Is a wedding videographer worth it?
For most couples, yes! Photos can't hold sound, so a wedding videographer is worth it if hearing your vows, your dad's toast, or your grandmother's laugh again matters to you. In Nashville that usually means $5-8k+, and it's the one part of the day you can't recreate later. If you'd never rewatch it, or it means cutting something more important to you, it's fair to skip it.
What a film gives you that photos can't
Voices. Your vows in your own words or the words your dad spoke after seeing you in your wedding dress for the first time.
People who won't always be here. Couples tell us the clip they rewatch most is a grandparent dancing or giving a blessing.
The parts you missed. You can’t be in every place all day. A film shows you the cocktail hour while you were at family portraits, the flower girls walking down the aisle as you hid from the guess, and the room when you walked in.
Why couples hesitate
"It's expensive." It is. Compare it to what else is in the budget, though. Flowers, favors, and decor are gone by Sunday.
"We'll never watch it." Many couples say that they don’t watch their wedding film, but look at the wedding film they received.... The ones who skip video are the ones who more often wish they hadn't.
"Cameras make us awkward." A good wedding videographer blends in. Most couples forget we're there after the first hour, or at least feel like we're a friend with a camera (and know how to use it really well).
Three questions to help you decide
Do you rewatch old family videos? If you've ever teared up hearing a relative's voice in a home video, you already know what a wedding film becomes.
Who will be there that you want to remember exactly as they are? A grandparent, a parent, a friend moving across the country. These people will never be in the same room again, and a wedding film captures the energy of it all.
What would you cut to make room? If the answer is your photographer, pause. If it's favors or an upgraded centerpiece, that’s an easer trade.
When a videographer isn't worth it
Be honest with yourself here. Skip it or go small if:
Paying for video means hiring a weaker photographer. Photos still matter most to most couples, and a poor photography experience bleeds into the video experience as well.
You're having a short courthouse or very small ceremony. A friend with a phone on a tripod, plus a cheap lapel mic, can capture the vows.
Neither of you rewatches videos of anything, ever…
Keep reading
Watch full films here, and decide for yourself.
