A good wedding video captures the spirit and magic of your big day, more so than photographs. Wedding videography may not be a new thing, but more couples are adding experienced videographers to their wedding vendor list. After all, your wedding photos and videos are what you have to remember your day by!
Perhaps you might already be thinking about engaging a videography team for your wedding or haven’t yet considered it, we wanted to give you a heads-up what to expect and take note of as you browse through portfolios and meet potential wedding video vendors.
Why Hire The Best Wedding Videographers?
Leave it to the professionals. When it comes to looking back at your wedding, having a well-choreographed and captured video brings the day back to life just by pushing play.
Having videos accompany your photos gives you a more complete experience, and what’s more, you’d have an amazing piece of cinematography work — starring the two of you! Here’s what Priscilla, one of TNC Weddings’ clients, had to say in praise:
“… our actual day wedding was captured so beautifully. Once again, lighthearted and yet touching, and I saw my sister tearing when she watched the video for the first time. I am still reeling out of the joyous occasion and have been caught by my friends, watching the wedding highlights for the umpteenth time. I watch it repeatedly only because it’s just so good.”
Before You Meet The Videographers
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Determine What You Want
Narrative, cinematic, classic, rustic, etc — most couples would have in mind the kind of wedding video style and theme they would like for their video.
Prior to seeking out a video crew, take a look at other wedding video productions for ideas. The good news is, numerous videos are easily available for view on the internet! Although there are many platforms you can take inspiration from, the most popular platforms for wedding videos are Vimeo and YouTube.
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Consider Professional Referrals
Most wedding planners would usually have their own list of vendors to recommend, including wedding videographers. Take advantage of this list as a stepping stone to sourcing experienced and skilled wedding videography teams.
Visit video production houses’ websites and review some of their past works. Note the way their videos have been choreographed:
– How were traditions portrayed?
– Did the video crew capture the emotions of people well?
– Which moments of the bride and groom captured did you like?
For future reference, take note of the videographers and links to the video(s) you liked.
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Seek Reviews
Before contacting your list of videographers, take time to go through comments on the company and their services. Go through the reviews on their social media accounts like Facebook, instead of solely relying on testimonials provided on their websites. Reviews on Facebook would allow all comments to be displayed, both positive and negative, for better judgment.
If all seems good, drop them a message on Facebook or give them a call.
Take Note of These Things When You Meet With Videographers (and other vendors)
It is strongly advisable to still meet with the shortlisted wedding videography companies you’ve compiled before you and your partner commit to hiring one. To better cater to your needs and expectations, listed below are six questions to ask:
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Are they available on your wedding date?
No point for further discussion if they are already fully booked on your wedding day. Common peak periods of the year when most weddings are held would be in March, May, June, and all through September to December.
A common trend of picking ‘couplet dates’ for weddings such as 2 February (02/02), 10 October (10/10), etc.. has left almost every wedding vendor fully booked on these dates of the year, more so if they fall on a weekend. If you’re planning a wedding in 2020, take note of these dates and place your deposits as early in advance as you can to secure availability of your preferred wedding vendors:
- 2nd February, Sunday (02/02/2020)
- 29th February, Saturday (leap year)
- 4th April, Saturday (04/04/2020)
- 6th June, Saturday (06/06/2020)
- 8th August, Saturday (08/08/2020)
- 10th October, Saturday (10/10/2020)
- 12th December, Saturday (12/12/2020)
Pro Tip: Book them a year before your wedding to save on price hikes! Year on year, most video companies increase the price of their packages. For example, at TNC Weddings, a couple whose wedding is to be held in 2020 booked them and placed their deposit in 2018 — saving money from possible price hikes in 2019 and 2020!
Check out TNC Weddings’ recently revised and comprehensive suite of wedding video production packages at competitive rates. Be sure to ‘chope’ your dates before they’re all booked out!
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Does this videography team primarily focus on shooting weddings?
Any skilled videographer will be able to deliver a wedding video. Besides understanding the essence of what makes a good video, the team you choose should have a good knowledge of the various traditions and wedding customs of different cultures (or at least, your own). That accumulated experience would aid in them knowing what programme is next, where to position themselves for optimal coverage, which lenses would be more suitable for that segment, etc.
Although not technically or critically crucial, it is a considerable point to note.
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Will the person you’ll be speaking to at the meet up be the lead videographer on the actual day?
It’s not uncommon for the person you’ve been email/text conversing with to actually be someone else in the sales or admin role. The videographer might possibly be involved in other shoots, but it’s advisable to still request a meet up with him/her on a date he/she is available.
Knowing who it is ahead of time, determining whether there might be a mismatch in ‘chemistry’ can help you decide on another videographer you can ‘vibe’ with. The right person will be able to guide, advise, or even calm you down on a potentially hectic day with a tight timeline, allowing you to be more at ease, and have more natural reactions.
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How will they coordinate the filming with other vendors?
Some locations require certain documents and permissions before the videography team can start filming, or certain areas might be off-limit, so special equipment or telephoto lenses might need to ensure high-quality footage from a distance.
Have a conversation with your venue coordinator, and connect them to the video crew. Also check with the team if they’ll be able to coordinate with other vendors for your wedding, or if they would require your assistance.
In fact, after you’ve got your list of confirmed vendors, you can check with all of them and see whether they need to coordinate amongst themselves.
Of course, another way to ease the stress of managing all the different wedding vendors is to engage a professional wedding planner.
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How many cameras will be on you?
Most basic wedding videography packages would cater only one camera crew per wedding event.
At TNC Weddings, we work in teams of two camera operators to best capture concurrent activities and emotions of the couple and guests. These precious unscripted moments can never be pause in motion, or be repeated for the reel – it just feels different.
Pro Tip: If you require a more wholesome and holistic coverage at massive venues like churches or your wedding reception venues, consider requesting a third videographer from the team.
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Will the video be ready for sharing with guests during the dinner banquet?
Most decent wedding videography companies should be able to produce a Same Day Express highlights video in time for the dinner banquet at about 6pm or 7pm. However, the quality of the final production depends on the arrangements made with their video editor(s). Check with the team if your package consists of a video editor that is solely responsible for editing your wedding video.
Teck Kuan, owner and principal videographer of TNC Weddings, points out, “Many companies would assign a remote video editor to edit all the films of various weddings they had captured during the festivities in the morning segment”.
He further highlights that should the wedding solemnisation and/or tea ceremony takes place just before the dinner, “this arrangement would make it impossible to deliver a well-edited and meaningful wedding production to entertain attendees of your banquet. All couples deserve the best on their wedding day”.
Pro Tip: Having a dedicated on-site editor that exclusively edits your wedding production is a major plus! Not only can you be assured that your wedding video will be completed even in time for the a lunch banquet slot, but an editor that follows the crew throughout the day would also have noted all the special and intimate moments to be included in your wedding film. Last-minute changes to the final edits upon your review can also be made in time.
Before Signing The Contract
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Scrutinize the contract
Upon speaking to the video crew, they will be able to point out if a custom quote or package deal will cater to your needs. Before signing the contract, be sure to look through the terms and conditions.
Your contract should include:
- the coverage time (how long your video crew will be at your venue)
- number of videographers you’ll have
- an itemised list of the finished product (duration of the video, highlight reels, trailers, digital media files)
- logistical details (time and location)
- cancellation policies
- the total fee
Get the most out of your contract! Any extras, like an engagement video session or a same-day edit, should be listed clearly in the contract. If it is not outlined in the contract and you want them, ask about it.
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The crew is sincere and accommodating
“The highlights video was perfect, with the right balance of emotions and artful direction. The video was artistic with a creative set up. It told a story that captured the essence of the morning for our dinner guests.” – Josephine Ong, Client of TNC Weddings
By now, after your meet up with the team (and the lead videographer of your wedding), you would have observed traits and characteristics of the video crew – trustworthy, reliable, accommodating and in sync with your expectations. You’ll definitely want to feel at ease, and have a good vibe from the team handling and producing your wedding video.
TNC Weddings is one of the few trusted wedding video production houses in Singapore. We have more than a decade of experience in delivering reliable actual day wedding videography. Be free from the anxiety of not knowing what to expect for the perfect wedding video. Get in touch with us to find out more!
