I previously wrote about the reasons why you should strongly consider getting a wedding videographer, but many of you commented that this is more of a luxury option that simply won’t work with every bride’s wedding budget (especially given the average cost of a wedding these days). As such, for today’s post I’ll be sharing my top 4 tips for saving money on your videographer.
First and foremost, if you want to hire a videographer on the cheap, avoid getting sucked in to buying the extras. Many wedding videographers will try and get you to add things like a slideshow, custom DVD carriers, accompanying print materials, etc. Even though the sales pitch for these extras might sound nice, avoid paying for any unnecessary bells and whistles and stick to the basic video package.
Similar to the first tip, you should also strive to reduce the video editing and labor costs by sticking with the basics. For example, adding special effects like fade-outs, floating text, screen dissolutions, and screen-on-screen visuals takes time and expertise, thereby increasing your labor costs. Yes these effects look nice, but they are simply not necessary – all you will care about when you watch the wedding video years after the wedding is how you, your spouse and your guests look. So stick to barebones editing, or if you’re so inclined, do the editing yourself.
Another way to save money is to make sure only one videographer and one camera is present. Some videographers will want to bring along a second cameraman to maximize the number of shots captured, but try and push back on this one. Obviously having 2 people and 2 cameras will substantially add to your expense. If the videographer insists on having multiple cameramen, find different one. Trust me, there are plenty of wedding videographers out there.
Finally, minimize the number of hours that the wedding video shooting will take place. You really don’t need video of the bride getting dressed or the groom chatting with his best man before the ceremony. Ideally, you’ll want the wedding ceremony and perhaps half of the reception filmed. Focusing only on these important times instead of filming everything from morning till night will obviously cut your expense down measurably.
I hope I’ve convinced you that you can indeed hire a videographer without having to break the bank. Personally, I’d rather watch a video than view some pictures, and I think years from now as you and your spouse are reminiscing you’ll come to that same realization too. So do yourself a favor and find a way to hire a wedding videographer. Use the tips in this post to cut your costs, and if necessary forego other less important expenses like the wedding favors so you can afford it. Methinks that sooner or later, you’ll be glad that you did!
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