You’re engaged and you and you’re fiancé are excited. But what does this mean for you? How are you going to plan your dream wedding without breaking the bank?

As an Atlanta, Georgia Wedding Photographer, I receive lots of questions from my brides, three of which I’m going to answer in this post. Videography is a topic I am asked about more often than not. Videography seems overpriced, friends have conflicting advice when it comes to what you should and shouldn’t do and your parents aren’t able to gift you the videography.

Prioritizing photography and videography from the start is doable for every couple, with every budget. 98% of brides regret not prioritizing these, after their weddings. The Knot shows the value that wedding videography brings to newlyweds by getting to relive the magic of the day, watching moments they missed and having it to someday share with their kids.

Calling every videographer in town might be a bit of a pain and knowing what to ask might be confusing. I get it… So, I put together a list of my favorite videographers to work with, important questions to ask, as well as two professional wedding videography alternatives. But first, addressing the most common videography questions I receive from my brides and grooms.

#1 “My parents say they’ve never watched their wedding video. What’s the point of us hiring a wedding videographer if we’ll never watch our video?”

At the outset, this could be a pretty convincing point for brides and grooms. However, before you allow this to factor into your decision making, I have questions for you to consider. What year did your parents get married? Have you ever watched their wedding video? What are the differences in their video compared to what’s created today? Assuming you and I are around the same age, it’s likely that our parents are close in age. Our parents didn’t have social media to share their wedding video on. Heck, they didn’t even have email yet! Can you even imagine the world!?! Kidding of course! 😉 Chances are, their wedding film looks nothing like present-day videos.

In my view, brides and grooms shouldn’t be too swayed by hearing that their parents have never watched their wedding video. Pretty much everything is different now and that’s ok.

#2 “If we have a photographer, why do we need a videographer?”

Photography and videography should exist on totally separate planes when it comes to how people think of them. To me, photography and videography are not interchangeable and I’ll tell you why. A photograph is one split second, frozen in time. Although it may be a still image, it has the power to move, inspire and remind. I believe in the forces within a photograph and I always will. At the same time, I understand that a moving, visual image, aka video, can be just as strong. A wedding video quite literally has movement, it helps tell the story of your day and of your love, with sound, with words, with life. They are not interchangeable. Looking at our wedding photos, as OBSESSED with them as I am, I have never once thought “hmmm, I could’ve saved us money! The video is irrelevant with pictures this great!” In conclusion, a photographer can not provide the exact same product that a videographer can, and vice versa.

#3 “Do you have suggestions on wedding videographers?”

Girl, yes! If you’re looking for a dope videographer for your wedding day, I got you! I have worked with lots of talented videographers that I am happy to connect you with.

Our Favorite Wedding Videographers:

Todd Urick Films : Chase and I have had the privilege to work alongside Todd and Ladonna many times throughout the past several years and we absolutely LOVE working with them!

Timepiece Films: We hired this team to film our wedding and loved the footage that was captured! Aubrey is super cool and we recommend him to lots of our Atlanta clients.

Rusticus Wedding Films:  While I haven’t worked with this team, I wanted to include them based on their options for customizing packages for anyone who may appreciate that.

Once you’ve made your list of potential videographers, it’s wise to have some questions written down to ask when talking to them. Here are a few that I recommend asking:

• In the event you get sick the day of my wedding, what’s your back up plan for ensuring my wedding is still covered?
• Will we receive the uncut video of our wedding ceremony or is that an added charge?
• Will the videographer have an assistant at the wedding?
• Do they provide lighting equipment in the event the reception is a dark space?
• Can you make changes to the film once you’ve seen it?
• When is the deposit and final amount due? What is the deposit amount?

Alternatives to Hiring a Professional Wedding Videographer

• WeddingMix: WeddingMix is a company that will mail cameras to you for your wedding weekend. Your guests can use their cameras to record footage of your day. After your wedding, you mail the cameras back and they do the editing for you. Packages begin at $199.
• Wedit: Overall, the idea seems to be a lot like WeddingMix. You receive 5 cameras for your wedding day, your guests record with the cameras, you return the cameras and they edit the video for you. Most of their clients receive their video within 4-6 weeks after their event. Wedit seems to have more options when it comes to pricing, which is nice. Packages begin at $199.

I like that there are options out there for brides and grooms who may not want to go the route of hiring a professional videographer or may not be able to afford it. If you decide to go the path of one of the above services, it’s CRUCIAL to know you shouldn’t expect to get what you would get if you hired a professional. Carefully select the guests ahead of time that you want to be in control of these cameras for you.

As a wedding photographer, I can’t express how vital it is that the photographer and videographer remain in communication with each other throughout the day. We become a team, working together. Your guests aren’t professionals therefore won’t know the etiquette that professionals exhibit on wedding day and that is important to keep in mind when making this decision.

In conclusion, brides and grooms have other options outside of hiring a professional wedding videographer if they want footage captured. Ultimately it’s up to the couple what they decide to prioritize on wedding day, but it’s my opinion that on such a special day, hiring a professional is the best choice. You can rest assured your day will be filmed in such a way that you will want to share with your family and friends for years to come.