Go to any bridal Facebook group and you’ll see the same question asked over and over again. Is a videographer really worth it? And, the answers from past brides are quite often the same. About 50% of people say something like “It was the best thing I did.” Another 45% say: “We didn’t get a video and it’s my biggest regret.” And then a small percentage will say they didn’t get one and they’re also happy with the decision.
Excited bride kisses groom and cracks him up from Your Wedding Story on Vimeo.
Best thing I did
Those who fall in the “best thing I did” camp will tell you that video captures the day in a way that photos can’t. The first kiss between Amanda and Steve, in the clip above, is a great example of a moment that only really video can allow you to relive fully.
“I absolutely adore my wedding video,” Amanda says.
“It captured the pure joy my husband and I shared on our special day, which is irreplaceable. I have watched our video an embarrassing amount of times since our wedding, as it recreates the memories. I can’t wait to share our wedding video with my children one day!”
In the final months before their wedding, Amanda squeezed a little more out of their budget and commissioned videography for her ceremony only and ended up with a full edit of her ceremony, as well as a small ceremony highlights clip.
“In hindsight, I wished I had more video footage,” she says.
Caitlyn, who was married in 2016 at Toowong Rowing Club, also wishes she had commissioned a videographer for more than just her ceremony and canapes. However, she holds her video footage very dear.
“My advice would be: videography is actually one of the most precious things after your wedding. One thing we had mentioned to (our videographer) was that our family and my grandparents were really important to us. And getting footage of my family interacting with them was really, really precious.”
2016 bride Lauren (Landing at Dockside) says that one of the highlights for her was seeing how happy her family and friends were on her wedding day.
“Watching our wedding video back you can see how happy they were for us and how much they loved being there celebrating with us. And it’s really lovely to be able to see that on film because you probably don’t notice it so much during your wedding.”
Fine without one
Some couples sit very comfortably with their decision not to have a videographer. Often the reason is that the couple knew that they would be prone to added anxiety if extra cameras were present, and they wanted to keep things simple.
Of course, budget is the other reason many couples don’t get a videographer. Although in time this might change, the current feeling in our culture is that photographs are the “must have” item, and many still see videography as an optional item.
If you know for sure videography isn’t for you, or you need to be ultra strict with your budget, then don’t second-guess yourself. Put that money into your honeymoon or your mortgage and smile! But if you think it will be important to you now or in the years to come, then you should be aware that there are fewer videographers around than there are photographers, and if you want your pick of them, you should book as far in advance as you can. Many people who leave the decision to the last couple of months miss out altogether.
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Amanda and Steve’s wedding film was produced by Brisbane wedding videographer Michaela from Your Wedding Story, who was awarded runner-up at the 2017 Queensland ABIA awards.
