The top reasons couples don’t hire a wedding videographer

You hired an amazing wedding photographer to capture your day. Now you’re wondering, should you hire a wedding videographer, too?

It’s a really good question—so let’s walk through it together.

There’s something holding you back from saying “yes” to a wedding film.

Maybe your fiancé isn’t on board. Or your parents who are graciously paying for your wedding are feeling like spending is getting out of hand and OMG, you already have a photographer.

If you’re paying for it, you might be thinking that money might be better spent on furniture for your new house or toward a new car you’ve been eying.

And because you’re here reading this article, I know you’re looking for something to save those special moments in your life (but just need help to see the value so you can allow yourself the splurge).

You’re wondering if a wedding film is worth it (or not)

Will you even watch it more than a couple of times a year?

Maybe you think you won’t watch it enough to be valuable, and you rationalized the super expensive photographer because your wedding photos will be put up all-around your house as decor that makes them more practical and valuable. After all, they’re decorative.

But just because you’re not watching your wedding film every day doesn’t make it less valuable. Just think about all the more special things because you don’t see or do them all the time.

Christmas would be horrible if you celebrated it every day—it would totally lose its meaning. Birthdays—you’d get so sick of cake (I can’t even imagine that horror). Sunday donuts—you’d hate donuts if you ate them every day (just ask Sean, he worked at Dunkin’ when he was a teenager).

OK, now let’s do the reverse.

Out of all the things you walk by every day, how much of it do you really SEE?

Or do you walk by it and not appreciate it because you’re walking around doing life? (Yes, I just made life a verb.)

Those details become a regular, every day part of life that all your sense just wash over because that’s what brains to. It’s part of their literal functions. It can’t spend precious time and effort constantly taking in the things it sees all day every day.

It’s actually REALLY good that you won’t watch your film as much as you’ll see the photos you plan on hanging on your walls. That will make you love it and appreciate it MORE than your wedding photography.

You think wedding videography is going to be too overwhelming.

All the cameras, all the people, all the pressure—do you really need one more vendor?

I totally get where you’re coming from with this. Add more people with more cameras and what is THAT going to do to your day. If you think about it, your day is 200+ people pointing cameras at you.

Really what people are worried about are videographers being in their face and infringing on personal space. And that can be avoided by asking the RIGHT questions when you inquire with them.

A good videographer knows how important your experience is. It’s not just about the final film and getting their shots but making sure you enjoy the day and working with them.

They’ll work with you to overcome all of your fears about being overwhelmed. It’s not important to everyone. So make sure you’re actively looking for a good experience.

Can I hire a college student, friend, or a cheap videographer to film our wedding for us?

Of course, you can. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Especially if you’re worried about the experience you’re going to have because these aren’t highly qualified professionals.

A professional videographer knows exactly where to be at all times. They have assistants and second shooters to make sure the day runs smoothly.

The college student with a camera and the sweet friend doing you a favor don’t have that the kind of timeline awareness that’s necessary to film a wedding.

And they can get in the way of your awesome photographer… messing up a lot of their shots (not intentionally, it’s an awareness thing).

And if you want to consider what might happen if you leave these memories to your friends, I encourage you to check out our article on what’s at stake when you have a friend in charge of your wedding video.

What will you miss out on by not hiring a wedding videographer?

Not hiring a wedding videographer is the single biggest regret we hear from newlyweds.

I’m sure you’ve heard that, too. But it bears repeating because IT STILL HAPPENS ALL THE TIME (despite happening ALL the time).

Immediately after their wedding day is over, most couples wish they had their wedding day on video because they don’t remember any of it (even couples who had small or micro weddings).

Your wedding is going to be one of the most intense parties you’ll ever throw and you’ll have so much adrenaline pumping from all the fun you’re having there’s no conceivable way you can remember it all.

It’s tightly scheduled, you’re the center of attention, and you’re floating on air. It’s all pretty surreal.

There’s just too much coming at you all at once. Add a little alcohol into that and it’s a recipe for total memory failure. This is why it’s our job to be in the places you aren’t so you don’t miss a single detail about your wedding.

The value of a wedding video becomes exponentially more valuable as you get older and life changes.

Life will change for everyone.

It’s not only a fun way to remember your wedding but it’s an essential heirloom to remember loved ones by. Life doesn’t stay the same. Sometimes it changes just little bits over time. And other times it changes in great big flashes.

Either way, it’s an incredible way to preserve your family legacy. It’s there for you forever.

A wedding film will bring back all the movements and sounds.

Photography, for all the beauty they provide, cannot do that for you.

They’re beautiful, they really are. But they’re limited to fractions of a second in time.

With a wedding film, you’ll relive every dance move with your dad, every laugh with your new spouse, and every tearful word of your MOH’s speech. All the things in your wedding day that you didn’t get to see just because you were in a different place.

You get to experience completely new things that you didn’t see on your wedding day, experiencing your wedding in a brand new way.

Should you hire a wedding videographer to film your wedding?

Yes! If you can afford a professional videographer—do it!

Allocate as much as your budget will allow. The adage “you get what you pay for” applies to all things, even your wedding videography.

Your wedding film is wedding memory insurance.

This is the single day you’ve been planning for a year or more, probably even dreaming about your whole life. And it’s finally here. Don’t you want to relive that in as much detail as possible?

Watching your best man twirl your 80-year-old grandmother on the dance floor is so much more special 20 years later—when you’re showing her great-grandchildren what a firecracker she was.

Photography can’t capture that kind of memory no matter how good the photographer is—it’s just the limitation of what photography can do.

Getting the best videography coverage you can is going to make the difference between watching your wedding film once and watching it all the time. A great videographer is going to tell the story of your love, and not just record the day’s events. That story is what makes your film compelling and incredible enough to be your favorite film of all time.

So, yes, absolutely hire a videographer for your wedding.

And if you want to check our calendar to see if we’re available, visit our Contact Page!