What Exactly Should You Expect When Hiring Your Wedding Videographer?
There are so many vendors to think about when planning your wedding, each of which work their magic so your day is everything you've dreamt it to be. Wedding videographers exist so that you can have a keepsake that will live long past your wedding day, an heirloom to hold onto, to remember the memories, movement, sounds, and energy that occurred. It’s priceless.
That being said, you might be wondering what exactly it looks like to incorporate a professional videographer into your planning and prep process, as well as the big day itself. Here’s some insight on what you can expect when hiring a wedding videographer. There are several options out there, but I'm going to give you an in to my exclusive process as a wedding videographer myself, from what it looks like from the time of booking to my personal approach in crafting a video that’s personal to you.
Finding The Right Videographer
DECIDING YOUR STYLE
When you start the hunt for your videographer, it's important to have an idea of what type of artistic style you're going for (just like you would for a photographer). Are you looking for something purely cinematic (like watching your own personal movie) or more of a documentary approach (closer to raw footage)? Something more vintage, or something with a more modern feel? Do you want an upbeat, fast-paced video, or something more slow-burn and emotional? Many videographers offer mixtures of these different styles. I love crafting videos that blend a cinematic look with a nostalgic/vintage feeling, done using high-resolution clips and Super 8mm film (coming soon to 2026 wedding clients).
My main tip when viewing videographer's portfolios is to pay attention to the small moments that they captured and included into the film. Did they pay attention to the soft, unspoken moments, or did they solely incorporate the traditional, main event moments?
I find that incorporating the intimate,“quiet” moments into my films to make them more personal and unique to each wedding/couple.
LIST OF SERVICES
Many videographers offer different service packages, which is why it's important to talk with your partner about things like what you want captured, what format you want your videos in, and budget. Just like your wedding photographer, wedding videographers usually create packages with different amounts of hourly coverage and services. Some videographers may or may not incorporate things like Super 8mm film, complete RAW footage, RAW speech videos, drone footage, extra hourly coverage, and more. At T Martini Visuals, each package offers a wide variety of services, along with some unique, more specific-to-the-couple add-ons available for purchase.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT'S INCLUDED IN MY PRICING PACKAGES, CLICK THE LINK BELOW.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
When inquiring, be sure to ask questions like how they capture audio and how they work throughout the wedding day, such as their gear load and directing style. The last thing you want is someone who arrives on the wedding day that is disconnected from you and your guests, or who has bucket loads of gear that take up space, making you feel like you're part of a larger production rather than an intimate, heartfelt experience. Being sure that you are booking with someone who has a personal approach and genuinely wants to learn about you, your story, and your goals for the day does matter.
I love giving the option of a Zoom meeting once couples inquire to make sure they feel confident in us working together.
Wedding Day Preparation
GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER
In order to receive a video that truly feels personal to you, your videographer must get to know a bit about you and your love story. My films have an emphasis on audio for special moments including vows, personal letters, speeches, prayers, etc., as well as an emphasis on relationships (that go even beyond just you and your partner). The best way for me to understand what will move you in your film regarding these two things is having the opportunity to get to know you first, which is why after booking I like to set up a welcome call, where we chat face-to-face over Zoom for 25 minutes. The call is very unstructured, like coffee with a friend. I ask questions like: how did you two meet, how long have you been together, what’s most important to you on the wedding day, how much of your family is joining and are you close with them, what are you most looking forward to seeing in your video, and more. Having a videographer that takes time to dive into a few of these subjects will pay off in the end product.
QUESTIONNAIRE, SHOT LIST, TIMELINE
To carry on with wedding day preparation, at some point in the process your videographer should send you some sort of organized questionnaire and shot list to collect all of the minor and major details of the day so they know what to anticipate.
Lots of couples give me free rein on what gets captured, and end up loving their videos! That being said, I love hearing any ideas and inspiration you may have.
It is most common for your photographer to help pull together your wedding day timeline, as they will need more structure around certain events like family photos, getting ready details, and bridal party shots. Your videographer should obtain a copy of this timeline and let you know if there are any alterations they would suggest based on the shots that they will need to capture as well. Most of the time, it’s simple for the videographer to work around the photographer’s shooting timeline preferences, since videographers tend to focus more on capturing raw moments that occur throughout the day.
Once I have information on what the day consists of, your timeline, and your shot list, I like to schedule one more call to ensure everything is finalized and I’m fully ready to shoot your special day!
Day Of Execution
During your wedding day, your videographer should prioritize good communication with you and your vendors to make sure they are getting the video footage they need without causing too much of a hindrance to the order of events. We use gear such as gimbals and tripods for stabilization, mics for vows, speeches, ceremony audio, and some lighting tools to use as the sun sinks down. Throughout the day, a great videographer will take advantage of working alongside your photographer to ensure we aren't missing any key shots, and so we don't have to ask you to do too many things twice. Oftentimes, we are more on the quiet side acting more behind the scenes while working intentionally to turn small moments into a storytelling pieces of art.
I always make it my goal on a wedding day to help out where I can when it comes to enabling a good flow of events while utilizing my creative expertise for your video. I step in here and there to offer suggestions and softly guide moments that will translate nicely on camera.
Post Production & Delivery
Once your wedding day is over, videographers have a heavy load of post-production work (and we love it). This is where our creative minds really shine. We spend hours picking out fitting music, sifting through the footage we captured, syncing audio clips, and manipulating colors to make your films look dreamy. Post-production typically lasts anywhere between 6–12 weeks depending on the videographer. Once your videos are finished, you will receive them through an online, downloadable gallery similar to how you would receive a photo gallery.
Once this has been accomplished, you are left with an heirloom to reminisce on for years to come, something that will bring you right back to one of the most special days of your life. But not only that... your wedding video is a living testament to your love, your story, a scenic setting that's special to you, and the relationships that you and your partner have surrounded yourselves with in life. It’s truly such a special investment.
