How to Hire a Videographer for Your Wedding

Hire a videographer for your wedding and it will save you the trouble of finding a friend or family member willing to operate the camera. Letting a professional do the work also limits the chance for error, letting you relive wedding memories through quality video. Consider the following as a guide to help you find the right person for the job.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

1. Talk with your spouse to work out a budget for the wedding. Since you have decided to go with a professional videographer, include this in your budget to determine exactly what your price range is for this part of your expenses.
   
   

2. Develop a list of choices of videographers in your area. Start by searching the yellow pages under “Video.” You can also search the Internet for videographers in your area.
   
   

3. Shop around and compare prices. Narrow down your selection to a few likely candidates. Once you have thinned out your list you can begin interviewing potential candidates.
   
   

4. Find out if they belong to a videographers association. There are a number of different organizations for videography. Choosing a certified videographer for your wedding will help put your mind at ease.

5. Ask if their work is fully insured. Insurance on their product will make sure you will be paying the videographer to focus on you and not the most attractive single lady at your wedding. Paying a little extra for security means one less thing you have to worry about.
   
   

6. Determine where they will set up the cameras. Make sure they are not setting up anywhere that will interfere with the view of your guests. It may seem like a given, but taking the extra precaution by asking will let them know you mean business.

7. Obtain a list of prices. Assess the available packages they might provide for editing features. Find what is right for what you want and what you can afford.
   
   

Tips & Warnings

• Ask to see examples of previous work. If they have experience in the business, they will be able to accommodate this request.
• Consult the Wedding and Event Videographers Association (WEVA) Web site. The site provides a search engine to find a certified videographer in your area. See the link below.
• Be prepared to pay for quality work. Remember, a good wedding video will cost a little extra, but will stand a greater test of time.
• If your wedding is at night, or in dim lighting, make sure your videographer’s light is not going to disturb you or your guests.

[olirom]

on 4/22/2008 Don't be discouraged if you can't afford to hire a professional. You can still use family or friends if you provide them with some definite guidelines for what you want captured on your wedding day.

This is plenty of information online that you can use to obtain near-professional results.

Another way to save money on your wedding video is to consider contacting the video department of your local college or university to find a video production student to shoot your video. Just make sure that they have SOME experience and are not total newbies.