Questions to Ask a Videographer Before Hiring Them for Your Wedding
how to choose a videographer | wedding planning tips | pennsylvania wedding photographer
“Do you have videographers to recommend that you enjoy working with?”
I get asked this question all the time by my couples, and while I do have a list of wonderful vendor referrals, I want to provide you with tips on how to find the right videographer for your wedding day. Just like photographers, every videographer has a different style of working as well as a different take on the finished product. It’s so important to make sure the work style of your photographer and videographer work well together, since they will be working very closely together and will be with you for most of your wedding day!
Of course you want to make sure you like the style of video your videographer creates, but there are a lot of other factors to consider when hiring a videographer too. One important thing to consider is their style of directing. You may love the outcome, but you also want to make sure you love the experience. With the videography industry booming, it’s important to make sure you hire a videographer with wedding experience. A great videographer will provide you with an unforgettable experience as well as a beautiful finished piece. I’ve teamed up with my friend Abigail King of Little Kings Media who is an amazing wedding videographer to provide you with a guide to help you find the best videographer for you!
Questions to Ask Your Videographer
How do you direct and how do you typically work alongside the photographer?
Do they like to take lead? Will they ask you to do things multiple times? Do they work with staged prompts or focus more on documentary filming? As the lead photographer, I like to be able to lead direct the couple for about 90% of the shoot. I focus on documentary candid moments so I work best with videographers who like to step back and document alongside me in a natural behind-the-scenes way. This might not be the same for every photographer, so be sure to check with your photographer and videographer and make sure that they are both on the same page when it comes to directing a couple day-of.
Will there be one or two videographers (& how does that affect your timeline)?
This is a big one to consider when booking. If you want full day of video coverage with bride and groom getting ready and all wedding party portraits, make sure to ask if their package includes one videographer or two. If you only have one videographer, you may need to add extra time to your video & photo timelines to be sure they have time to get to each location and shoot. You’ll also want to make sure to relay this information on to your photographer.
How do you handle planning and communication, and when can you expect to hear from them throughout the process?
There is a lot of planning ahead of time that goes into making a wedding day a seamless and stress free day. So make sure to ask when you can expect to hear from your videographer throughout the process. You definitely don’t want to book and be ghosted until the day of your wedding. Make sure your videographer has a plan for how they will stay in touch with you and other vendors.
Will you be the one filming my wedding? If not, can you tell me the name of who is?
Make sure you have the name of your videographer and have viewed their personal portfolio before booking. This may seem obvious, but with the videography industry booming this question has never been more important! While some videographers run a solo or small team company, more and more large videography studios are outsourcing work to videographers that are not necessarily part of “the team”. Abigail stated, “I believe the most important thing to ask a company is, ‘will you be the one filming on the day of my wedding’. This needs to be crystal clear in my opinion. If they can’t answer that question then follow up with ‘who will be filming on my wedding day’ and if they do not have a bank of names that they work with frequently or just answer, ‘I don’t know just yet’ and send you some random films to review. I would move on.” This may be a red flag for a few reasons. Most importantly, you hired this company for their experience, style, and vision of their work and it’s so important to make sure your day of videographer shares the same level of knowledge and values. Abigail used to work for a large company just like this and she says, “A lot of times the couple thought I was the one filming so I had to explain many times it would be someone else. For this reason, I ended up leaving that other studio to pursue my love of people and weddings [with Little Kings Media]”. Those of us in the wedding industry have heard way too many horror stories about outsourced videographers, so please listen to us on this one and get to know your videographer. You’ll thank us later!
How long have you (or my videographer) been filming weddings?
There may be varying opinions on this, but in my opinion it takes at least 3 years to hone in on your creative process on a wedding day and have the experience to create beauty out of whatever is thrown at you. Wedding days are hectic with a lot of unknown variables that just can’t be planned for or taught. Experience is key for managing a wedding day. I’m not suggesting that you don’t hire someone just starting out, because they may be incredible at what they do. But I do think you should ask and be aware of their experience level and set your expectations realistically of the services you are receiving from them.
Where can I read your reviews?
Reviews from real clients are so important and can help you when deciding to book a vendor and should not be overlooked. Abigail agrees, “Lastly I will say look at reviews. Look at dates and see how recent the reviews are. If there is a bad review from 5 years ago don’t pay any mind to it. As we grow we learn and our work gets better, however if you are seeing recent bad reviews then let that be a sign to not pursue.”
When will I receive my wedding video?
Ask upfront for a deadline in which you can expect to receive your finished video. They should be able to give you a straight answer on how long the process takes. This way you won’t be sitting around weeks after your wedding wondering why you haven’t heard from them. Video and photo both take a lot of time on the back end, but typically we are perfectionists when it comes to meeting deadlines. If your videographer can’t give you a solid answer on when to expect your video, that may be a red flag. We’ve unfortunately heard from some couples who hired larger companies that they never got their finished video or that they never edited the footage. This is so sad to hear and we want to steer you clear of any headaches. Your wedding should be a wonderful joyous memory filled with happiness and you deserve to have your memories captured and kept safe to remember for a lifetime. Abby said, “I do think there are some studios that do a phenomenal job with their team. I’ve worked with a few of these studios myself and the onboarding process is extensive and well executed so don’t loose hope in the cheaper options.” Just make sure to ask the right questions and we know you’ll find the perfect team for your day!
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I hope this was helpful for any couple who is looking to hire a videographer to help tell the story of your day. Thank you so much to Abigail King from Little King’s Media for sharing your perspective. Make sure to check out her website and if you connect with her work, reach out and see if she is available for your day! Or reach out to your photographer and ask if they have a list of videographers that they love!
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