A wedding is a once in a lifetime event, or at least we hope for it to be. It comes as no surprise that nobody wants to compromise on the quality of the wedding photos and videos. After all, the video and photos are the only remembrances that are left after our wedding day.

A good videographer is absolutely essential to be present at the wedding so that everything can be recorded for being watched over and over again. But you will be surprised to learn that it is actually very hard to get a good videographer nowadays who you can rely on to make the kind of video that you want. To make the best choice, it is essential that you must know the questions to ask your wedding videographer.

What Are The Most Important Questions To Ask Your Wedding Videographer?

There are tons of questions to ask your vendors throughout the wedding planning process, and asking your wedding videographers questions as well is always a good idea. Since there is a fair bit of shortage of good wedding videographers, it is not uncommon if you find that there are no decent videographers available for your wedding date if you go to book one at the last minute.

Our suggestion is that you select a videographer and book him well in advance to ensure his availability. But how will you know that the videographer is suitable for you or not? Following are some questions to ask your wedding videographer to find out his suitability for your wedding:

Question #1: How long have you been filming? How many weddings do you film a year?

If a videographer is a busy one, it can be assumed that he is a reasonably good one. The years of experience also count as it would mean that he is a pro at his job and knows what he is doing.

Question #2: What is your videography style?

Most videographers have a particular style of shooting as well as editing the video such as storytelling, highlights, or cinematic. Make sure that you choose a videographer that can shoot the video in the style that you prefer your wedding video to be in.

Question #3: How does your pricing work?

Apart from discussing the videographer’s fees, you will have to check whether he needs any advance payment or whether he accepts payment in installments.

Question #4: Have you ever worked with my wedding photographer?

Most of the time, the wedding photographer and videographer have to work in coordination with each other during the wedding. If you have already selected a photographer, it may be advisable to go with a videographer who has some prior experience of working with him to make things go smoothly during the wedding.

Question #5: Have you worked at my wedding venue(s) before?

It is also important to know if the videographer has shot any wedding at the same wedding venue where you are going to get married. It would make things easier for the videographer and ensure a more professional video.

Question #6: What is your backup plan in case of an emergency?

There are tons of important questions to ask your wedding videographer, but this is definitely a super important one to ask. There can always be some emergency with the video shooting such as missing or broken equipment, problems with lighting, and so on. It is a good idea to ensure that the videographer has a backup plan in case of any glitch during the wedding.

Question #7: Do you have my wedding date available?

This should probably be one of the first questions to ask your wedding videographer. If he has already been booked for your wedding date by someone else, there is no point in making further enquiries.

Question #8: Will I be able to hear the ceremony’s dialogue in the video or will music play over it?

This is again something that depends entirely on the videographer’s editing style. You can, of course, edit the video to include music or keep it natural as per your preference.

Question #9: What is your cancellation policy?

Professional videographers who are in high demand would definitely have some cancellation policy in place. Make sure that you know of any penalty charges or forfeiture of advance paid in case of cancellation before making the booking.

Question #10: How long after the wedding would I receive the video?

This is an important question to ask your wedding videographer as you would probably want the video as soon as possible or at least right after you come back from your honeymoon. You can negotiate with the videographer too if he states a longer waiting period than what you expected.

Question #11: How is the film delivered?

The mode of delivery of the final video should also be discussed as you can choose to receive a soft copy through e-mail or cloud or you can have it delivered to you in a flash drive or disk.

Question #12: How long will the wedding video(s) be?

The length of the wedding video is determined by how long the wedding ceremony is and how big the wedding was. However, a good videographer can manage the length of the video with some smart editing.

Question #13: Who owns the copyright of the final wedding video?

This is one of the most important questions to ask your wedding videographer! Most videographers would have no objection on transferring the copyright of the video to the bride or groom. However, there are some who would want to retain the copyright which means that you will not be able to make further copies of the video.

Question #14: How much is the deposit and when is the remaining balance due?

This question pertains to the videographers’ fees and pricing structure. It is important to know his total fees as well as the amount of deposit so that you can manage your wedding budget accordingly.

Question #15: Are there are any additional costs/fees?

It is best to be clear about any additional costs/fees that may be involved with the videographer so that you can factor in those costs in your budget.

Tips on Finding the Perfect Wedding Videographer

It is ironic that the choice of a wedding videographer is left to the last minute by a lot of couples when in fact it should be one of the things that should be on the top of the wedding planning priority list. It is also important to fully look into a wedding videographer before putting down a deposit so that you know exactly what kind of service you will be getting. The following are some tips that will help you find the perfect wedding videographer:

Tip #1: Fully look through their portfolio

A videographer’s portfolio will include a collection of some of the best videos he has shot in the past. Wedding videographers are generally dedicated to wedding events only and do not take up other assignments. Make sure that you carefully browse through the portfolio to get an idea of his style and also to decide whether it is what you are looking for.

Tip #2: Ask your wedding photographer if they have any favorite wedding videographers

A great way of finding a good videographer without running around too much is to just ask your wedding photographer to recommend a good videographer. This will make your task much easier and also ensure that your photographer and videographer are able to work in tandem.

Tip #3: Pour religiously over reviews

Good reviews from past customers are generally considered to be rock solid proof of the quality of service of the photographer. Do not ever make the mistake of skipping the reviews as good reviews are the most important mark of a good videographer.

Tip #4: Meet them in person before you sign the contract

It is a good idea to meet the videographer in person before you finalize him for your wedding. Though online reviews, as well as videographer’s profile, are a good way of knowing him, nothing can bring the same kind of reassurance as a personal meeting.

Tip #5: Make sure your style jives with their style and your wedding photographer’s style!

Lastly, it is always advisable to find a videographer whose style is similar to yours. You can, of course, give some tips to the videographer to tweak his style in your favour. However, it is impossible to completely change the style of the videographer. 

Tip #6: Find wedding videographers using hashtags on Instagram

There are tons of wedding videographers that use Instagram to market themselves! You can easily find tons of wedding videographers in your state using hashtags! Here are some popular hashtags that videographers use: 

#weddingvideographer #[insert your state]wedding videographer #videographer #film #[insert your state] videographer #capture[insert your state or city] #realwedding

Conclusion

The importance of a good wedding videographer and photographer cannot be emphasized enough! Scour through Instagram and ask around so you can find your dream wedding videographer!