Why Videography? Why not just Photography?

In this modern age of wedding planning, videography can start lower on the priority list of important vendors, although its popularity is on the rise. Photography and DJ — important, of course — are sometimes thought of as the most important pieces to check off the planning the list and videography is left to “see how much is left in the budget” or sometimes not thought of at all.

Here at Fairytale Productions, however — and in most wedding industry insider-circles — videography is seen as a top priority, perhaps right after the date and venue.

Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE photography. Wedding photographers are amazing at getting snapshots of the day – the little details in your dress, the way your guests look as they wait to see you walk down the aisle, and the centerpieces you put so much thought into. But that is what they are – snapshots. Split-second memories.

 

Photos can be fantastic for capturing a split-second of emotions, but videos capture entire moments.

Your nervous chatter and laughter with your mom and bridesmaids as you get ready.

The full first 30 seconds of your soon-to-be husband’s reaction when he sees you for the first time.

The way you (and he) get a little choked up as you recite your vows.

The sound of your father’s voice as he toasts you.

These are things that photographs alone cannot capture.

There is a fun side to videography as well.

With video, you get to hear what your fiancé was talking about with his groomsmen as they were getting ready. You get to see the single ladies fight over (or run away from) the bouquet as you toss it. And you get to actually watch your grandma try to learn “The Wobble” on the dance floor.

The Chance of Regret

Here’s the most important part: Your attention will be pulled in so many directions from the high emotions of your day, that you may not even remember some of these moments without video. Ask any recent bride or groom: there are stretches of the day that you won’t even remember. That is the nature of planning one single day for so long, and then actually living through it.

You have every reason to get videography for your wedding day. The only reason not to is money, and that’s why we have wedding budgets.

The chances of you working videography into your budget and regretting it are slim to none.

But the chances of you skipping it and wishing you hadn’t a year from now, five years from now, or 50 years from now are all but too likely. It is a decision you can’t take back once the day passes, so make sure you think it through. If you still aren’t sold, look here.

Okay, so I see now that I want video of my wedding. Do I really need to get it professionally done or can I ask a friend or family member?

This is another area we suggest you talk to a couple who did this. Our business actually started as a reaction to the disappointment of what a home-movie wedding video brings. The equipment, experience, and skill needed to tell the story of a wedding day via videography is not something an average person possesses, so the videos too often come out such poor quality that you don’t want to watch them often, let alone share them with others.

The truth is, it is really not right to expect professional quality from someone who is not a professional.

And if you ever intend to show this video to a loved one who couldn’t make it to the wedding, or to your kids and grand kids one day, you should invest in video that doesn’t shake and cut out. You should invest in video that you are proud of.

 

In the same vein, do your research and make sure you can really trust the company you are working with. There are too many out there think having a camera makes them a photographer or a videographer.

That’s like saying anyone who has a sewing machine can make a wedding dress.

 

There is also the editing to consider.

When you invest in a professional videographer, you don’t have to worry about having 6+ hours of film to try to sort through or finding the storage space and software to try and edit it into something you’re willing to share with others. The professionals will do that skillful work for you so that you are left with a beautiful final product that you can pop in your computer or DVD player — or share online — and re-live the best parts of your magical day.

Here at Fairytale Productions, we do all of our editing ourselves. We take pride in our work all the way from the first planning stage to when we mail you the final product. We know that you are entrusting us with your memories.

 

So, about that budget

Hopefully by this point you see the value of investing in professional wedding video, and it’s time to talk about budgeting for it. As a matter of reference, many people think that your photography should automatically cost more than videography. The reality is that video takes more equipment to shoot, and more time and effort to edit, than photos—so the investment level may be a little higher than photography depending on your package choice.

If you are in the early stages of planning, then it is time to prioritize. Did you know that a lot of venues can provide centerpieces and table numbers for you if you ask? Did you know that you can find flowers wholesale for a fraction of the cost of a florist so long as you have a little bit of manpower to construct the bouquets? Many of the areas that have become easy to spend exorbitant amounts of money can be done for so much less, and done well, if you just prioritize.

If you are in the middle of planning, get creative and see what you can trade out. More and more couples are waiting a little while to go on their honeymoon. Putting a little bit of time between your wedding and honeymoon can help you to recover physically and financially from the pressure of putting on a wedding.

Another idea would be to cut out a piece of your usual discretionary spending for a couple of months and put that towards your videography. Cutting out something like Cable TV or going out to eat a lot for a short time will open up both your budget and your time to plan.

If you are in the late stages of planning, talk to your friends and families. Maybe videography can be someone’s gift to you. As much fun as fancy household appliances can be, they don’t last a lifetime like your wedding video will. Perhaps a few of them could go in on it together. Or maybe one grandparent just really wants to do something special and lasting for you. It is worth looking into at the very least.

Here’s the ultimate perspective that many don’t see from the front-end of planning:

When the party is over, the food eaten, the music stops playing, and the flowers begin to wilt, all that you will have left to look back on your day is your photos and video.

 

Invest in wedding videography, because of all the money and time you spend on one day of your life, you should be able to enjoy it for the rest of your life. You won’t miss the money in 10, 20, or 60 years, but you will miss the memories.