10 Things to Ask Your Wedding Videographer

10 Things to Ask Your Wedding Videographer

You might think that hiring a professional to document your wedding day is an unnecessary luxury, but in fact, it's becoming more essential every year. Sure, smartphones have come a long way since their inception, but there's no substitute for having someone with years of experience behind the lens on your big day—and the price difference between hiring a pro and going DIY really isn't all that great anymore. If you want to hire a wedding videographer, what questions should you ask them?

What's included in your packages?

This is an important question to ask because it will help you know what your budget should be. You'll want to know the prices of each service, what's included in each package, and what's not included. 

What are your rates?

You've got a lot of questions to ask, but the first one is probably going to be about finances. You want to make sure you're staying within your budget.

How long will it take to receive our highlight video or full-length film?

Depending on the size of your wedding, this can vary greatly. Some videographers can do it in a couple of days; others may take up to a month or more. 

How many hours of footage do you shoot, and how much is used in the final film?

A talented videographer will be able to tell you how many hours of footage they shot during your wedding. When it comes time to edit your film, the editor will choose what they feel is most important and will create a story based on that footage. The amount of hours used in a film varies depending on the length of your ceremony and reception. For example, if you had a four-hour wedding day with multiple events (ceremony and reception), it's likely that filmmakers would use between 15-20 minutes for their final product.

Do you work alone or with a crew?
If you're planning a wedding, it's important to know what exactly you're paying for. If the videographer's going to be working alone or if they'll have an assistant helping.

What is Your Style?

When you meet with a wedding videographer, it's important to ask them what their style is.

"Do you shoot in a documentary or cinematic style?
"Do you ask for interviews with guests?"
"Do you play music over the video?"

The answers to these questions will help determine if this person is a good fit for your wedding.

​How many weddings have you filmed?

This question is essential to determining the quality of your wedding video. How many weddings have you filmed? On average, how many weddings do you film per year? How long have you been filming weddings? These are all questions that should be asked of any prospective 
Videographer.

Do we get the raw video footage from the day?

You're going to have a lot of raw footage at your wedding, and it's important that you know if you have access to it or not.

Do you bring backup equipment to every wedding?

Nowadays, most professional videographers bring backup equipment with them to every job, but there are still some things you need to know before committing yourself:

Does the secondary camera have different lens options than the primary one?
What kind of lighting do they use (for example: are both cameras able to record at night without additional lighting)?
Is their main camera waterproof or otherwise resistant to bad weather conditions (and will they be using this on my wedding day)?