Your wedding is likely to be the best day of your life and you need to film it to remember each detail. Having a good wedding videographer will allow you to do that. The person that you hire will capture every detail of your big day for posterity, so that you can watch it as many times as you want.
Here are some tips for hiring the best videographer for your wedding:
References
Start with as many references as possible. If you have any friends that have been married recently, ask them for references. If your friends do not mind, you can even watch their wedding videos to see which ones suit your tastes. Once you collect several references, you should start combing through their portfolios to find the best one for your needs.
Watch Wedding Films
You need to watch at least three complete videos that your prospective videographer has created. As you watch through each of these films, think about how it makes you feel: if you feel emotional, it means that the videographer has managed to forge an emotional connection with you.
A good videographer should be able to transport you to the wedding day whenever you watch the film. Most importantly, a well-made video should make you wish that you were there for the event.
Visit Their Website
As you binge watch the videographer’s films, make sure that you visit his/her site. You could learn a lot by just visiting a website. The videographer’s web design and online presence can tell you more about him/her than anything else.
The more well-presented and developed a website is, the more technology savvy the videographer should be. This is a good thing when it comes to selecting a videographer and editor.
Know Your Favorite Style of Filming
Which style of filming do you prefer? Some videographers like the documentary style, where the video shows your whole wedding as it unfolds and includes interviews from your family and friends. Others like the storytelling approach, where moments from your big day are weaved into one structured narrative.
Some videographers prefer the ‘fly-on-the-wall’ stance, where your wedding is filmed as it unfolds and the video is edited later. If you have a song that you want to include in your video, do not forget to speak up and let your videographer know.
Meet the Videographer
Do not forget to meet with your potential videographer to ensure that you get along with him/her. An in-person meeting is very important because the videographer will be a big part of your wedding day. When you have the right person for the job, you will not feel self-conscious; in fact, you might not even notice that the camera is there!
If you get good vibes from a certain videographer, you should consider hiring him/her. On the other hand, if you do not like the person during your initial meeting, think about looking elsewhere.
Clarify the Filming You Want
Before your big day, you need to let the videographer know the type of filming that you prefer. One of the biggest complaints that most couples have is that videographers move around too much. If you want yours to move around, that is fine; however, if you prefer less movement, you should let him/her know beforehand.
According to Austin Ryan Taylor, an Atlanta wedding videographer, a picture is worth a thousand words, but video doesn’t have to say anything at all; it naturally tells the story of your wedding day and everything you felt on that day. For this reason, you need to choose the right videographer. Doing so will make you feel more comfortable on your wedding day and leave you with a great video to enjoy.