If you speak to someone who hired a wedding videographer in the US to film their wedding event, chances are they would not have regretted the decision. That’s because a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you can relive those moments over and over by watching wedding videos.
Here are some of the reasons why you should hire a wedding videographer:
- A wedding videographer captures the entire journey of your wedding.
- You can go back to and watch everything you might have missed at your wedding.
- Capturing the blessings of the elderly is priceless.
- Wedding videographers can dramatize the captured moments to make it even more special.
- Your story can be shared with people that couldn’t make it to the wedding.
- Finally, share your wedding story with future generations.
That said, having someone that captures your wedding is a must. However, you should budget the same smartly. Typically, wedding videographers in the US charge anywhere between $500 up to $4000. The reasons for this range are many. These are some of the ways to understand how the price rises, what all are included in the cost, selecting the right kind of videographer, and finally seeing how you can try and reduce the cost.
What Determines the Cost?
Many things determine the cost of any kind of video recording. Here are some of the things that will determine the cost:
- Time: The number of hours or days that your wedding is planned for. How long your wedding lasts? What kind of events do you want to capture? Over how many days you want them to capture videos will certainly determine the cost of the videographer. Covering extra events and more the time one spends filming will increase the cost of the pro-videography.
- Team size: The team size is an important aspect of video editing services. Sometimes there is one person handling everything. This includes the actual recording and the wedding video editing and manages everything. In such cases, the charges could be a lot less. However, if a person has a team working for him or her, or is outsource wedding video editing, then the payment structure changes.
- Location: The location of the wedding is certainly something that people need to consider. You might have to include the travel charges of the wedding videographer and the team if you are looking to travel to a different or exotic location. The travel and the costs can be different in different cities. This includes food, accommodation, and more.
- Technology: Wedding video editing services are followed by the actual recording of the wedding. However, what kind of technology is used can make it more expensive. Hiring different kinds of technology for both recording and editing increases the overall cost of the wedding videography.
- Quality: If the videographer comes with a lot of experience and a lot of work behind him or her with high quality, they tend to charge more. The better the reputation of the person, the more the cost to hire them. They bring with them the right kind of combination of angles and technology and more.
What is included in the cost?
Typically the negotiation is the important aspect of what is included while making a video. Here are some things that need to be approved in advance by the Videographer to have complete knowledge of how they work:
- Videography: The kind of videography they take. Look at samples from different teams. Share what you are looking for and ask if they can deliver it in that way. Also, how much coverage you want to be captured.
- Post-Production Editing – It is a stage wherein the film is wrapped and edited with required audio and visuals. It is the most expensive stage, which involves cutting raw footage, assembling them, adding background music, special effects, and more.
- Delivery in Required Formats: Talk about what kind of versions of delivery they would do and at what price point. More often than not, raw footage cost a lot less than different extra formats.
- Travel Cost: If the videographer has to travel to a different place, do take the time to have conversations about how they will travel, and also consult them on living arrangements and food, etc. Remember that they do not just travel in person they also need to travel with equipment.
- Team: The number of people traveling or involved in the team automatically will increase your cost. So, before confirming, make sure you talk to them about how many people will be there and what their expectations are.
What to Know About Videographer
- The Price: Obviously, while planning a wedding, budgeting is a very important aspect. Have a clear conversation about the price range and try to negotiate. You must know what price range they work in.
- The Kind of Formats: Depending on how you want to share your videos, it is important to discuss the kinds of formats they are willing to provide. Also, try and understand their editing process.
- The Number of Days/Hours: After telling them the number of days or hours they need to tape the event, it is important to also know how long they will get back with the final product.
- Location: Sometimes, you get recommendations from friends and then try out videographers. However, you must know where they operate from. Flying someone across the country may not be worth it.
- Experience: The more experience, the better you are at your job. With each project, you learn new tricks in the trade. So, always check their experience and watch their sample work.
- Cost with and without editing: Make sure you know the difference between the recording before editing and after editing. Sometimes, videographers tend to charge more for editing work. If you want, you could ask just for the raw footage.
- Experience with the photographer: When the videographer and photographer have worked together successfully in the past, the outcome tends to be better. So, do try and work with a team that is compliant with each other.
How to Cut Cost On Wedding Videography
- Cut Recording Time: Limit the amount of recording time. Make it focused on the main event. Also, if you can help it, reduce the wedding itself to the main event. It saves money, even in general.
- Find a local vendor: Travel can cost a lot of money, so try and get that local vendor’s contact, so you save on travel costs. It becomes easier if it is a vendor that is closer to the destination. That will help save costs.
- Get the Friends Discount: Find a person that will recommend a videographer. Often if a friend recommends another friend for the videography, you have a greater chance of getting a discount.
- Cut Down on Extras: Keep it basic, do not look for drone footage, high definition videos, and so on. When you keep it simple, the cost comes down too. The charges for the equipment is always an addition to the cost.
- Get Raw Footage: Editing is an expensive thing to do. It cost a lot more than taking the actual footage. It requires different software and a lot of investment in terms of time for the editor. So, you can easily get the raw footage.
At the end of the day, your wedding event is for one day. However, your marriage lasts forever. Whether you want to go with a cheaper option or the most expensive one, it is a choice that you will make based on the kind of services you discover. Most people, on average, spend anywhere between $1000 to $2500 on their wedding videographers.
Finally, when you want to get married, the important thing is to remember that you have to budget it right. Remember that a wedding is a day event. A marriage is a lifetime event. How you want to remember it is on you. So, make the right decision. There are many photo and video editing services available. Finding the right one is certainly a decision that you have to make. Getting cheap video editing services is easy, but the important thing about life is to have a good marriage. So, take the time and invest more in the marriage rather than just the wedding.
Also read,
Why Do Wedding Studios Consider the Outsource Wedding Video Editing Path?