When it comes to questions to ask your wedding videographer before you book, we can get into a list of the best questions to ask, many of which include technical details and package inclusions. However, many of those are often covered in the breakdown of their packages, welcome packets, or during the initial phone call.
What I find most important when hiring a wedding videographer is to learn a little bit about how they communicate because many couples do not know that this is a very important quality in a good videographer.
The difference between a good wedding videographer and a great one does not come down to having the best camera or gear. The difference is the person!
Before you book a wedding videographer, make sure he or she plans to communicate in these three ways to ensure a successful shoot and excellent working relationship:
1) Is the wedding videographer planning on meeting with you prior to the wedding ceremony?
Prior to the wedding ceremony, your videographer should have a meeting with you. This meeting is where he or she will get to know what you are looking for in your wedding video. Are there certain moments you want to capture? Will there be any surprises or choreographed dances the team needs to know about ahead of time? Will the bride be wearing something of significance that was passed down through her family? When interviewing wedding videographers, it’s important to ensure they are really intentional about the process and ready to capture these moments because those are the moments that truly make your video stand out.
2) Does the videographer plan on reaching out to the ceremony and reception venues to find out if they have any rules or regulations?
Your videographer needs to assess the “lay of the land” so to speak and understand the filming rules and regulations of your venue.
For example, some churches will not allow videographers in certain areas, so he or she needs to note that and plan to bring a zoom lens in case it’s necessary. Some large reception venues require a proof of insurance before they let the videographer shoot on the premises. Some venues do not allow drones for aerial video footage on the property.
It’s the responsibility of the videographer to have everything in order before showing up to the event.
With couples shifting towards intimate weddings, many like to include live streaming into their packages. If live streaming is something you want to feature at your wedding, make sure your videographer is planning to schedule a time with the venue a week or two in advance to ensure he or she has the right equipment to effectively stream.
3) Does the videographer you are looking to book liaise with other vendors prior to the wedding?
Having a conversation with the vendors involved in a wedding—especially the ones the videographer will work with more closely on the wedding day—is good practice to ensure everyone is on the same page and familiar with one another. This can go a long way in making the day go smoothly.
When I shoot events, the first person I reach out to is the event planner, if there is one. I request a copy of the “run of show” and contact information for the photographer since that is the individual I usually work most closely with. I reach out to the photographer to find out if he or she will allow me to shoot side-by-side and rotate for close-ups. Getting to know one another beforehand makes a world of difference when we are both trying to capture moments.
It is also very important to me to ask the DJ about their setup. Will they let me plug into their soundboard to get backup audio? Will they bring a high-end light kit for the reception?
Getting acquainted with everyone helps the shoot move along much smoother and allows us to capture a lot of excellent film.
These three communication touchpoints can make all of the difference in the kind of service your videographer provides so make sure you find out about them.
If you are looking for a cinematic wedding videographer for your upcoming wedding, I’d love for you to check out my services. Learn more about visiting the collections pages.
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