Common Mistakes People Make When Hiring A Wedding Videographer
A wedding is one of the most important milestones in our lives and reliving those cherished moments brings us immense joy and happiness. A wedding videographer uses creativity and skills to aesthetically capture the emotions and interactions of the participants at the wedding.
There are a large number of wedding videographers offering services but knowing what to look for when you hire them is a tricky affair. Not being cautious of certain aspects when you hire a wedding videographer can leave you with a sub-standard wedding video.
We Will Share With You Common Mistakes People Make When Hiring A Wedding Videographer
Not Meeting With The Videographer And Watching Samples Of Their Work.
Engaged couples often make the common mistake of not familiarizing themselves with the videographer and their work. This often leads to mishaps on the day of the wedding and unexpected surprises when finally previewing the wedding video.
Some video production companies often have sales teams that will meet with couples and close the deal. While it’s good to meet the sales team, it would be ideal to also meet with the videographer. Every videographer is unique to their skills and personality. Therefore, it makes sense to hire someone that blends in nicely with your family and friends on your wedding day, while they display their creative skills behind a camera.
When hiring a wedding videographer, it is not only vital that you meet with the videographer, but also watch some of their recent wedding video samples. Settling for a three-minute highlight sample is not enough. Don’t be embarrassed and feel free to ask your videographer for more samples of their work. Always pay attention to their style and consistency. Remember that the work of a good and consistent videographer will always leave you wanting more.
Choosing a package that offers minimal hours of coverage.
Your wedding day is the biggest day of your life, and if you’ve hired a wedding videographer. Congratulations, you have made the right choice. But wait, as your day goes by and the main events which are part of your reception are just about to happen, you find out your wedding videographer has fulfilled their hours of coverage and is packing up to leave. This is a common problem and an injustice to the purpose of having the most of your memories captured.
Hiring a wedding videographer for just a few hours of coverage only to save on costs is a recipe for disaster. You need to be honest to yourself – If you went as far as purchasing other beautiful, costly items for your special day, why would you stop at videography? It all comes down to prioritizing within your means.
When deciding on a package, make sure to hire your wedding videographer for as many hours as they are available. The greater the number of hours of video coverage, the better it is for you. Most companies will offer up to sixteen hours. The more hours involved means more memories captured. If you need to cut back on something, try negotiating other items on your package. Never cut back on the length of an edited video and coverage or else some of the most beautiful and cherished moments would simply be lost in the sands of time.
Not coordinating with the photographer.
The more wedding footage, the better. But, mayhem can ensue (and precious shots can get ruined) if there’s no communication between the photographer and the videographer. Ask your videographer if he or she has ever worked with your photographer, and vice versa. If not, ask both parties their typical policies for working with another camera man. If you’ve chosen one but not the other yet, you can also ask them for recommendations.
Not coordinating with the photographer.
The more wedding footage, the better. But, mayhem can ensue (and precious shots can get ruined) if there’s no communication between the photographer and the videographer. Ask your videographer if he or she has ever worked with your photographer, and vice versa. If not, ask both parties their typical policies for working with another camera man. If you’ve chosen one but not the other yet, you can also ask them for recommendations.
Not asking about music.
Your videographer might whip up an amazing wedding day compilation, but it’s all for naught if there’s cheesy music attached. Ask about the nitty gritty details, like their editing styles, before you decide if a certain videographer is the one.
Not asking to see a wedding video sample.
If you meet with potential videographers and ask for a sample, they might give you a generic video that showcases tidbits of their work. This is great and all, but it doesn’t give you a whole lot of insight into their specific wedding filming style. Ask to see a complete, edited version of a wedding video they’ve produced to get the full effect. And if they’ve never shot a wedding before, the door’s to the left.
Interfering with the editing style of the wedding videographer.
Most couples feel the entitlement to have their wedding video edited to their preference. While a wedding videographer can give regard to some inputs from the couple, trying to incorporate all the inputs may not create the desired output and result in disappointment for the couple.
An edited video is a lot like a written book. The author will write what they feel and want you to feel in the end. The same can be true when describing a wedding video editor. The editor will personalize your wedding film to the optimum while maintaining a story. Music will play a large part in how the story is told. The moment you decide to interfere and request for your favorite song, that magical feeling and storyline which were once constructed may not look or feel the same again.
When hiring a wedding videographer, never interfere with their choice of editing ideas. You hired them for a reason, and you made them the artist. If you feel the need to share some inspiring ideas, try doing so before the edit. That will save everyone time and spare the headaches later.
Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing Your Wedding Photographer
Thankfully, making sure that your wedding coverage is in the right hands doesn’t have to entail going on some adventure or spending more than half of your wedding budget on a “pro-rated” shutterbug. In this article, we will share with you three mistakes to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer:
Going for the cheapest photographer
Look, I dont like to say it, because it really doesnt hold true 100% of the time, but when it comes to your wedding photography: ‘you get what you pay for’. Going cheap, or asking uncle Bill with his fancy camera to take your photos may seem like a good way to save a few thousand dollars, but you’re more than likely going to regret it after.
Seeing that a wedding is a special event that you’ll never have again in your lifetime, it should make sense that going for a cheaper option is a tragedy waiting to happen. There are stories like this almost monthly on those horrible shows like Today Tonight. It happens, and dont think it wont happen to you.
That said though, you can do your own personal vetting, and you may find some very talented individual on the cheap as they might be startingout or something. I wouldnt risk it though.
During your search, it’s important to note that you should invest a bit more money into a team that has many good reviews, positive testimonials, and engaging shots. Try not to book a photographer without having looked through an entire album of a completed wedding they have done previously.
Not having a meeting before the wedding itself.
Any professional photographer knows the importance of setting up a meeting with a couple before their big day because it gives a chance to iron out any requests and considerations. As a photographer, it also allows me to guage the kind of personality of the couple and work with that in order to produce images that perfectly reflect that couple’s day.
Overlooking the need for a meeting is a mistake to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer because you’ll go into your wedding day without any coordination or proper expectation of how your shots are going to look like.
By meeting up with your chosen wedding photographer, you’ll be able to make sure that you’re both on the same page in terms of style to ensure that they’re getting the shots you’ve always wanted! You can also browse previous weddings the photographer has shot and possibly samples of albums.
Not checking out reviews
An easy mistake to avoid when choosing your wedding photographer is going for the very first option they see without first considering reviews. The beauty of the internet is that you’re able to gain access to many review sources of any wedding vendor written by previous bridal couples. Be sure they are from a reputable source though as some review sites can be exploited with fake reviews.
Most Common Wedding Videography Mistakes:
1) Finalizing the wedding schedule. It’s very important to get in touch with your videographer before finalizing the schedule. There are lots of things to consider when it comes to filming a wedding. Reserve some time for the natural light shots for example is crucial if you want to get an excellent result.
2) Sticking to the schedule. In general, everything should go according to the finalized schedule because even if you decide to cut some parts it can dramatically affect the video crew schedule and capabilities and of course the quality and content of the final video.
3) Relatives who film. Almost in every wedding there is a relative who shoots a separate video for the bride and groom. What may seem as a favor may ruin your professional wedding video. This relative may get in the way and ruin a perfect moment. Professional videographers usually inquire about this and collaborate with your relatives for mutual satisfaction.
4) Focusing on shooting. It’s very important that the video will turn out to be natural rather than acted. Just forget that someone is filming.
5) Striving for perfect video results. Just have fun and enjoy your special day. Things don’t necessarily have to be perfect. That’s the beauty.