographer who will create a video of your wedding as captivating as your photos. There are many of them out there. Last word: the older your wedding video get, the more precious it becomes. You might let it collect dust but 20 years from now; the dusty video will become one of your precious home items. Your mum knows it better.
    Posted by lienad2013[/QUOTE]

    Umm lienad, OP never said her mom was going to help with the cost. She just wants them to have a videographer. In regards to the photo that will only show an image of grandpa dancing. This is true, but in my opinion a really good photographer will capture it in such a way to bring that entire scene to mind.

    Personally, we didn't have a videographer. We talked about it and it wasn't important to us. We had a great photographer that we were very confident in and we didn't have an unlimited budget. Maybe if money wasn't an issue we would have just done it for the heck of it.

    Out of all of our relatives, only 1 couple has ever watched their wedding video again. They watched it on their first anniversary and never again. Even H's parents who have been married for 40+ years haven't watched theirs again.

    If it is something that isn't important to you and your FI, I think that it is fine that you don't have one. Lots of people don't. Just make sure that it is something that you both agree on. A compromise would be asking your mom, or someone close to you, to video your first dance or your vows (or whatever is important to you) with their regular camera.

     

  • i appreciate everyone's opinions.  We are in a similar boat.  I am currently searching for videographers in my area, as I really want one... yet am trying to stick to budget.  I know I won't watch the dvd often, but I want it there as a momento.  I'm only going to marry the man once, I want to relive it.  :)  <-- how I feel about it.... if I can make it affordable. :)
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_hiring-a-videographer-is-it-worth-it?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:6940bbb0-d712-494a-b18b-6223e812f9bfPost:d11c79a3-980e-40b8-9e59-7844a274ca7f">Re: Hiring a videographer??? is it worth it</a>:
    [QUOTE]i appreciate everyone's opinions.  We are in a similar boat.  I am currently searching for videographers in my area, as I really want one... yet am trying to stick to budget.  I know I won't watch the dvd often, but I want it there as a momento.  I'm only going to marry the man once, I want to relive it.  :)  <-- how I feel about it.... if I can make it affordable. :)
    Posted by gebaldwi[/QUOTE]

    <div>There are many ways of making it affordable. 1. You can try and find if there is any beginner-videographer who is willing to work for free or low price bcz they simply want to build their portfolio. Some of them are actually good. You can find them at your local college or university.</div><div>2. Ask one of your relatives to do it with the use of a camcorder. Today's camcorders are good and can capture nice footage.</div><div>3. Find one videographer from your local craigslist page. You'll have to be good at your selection so as to find a good one. Do your homework, review their samples, meet with them. Most of them charge cheap.</div><div>4. Contact one from wedding websites. They're usually expensive but their work is clean. One thing that worked for us: tell them how much you can afford and see if they're willing to work for you at that price. Among all of them, you'll certainly find one who agrees on your price. If they're available on your wedding day, they'll think twice before rejecting your offer.</div><div>
    </div><div>We tried all the options that I shared with you and the 4th one worked nice with us. </div><div>Originally, we also didn't plan on hiring a videographer. Then, we met a couple who shared with us their experience. The bride's grandpa passed away about a year after their wedding and fortunately, they had an interview of him in their wedding video, saying how much he loved her granddaughter and wished her good luck and a bunch of funny jokes. That's the last time he was captured on video. You can imagine how valuable that wedding video is for the whole family. Although the couple watches it once a year (at their wedding anniv.), the bride's grandma still watches it 7 times A DAY. </div><div>So, hiring a videographer sounds more to us now as an investment for our family to enjoy.</div>
  • I think the videographer is super important. There are parts of the day that my videogrphaer caught on film that I don't even remember, even though I was there. I loved watching my parents wedding video (especially because I DID get to see my grandparents dancing, and they had just passed away the year before). 
  • Just ask a friend (with a little talent in  videography) to do it. And if you don't want that, You can set the camera up somehwere in a good setting and just let it record.
  • Hi @CCforever12 Yes i agree with them all, Photographer is just a still image but is still great, video is image with sound, so by then you can see the difference and relive those cherished moments of your wedding. Its worth it. Cheers ! Smile
  • My fiance and I actuallly discussed this but agreed it was not for us.  I hear what others here are saying and the pros do make sense.  Our cons were:


    We don't like to be on camera as it is, and a video seems even more uncomfortable to both of us than photographs are

    We don't have it is a priority and our priorities are already jacking up our budget (flowers, food, amazing photography)

    If it was something we wanted, we'd do something like those new fangled rent-a-camcorder-have-it-professionally-edited (I forget what this is called, I found it on pinterest, but basically you pay like $800 and a company sends 4 or 6 camcorders to you before the wedding.  You give them to friends or family -- who we would feel more comfortable to be filmed by-- and then mail them back for editing into one wedding video.)

    You should look into that! :)
  • It's really worth it.
    You won't regret hiring one. 

    check out this one, their promo video


    i know the owner....they were with a pretty famous videography company in the SF area for a while. Last year they started to branch out on their own. So I think their price is very reasonable for the quality! 
    Highly recommended! and i'm pretty sure they travel too. :) 
  • We were in the same boat: do we, do we not? Is it worth the money? Will we ever watch it? Our photographer is amazing and should capture what we need, right?

    In the end, we decided to suck it up and pay the extra money. Our highlight video came in last night and it is a full 10 minutes of reasons to have a videographer. The reaction when he turned around and saw me for the first time, my veil taking flight as we kissed... A photo couldn't possibly do it justice. (he is also sending us all footage, unedited, from our wedding day). It was so worth it! Here's the link, if you want to see what I mean:

    http://jimbarcusphoto.com/#/multimedia/megan-and-adam

  • @knotporscha

    I think gaillinda is a vendor...  their only posts are about the same videographer

This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards