What you need to know BEFORE you hire a wedding videographer

We know how hard it can be to hire a videographer for your wedding. If you’re anything like the couples we talk to, as soon as you get engaged (and maybe even before it), you get excited and start binge-watching wedding films.

You love how wedding videos of other couples make you simultaneously laugh and cry, but at some point, they all start to look the same, and you move onto other things like vacation, work, school, buying a house—or you plain burn out on them.

If that sounds like you right now, then you should keep reading

We’re giving you the 4 most important questions you need to answer before you do ANY of that so you can save yourself a whole lot of time and be laser-focused (while still having fun planning).

How Soon Should I Book A Videographer For My Wedding?

This will depend on two things, (1.) When your wedding is (2.) How important a video is to you.

Keeping in mind this is a blog for Cape Cod and New England weddings—the most popular dates for this region are Saturdays in September. Followed by June, May, and October.

If your wedding is THIS YEAR and you want a wedding video

You should be booking your videography team ASAP.

No joke. Like, right now. Do not wait.

Most vendors are already fully booked for 2023 so if you haven’t been thinking ahead, I am so sorry to tell you that you’re already behind the ball on this. But that’s REALLY good to know because you don’t want to be the couple scrambling for a videographer 2 months before your wedding. 

If your wedding is more than 12 months away

Book a wedding videographer ASAP if a wedding video is important

Couples who consider their wedding video to be a top priority believe it’s critical to book the RIGHT videographer. Booking 18 months in advance is recommended when you want to lock in that special crew. 

So, if you’re a 2024 couple—it’s time to start getting serious about who you want to film your wedding since this wedding boom is expected to last a few years. 

If videography is not in your top 5 priorities, it’s OK to wait a little longer. But do know that who you hire for your video team does affect your photographer.

Wedding Videography Reality Check

The closer it is to your wedding, the smaller the chance you’ll hire a videographer at all (let alone the one you really want).

This sounds obvious, right? Every year vendors are called 2 months, 30 days, even the week before a wedding to see if they’re available because NOW videography is desperately important.

I’m gonna be really candid with you. For the love of all things holy (like your memories) do. not. do. this. This is nothing but a recipe for disappointment. 

Couples who are waiting for the budget to free up, putting it off until tax returns come in, or just until they’re less stressed to hire their wedding videographers—know that booking last-minute runs the highest risk of having to book with those who would normally be your last choice since the most sought after companies won’t have a date open by then. 

And I’m not talking “Meh, sure you’ll do” I’m talking “OMG, that’s really cheesy and it hurts to watch this.”

At that point, a large company that hires freelancers to shoot multiple weddings per day might be your best option. And in a year where a LOT of weddings are being booked and filmed—booking with a large company is a gamble because they’re also scrambling for people to film for them (and they are NOT going to tell you that).

What part of the videography experience is important to us?

This is just as (if not more) important than “what do I get as a product”

Are you camera shy, like you might not be yourself, or feel like you’ll be overwhelmed in front of a bunch of cameras throughout the day?

Just like your photographer, you’re going to be with this team all day. How do you want them to make you feel? That’s going to be just as important to consider as what you want your film to look like.

You want a videographer that films your memories but doesn’t necessarily become a memorable part of your wedding day. You do want to love your team and have fun with them. You don’t want to remember your day for the wrong reasons. (ie, Because your videographer got stuck on the Sagamore and missed your ceremony or they gave you a weird vibe.)

What should I budget for a wedding video?

Plan to budget as much or more than photography

First rule of thumb: anything The Knot tells you about budgets is wrong. The Knot is the bain of every wedding vendor’s existence. It writes in generalities so when couples are preparing themselves for wedding planning, the details they’re reading aren’t accurate.

They’re just pumping out content because that’s their job. Take most of what they say with a grain of salt.

Everyone wants to know what the AVERAGE is or what they can expect to pay for videography. In 2023, in the Cape Cod region, expect to budget at least $5,500 for high quality wedding videography.

Ultimately your budget ties in to how high of a priority is a wedding video to you.

If it’s high and your memories are vitally important, allocate a healthy budget to video. Expect a high-quality videographer to cost the same as your photographer.

If it’s not as high of a priority, and you only want to budget a couple thousand—you can absolutely find that. There is always a trade off. Their expertise, quality, and your experience is where it will cost you. 

Lower range prices are where you’ll be discovering those who are just starting out as a wedding videographer or studying film in college who’s trying to make a little extra money. 

Know you wedding video style

Match your personality to a visual style

While you were watching all those wedding videos, there was probably a style you connected with the most. You probably gave it closer attention and swooned a little more.

Colors and styles have a significant impact on your emotions as you watch a film. The film should make you feel comfortable and excited to watch it. It should feel like YOU.

You’ll know it when you see it. If you have a light and bubbly personality, a studio that specializes in dark films probably isn’t going to nail the vibe you’re going for.

This is your foundation for hiring a wedding videographer.

These answers will give you a strong foundation on which to start your research.

Now you know your price point, how important a wedding film is to you, how you want it to make you feel, the kind of vibe you’re looking for in a studio, and how soon you should get serious about making a video commitment.