
In a recent consultation the bride and groom asked for my opinion on hiring a videographer for their wedding festivities. They liked the idea of having the event recorded for posterity, but weren’t entirely sold on fitting it into their budget. They have a friend, an amateur with a video camera, offering to videotape the wedding and wanted my thoughts on professional verses amateur videography.
So without further ado, here are those thoughts.
I used a videographer for my wedding back in the days when VHS was the predominant medium and the technology for digital video may not have even been on the drawing board. Hiring the videographer was almost a last minute decision when we realized we had a little extra money left in our wedding budget. I’m so glad we did! It is a lot of fun to go back and watch the video every couple of years or so, especially for my children. They cannot believe mom and dad ever looked so young…or could party like that. The picture quality is predictably VHS, but not dreadful. The only drawback is the sound. Sound capability has come a long way over the years. In our video you can’t really hear the details of the ceremony, but we do look nice. Which reminds me, we really should get on with transferring it to DVD, shouldn’t we?
Today, the technology is much better and the quality of the end product has a much longer shelf life. Even if you think you have a laid back personality and aren’t prone to stress, I can promise you your wedding day is going to pass in a blur. When you view your wedding video for the first time you will experience the occasion in an entirely new way. A lot of “oh wow” moments are virtually guaranteed. If you opt for a full package, getting ready for the wedding all the way through leaving the reception, you’ll get to see things that happened when you weren’t even around.
If you can fit it into your budget, I do recommend hiring a professional if at all possible. The difference in quality between amateur and professional can be metaphorically measured in light-years. Professionals have equipment an amateur can only dream about. Not only will the picture quality be much better, but sound is far superior with professional equipment than a basic hand held video camera. The videographer will typically mic both the officiant and the groom so, unlike me, you’ll be able to hear every word of your ceremony twenty years from now.
Professionals have the experience necessary to capture your day using the best angles and adjusting to space and lighting demands. And then there is the editing. When an amateur records your wedding, you’re likely to get “raw footage” and nothing else. A professional videographer will edit the footage and provide you with a polished product including the best moments and deleting embarrassing or boring moments. You’ll end up with a DVD that is fun to watch rather than tedious to wade through.
Videography isn’t a priority for every bride and groom, but if you’re interested in exploring the possibility, I can confidently recommend the following videographers here in Central Florida.
Cinema Chic Productions
Dillon Digital Video
Key Moment Films
Sarah Walker Productions