10 Questions for your Wedding Videographer
Let’s face it. This is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) day of your life. For most people, hiring vendors is a new experience and can be overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you know what’s legit and what isn’t? What if it’s a scam? What are some red flags to look for? I wish I could say that the wedding world is just absolutely crammed with quality, competent vendors waiting to prioritize you above all else and pour their hearts and souls into your wedding, that unfortunately isn’t always the case. There’s a lot of money in the wedding world, and while some people truly enjoy working at weddings and are qualified to do so, there are also a lot of people who are still in the “fake it” stage of the “fake it till you make it” approach. So, let’s take a moment and zoom in (no pun intended) on the magical world of wedding videography. How do you tell who’s faking it and how do you tell who knows their beans? (I still don’t know where that phrase came from. My 78 year old professor said it once and it just kinda stuck with me).
Fortunately, videos are quite hard to fake, and you can usually tell who is a good videographer based on their videos alone, but there are still some important matters to consider. There are a lot of red/green flags to look for, but I’ve compiled a list of my top 10 questions that I would ask any wedding videographer who I was considering to capture my own wedding:
Do you film the entire ceremony/big moments?
While you think this would be a no-brainer, there are a lot of videographers who simply film what they need and stop recording for the rest. A few cinematic shots of the first dance. The ceremony entrance and then the first kiss and maybe some in between shots. Lemme be clear… If I have to pay a wedding videographer extra to capture the… ya know… wedding… then I’ll pass.
Do you dual record?
It used to be harder to do, but now, any modern professional camera will offer redundant recording to two SD cards at once. So, in case one fails, there’s a backup. It doesn’t happen often, but I would like to have the peace of mind knowing that if a card did fail at my nonrepeatable (not a word) wedding day, then I can rest assured that not all is lost.
What resolution do you shoot in?
Some out there still shoot in 1080 (Full HD), which is ok for social media, but it’s 2024, and anyone capturing professional video should be shooting in 4k at least (with the exception of high frame rate modes). Videos shot in 4k will age much better and just… like… why not? 4k doesn’t take up as much memory as it used to, and it’s much better to edit. To me, if a videographer is not shooting in 4k, it’s a red flag for one of several reasons (cheap, incompetent, or just lazy).
What audio devices will you use to capture sound?
Audio is not half of video, but it’s close. Without audio, videos are hollow and a bit naked. And quality audio can take an average video and turn it into a tear-producing masterpiece. Moreover, audio adds a crucial dimension to footage. If your videographer is filming the ceremony but isn’t putting his own mics on anyone, there’s a chance you won’t be able to hear the officiant, the vows, etc. If the videographer isn’t planting backup mics on the DJ’s mic for speeches, then what if the DJ’s feed isn’t good? (I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me). A good videographer will capture good audio. Period.
Are you a licensed drone pilot?
If you fly drones for fun, you don’t need a license. If you fly drones for business, you need a Part-107 license, administered by the FAA. This is a pilot license for small unmanned aircrafts, and it’s not easy to get. I studied for about 2 weeks for mine and had to pay $150 and drive to the airport to take the test. It’s annoying and kind of stupid, but it’s the law. And if your videographer is not licensed and is flying drones at your wedding, he puts himself and you at risk.
Who will be editing the footage?
Some videographers don’t edit their own footage, but instead pass it off to a professional editor. While this does work and there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, I tend to think of the whole process as a work of art. And if a piece of art is being passed from one artist to another, it loses what really makes it special as a means of expression and authenticity. A distant editor won’t know us and our story (if I am an inquiring couple), so it’s less likely that the video will be true to us. I would rather have a videographer who takes the time to get to know us and crafts the video after what makes us special.
Are you insured?
Business insurance is required by most big venues (especially in major cities), and it really is a poor reflection on a videographer if they don’t have insurance. That means they are leaving themselves open to catastrophes like: lawsuits, theft of all their gear, and liability in case something happens like… their drone crashes through stained glass windows of a historic church, their light short circuits and catches a venue on fire, or an old grandma trips over a power cord and breaks her hip. Those things rarely happen, but … goodness what a risk to not have insurance (like $700/year). Also worth mentioning is that insurance is also meant to protect the couple (for example, if all the footage is lost on a corrupt card, the insurance might cover losses, which is much better than a careless videographer just throwing up his hands and saying, “Sorry… it happens!”)
Do you license your music?
When I first started doing video, I thought that if you purchase the song on iTunes (yeah, I’ve been doing this for a while) then you could use it for whatever you wanted, and you only had to find clever ways around the copyright detectors on facebook and youtube. That. Is. Not. True. Like at all. Using music in a video (that isn’t preprogrammed into an app like instagram for a Reel) is very much illegal if you do not have the rights to that music. It’s almost on the same level as plagiarism. You’re essentially borrowing off of someone else’s work to promote your own. So what’s the solution? There are a bunch of sites that offer music licensing. Sites like: Artlist, Fyrfly, Soundstripe, Musicbed (my preferred site), and so many more. They offer one time uses or, (more popularly) subscriptions. For me, I pay about $1100/year to use Musicbed, and that gives me unlimited access to most of the songs on their site. It’s good music, and I’ve been using them since 2019 with no complaints. But if you are booking someone who doesn’t license their music, they are risking a HUGE fine and legal ramifications from record labels. Don’t do it. Don’t book videographers who do it.
How many cameras do you use on the wedding day?
Cameras fail. I’ve had it happen to me on multiple occasions. Not only should a good videographer have multiple cameras for capturing several angles of big moments (like the ceremony), but they should also have a backup just in case one fails. For me, 3 cameras is a minimum. I have 3. And I would be uncomfortable shooting a wedding with only two. (I really miss just doing photography sometimes. Life was so simple. And cheap.)
How many weddings have you shot?
While this isn’t an absolute dealbreaker, those who haven’t worked many weddings can’t possibly be prepared for all the unexpected events and curveballs that a wedding day can (and often does) toss your way. Planning ceremony shot angles, knowing where to be and when, capturing moments well, and constructing shots that tell a story all take a lot of practice and experience. Moreover, a videographer is going to be with you all day and will more than likely serve as more than a videographer. You want someone with you who is capable of stepping in and making crucial decisions if that need arises. For example, a groomsman will sometimes approach me and ask when they need to be dressed. Getting that time wrong can change the flow of the day, and “I don’t know” just adds more stress to an already stressful time. Having a vendor with experience makes a difference.
Not all of these are dealbreakers, but some are! If I were looking for a videographer, I would start here. You might be surprised at how quickly you can narrow your search with just 10 simple questions! And if you’re wondering if it’s a red flag if the videographer you’re considering AI generates all the heading images for his blogs… no. No, it is not.
