1. Pricing
The first thing that I'm sure you're all interested in is price. How much is too much, how much is too little? What is the value? To answer this it's important to know how much goes into making a wedding video. Gone are the days of a camcorder on a tripod recording the entire day and receiving a VHS tape with your entire ceremony. Things have gotten much more advanced and with that comes some new complications and skill sets.
Before you even hit record you need to make sure that you have all your settings dialed in and then once you are done with the actual wedding day you have to deal with all the post production of color correction, timeline, audio, trimming clips, etc.
Many people assume that a wedding videos is as easy as show up, point, and shoot. It's much more complicated than that. Here at Handprint Media Productions our wedding video prices range from $1,000 to $4,000. I believe that this is a healthy range for our area of Northwest Indiana at this time. If you shop in Chicago though that price bracket will increase immensely.
So while there is no set easy way to answer this question considering all the different factors that go into making the video and the pricing strategy of said videographer, I would suggest expecting to pay between $1,000 and $5,000 for your wedding video.
2. Video Type/Length
This is where that price range above becomes narrowed down to your actual price. Have an idea of what type of video you would like to have before you reach out to your videographer of choice so that you can help them determine the quote for you. The two main styles that you can do is that older version of a wedding video where everything is recorded and you are handed a long form video with everything included on it. With this style it is actually a bit cheaper to go with because you don't have as much post production to deal with. However, this is the style of video that is long to watch and typically only gets watched once and then forgotten about.
The more popular option as of late is a cinematic edit of your day. It typically falls within a 3-10 minute highlight of your day and depending on the lengths it will change the price due to edit. A shorter film with no audio and just music will keep you very close to that $1,000 mark. If you want more details and a longer film with audio of the day then you're inching closer to that $4,000 mark (for Handprint Media specifically).
Having an idea of what style of video you are looking for as well as details or add on's you would like will greatly help determine your price range.
3. Add On's
This third section is the final section that has an effect on price. What sort of additional charges does your videographer have? Do they have a specific amount of hours that they will be present for? How much will it cost if you need them to stay longer? Do I need to pay extra to have audio of my vows, speeches, etc.? What if I decide that I do want a longer video?
All of these questions are great to ask and just goes to show that it is important to know what you are getting and what you may need to add on for an extra cost.
Here at Handprint Media Productions we do not put a limit on how long we will be at your wedding. We have a flat fee that covers our entire day of your wedding. So if you need us to stay for another hour we will not be charging you more. We also do not charge extra for audio. That is included in all our prices. However, if you do want to get full raw footage of dances, ceremony, speeches, etc. that does cost extra.
Each videographer has a different set of perks that are included or not in the final video and it is important to ask or do your research to find out exactly what those included services are.
4. Contracts
One of the most important things to look for when hiring a wedding videographer is: do they have a contract? If your wedding videographer does not send a contract for you to sign then it is time to look elsewhere. Yes, a contract protects the videographer from certain situations but it also protects you as the client. If you hire a videographer and don't have a contract in place what's to stop them from not showing up on your day? Or not delivering your video for a year?
These are the type of things that should be lined out in the contract in great detail.
Be sure once you receive the contract to read through it in great detail and know exactly what you are signing.
5. Personality or Vibe
Your wedding is the biggest day. You've planned for it endlessly down to every last detail. You have a specific vibe or theme that you are imagining in your head. You've done too much planning just to hire a wedding videographer who makes you feel uncomfortable, doesn't capture the details, or can't even get you to smile on what's supposed to be the happiest day! Make sure that you get to know your wedding videographer. Watch their videos online, ask to have a phone call or a meet, and learn what kind of personality this person has. I've witnessed multiple situations where the videographer is just "there" and doesn't make any effort to make your day special. Here at Handprint Media we make sure to be your biggest fan and cheer you on during your wedding day. We want to make sure that we capture everything so you never forget the little things and also make you feel at ease on your wedding day.
I hope that no matter who you go with that you find someone who can make your day a little better just by being a pleaser to work with.
If you have any questions about what we offer here at Handprint Media be sure to reach out on our website, facebook, instagram, any of those good places. I hope that this helped you prepare a little more for that important search for the best wedding videographer possible. Thanks for reading! :)
Comments