Happy Monday everyone! As our wedding season is slowing down for the last few weeks of the year we are reminded everyday of how this is engagement season in the wedding industry. While the number of couples getting married this time of year may be slowing down, the number of couples getting engaged and planning weddings increases exponentially. In the past week we have had 3 brides ask basically the same question, probably one of our top 5 most ask questions with wedding photography. We are going to share with you what it is and our answer!

Question: Do you have a videographer that you work with, or what should we look for when booking a videographer?

Quick Answer: Yes, and we will share what to look for.

Y’all, Kala and I didn’t have a videographer at our wedding and we regret it. It is such a sweet token to take away with you. If you can fit it in your wedding budget, DO IT! But this is a fair question and a photographer is the best person to ask, why? Because we literally work shoulder to shoulder with your videographer all day. We know better than anyone what to look for in a quality videographer.

**Side note** We are sometimes asked if we do videography. While we both have top quality cameras and there is some overlap, we completely respect what they do because it is totally different. We like to use the example of Fire Fighters and EMTs. While they do have some cross training, there is a huge difference and you need both.

To answer the first part of the question in more detail: Do you have a videographer that you work with?

Yes we have videographers that we work with. They are not a part of our team, nor do we hire them. Nonetheless we do have a couple solid, top of the line, excellent videographers that have been beside us on client’s wedding day. We know they deliver quality work and stand out among their peers in their field. These videographers work alongside us during your day to give you a better overall wedding experience. We don’t wrestle for time with you guys, we share it standing beside each other getting all the shots you want for your wedding photos and videos. I won’t share their names on here, but if you want their contact info shoot us an email and we will share those with you.

To answer the second part of the question in more detail: What should we look for when booking a videographer?

1.      Ask to see a full wedding video, maybe two. The reason for this is any newbie can pull off a 3 minute video clip and make it look good. I could take clips and put music behind it and call myself a videographer and ask you too book me (I’m not and I won’t—Just a figure of speech). Watching a full video or two will help you see if the videographer can pull off an entire production, and give you a quality product, so you know you are truly getting what you are paying for.

2.      Ask how many weddings they have shot. With Photography and Videography being artistic in nature, experience is HUGE when shooting weddings. You want to know that they will be consistent in their shooting and editing style. As well as that they know what to do when something goes wrong. Believe it or not y’all, cameras malfunction, lights short out, batteries fail, stuff goes wrong and you need to know they can handle it.

3.      Personality. While in our experience your photographer is always going to be the one with the much louder personality, I always find it important that you jive well with each of your vendors. While most wear the classic all black and stay behind the scenes all day, you want to make sure when working with them their personality will still bring out the best, giving you a great experience on your wedding day.

4.      You will want to find out how you would book them. A quality, authentic, legitimate, trustworthy videographer will require you to do two things to book them. First sign a contract or agreement. These protect you just as much as they protect the videographer. Kala and I have heard too many horror stories of people giving money to “videographers” and other vendors to never see them again. These agreements which you should have a copy of protect you from having that happen. Second they will have you pay a deposit. They shouldn’t require you to pay the full amount up front, 20-50% is industry norm. With the remaining balance due 15-30 days before the event date.

5.      You’ll want to know how they deliver the images and the timeline in which you should expect them.

6.      Find out if they have a second shooter with them on your wedding day.

7.      You need to know they have a second or at least a backup camera. The answer to this should always be yes. Otherwise you may end up just paying for a guest to show up to your wedding and stand in the back.

8.      If they haven’t worked with us before, that’s okay! We love making new friends! Ask if they are okay for a quick 15 minute call with us before the wedding. Kala and I believe that we are there to add to you day, to make it better than you pictured it (see what I did there…). One way we do this is by preparing for each brides specific tailored needs. When working with new videographers we love a call beforehand to ensure we are on the same page and have a plan that makes sense for both of us, so that it will benefit you the most.

We truly believe that it isn’t about us on the wedding day. We are there for our clients both the bride and the groom. We love working with videographers that feel the same way. It isn’t a competition for who gets the best shot, it is a team effort to deliver the best galleries and videos that you, the couple, could receive. If you have anymore detailed questions, would like to know the names of our preferred videographers, or to see if we have worked with a videographer that you are considering, don’t hesitate to reach out!