Selecting A Wedding Videographer – The Power of Experience
It seems to have become more and more an economic necessity for some brides and grooms to recruit a friend or family member to record their wedding ceremony and reception.
There’s an old British expression that says: “Penny Wise and Pound Foolish”. It’s used to describe situations like the one above, involving people who are very careful about unimportant matters and careless about important ones. (referring originally to British currency, pence and pounds). That’s not to say that you shouldn’t try to cut costs and save money. Just be smart about it and think of the future consequences, which, when it comes to wedding videography, can mean the difference between enjoying the results for a lifetime…or not.
A Personal Story: Restricted by a very small budget when I got married, I had a friend record my own wedding (before I was in the business) and there were no shots of the cake cutting or garter toss. I did the same thing with the photographer, also to save some money, and there were no photos of my sister.
Sad but True Story: An amateur wedding videographer (the bride’s cousin) who was so transfixed by the guitar players fingers strumming his guitar that he missed the shot of the bride’s two nieces (the flower girls) walking down the aisle, making for a very disappointed bride.
The Gift That Doesn’t Keep on Giving: Unless they’re a wedding video professional, accept a friend or relative’s well-meaning ‘gift’ of a video with caution knowing that it will likely have flaws and omissions that a professional video won’t have. A pro has a keen sense of his (or her) surroundings and what’s coming next purely from the experience of having recorded countless events before yours. He or she is disciplined to look everywhere, see everything, and has the crucial skill and foresight to be in the right place at the right time. He can anticipate and address issues before they become problems that attract guests’ attention.
Advice from a Veteran Los Angeles Wedding Videographer: While applying the ‘shop for the lowest price’ strategy may be fine for buying a car, it can be a path to disappointment when looking for a videographer. A car is a product, videography is a service provided by an individual with a background that presumably will serve you well. Not all videographers are alike. They vary in experience, technique, people skills, attitude, style and customer service (in the event there’s ever an issue). Then again, even the same model car at different dealerships may offer different features, some of which may make that particular car more to your liking in the long run. (Read the entire article“How to Find a Good Videographer)
Approach extremely low prices with a lot of caution.There’s a reason (that you may not be aware of) that a videographer isn’t charging what others are.
Keep in mind that a good image with bad sound doesn’t make for a very enjoyable video. This is another instance where experience really matters.
Recommendation: Shop value, not price. Price is what something costs. Value is how much it’s worth to you. Something of value, like a good video, will increase in value over time not only because of the importance of the occasion, but because your video allows you to recollect the loved-ones who were there to celebrate with you who may not be with you forever.
Please feel welcome to contact me directly for more information: marc@24ktsound.com or contact form. Watch a video right now in our wedding & special events video gallery.
Click to watch a cute video about hiring a wedding videographer.