How to choose a wedding videographer

Who actually shows up on the day?

Some studios book you in with a name and a portfolio, then send whichever filmmaker on their team is free that weekend. Others, like me, work alone: the person you talk to beforehand is the one behind the camera on the day, and the one editing the film afterwards.

Neither model is automatically right or wrong, but it's worth knowing which one you're booking into before you sign anything. Ask directly: will the person I'm talking to now be the one filming my wedding? If the answer is vague, that's useful information too.

Highlight film or full ceremony video?

Most wedding videographers offer some version of two formats:

• Highlight film, a shorter, edited cut of the whole day, usually 3 to 8 minutes, built around the mood and the moments that mattered most. This is the film most couples end up watching again and again.
• Full ceremony video, the entire ceremony (and sometimes the speeches) recorded in full, without editing. This is the one you watch when you want the vows and speeches exactly as they were said.

Many couples choose both.See how I price each option for what that looks like in practice.

What should the price actually include?

Before you compare numbers between videographers, ask what's actually inside them:

• How many hours of coverage are included
• How long you'll wait for delivery
• Whether travel costs are included or come on top
• What backup equipment is used on the day
• How the deposit and payment terms are set up

A lower number with fewer hours and a longer wait isn't necessarily the better deal. See packages and pricingfor how I've set up my own answers to these questions.

How do you judge a portfolio?

Watch more than one film from the same videographer, not just the one reel they lead with. A consistent look across different weddings, the same color tone, the same use of sound, the same calm in the editing, tells you something a highlight reel alone doesn't: what you're seeing is their process, not a one-off.

My films are an example of what I mean by that.

What's the backup plan if something goes wrong?

Ask concretely: what happens if a camera fails mid-ceremony? What happens if you get sick the day before the wedding? A videographer who can answer both clearly has thought through what can go wrong, whether they work alone or in a team.

What questions should you ask a wedding videographer?

Take this list with you into the next conversation with a wedding videographer:

• Will the person I'm talking to now be the one filming my wedding, or will I be assigned someone else?
• Do you offer a highlight film, a full ceremony video, or both?
• What's included in the price, and what comes on top?
• How long is the delivery time?
• What backup equipment and contingency plan do you have?
• Can I see several full films, not just highlight clips?