How Much Does a Wedding Videographer Cost?

How Much Does a Wedding Videographer Cost

Today, many couples skip videography in their weddings. Reason for skipping wedding videographer could be any, from a budget constraint to not finding a videography of their wedding a necessity. Well, whatever the reason is. Research shows that couples regret their decision of not having a wedding videographer after the wedding is over.

Well, I don’t know what is your stand on having a videographer on your wedding but the truth is having full coverage of your wedding is a great thing. You can always re-live those special moments even after your wedding via those video tapes or cassettes. And why not, after all, this is once in a lifetime event which you would want to remember for the rest of your lives. Whether you’re getting a teaser reel, the whole shebang, or the highlights footage, having those moments captured professionally is crucial.

Now, most of you will be wondering about the cost associated to the videographer in a wedding. Well, it differs, based on location, type of wedding, number of hours, type of photography, the videographer, how big is the team, number of functions etc. Let’s see how much a videographer costs on an average:

Average cost of a wedding video

When we talk about the cost of the wedding video, we definitely need to see how long we are hiring the videographer for, what sort of footage we will be getting from the reel, and how many videographers will be in the team etc. More often than not, most video companies or cinematography companies offer two videos to film your special day, and mostly both of them will be operated by one videographer. For instance there will be a fixed camera filming the ceremony and the videographer will be roaming around to get the other shots of the day.

If you’re are also planning to have a wedding videographer in your wedding and you have secured a budget for that, then you are truly lucky. Usually, the cost of the wedding videographer depends on the locality, especially where you live. Accordingly, you can expect to pay $1000 USD on the low end for a good videographer and $10,000 on the high end for an amazing videographer. However, on an average a videographer can cost you $2500 USD.

For instance, if you are in Australia, an Australian videographer should cost you around $2,700 AUD. While a good videographer in USA may cost you around $3000 USD. Likewise, the average cost of the videographer can go up or down a little bit depending on which state you are based in and the availability of suppliers near you. Mostly couples look for budgeted videography packages for their wedding, the average cost will somewhere between $2000 and $3500 for a popular videography package.

Since you know the average cost of the wedding videographer, it is also crucial to know how long you should hire the videographer for your wedding.

Also Read: Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

How long you should hire your wedding videographer for?

The time – how long you should hire a wedding videographer for, very much depends on the question, what exactly you want to be covered for your special day. Whether you want only your wedding ceremony and speeches should be covered in a basic package, or you want a little more and want to get some footage of you and your spouse-to-be getting ready in the morning.

Or you want a little more and so you look forward to get your interviews (between you and your future spouse), get some interviews of family and friends covered in the package. Or you want to have a real movie-style film of your wedding, which you can watch later with your family and relive all those moments. Whatever you’re looking for, you need to be clear before the wedding itself, as your videographer will make arrangements accordingly.

On an average 56% of couples hire a videographer to film their wedding from start to finish, which might turn into a 10 or 12-hour package. While, 37% of couples hire their videographer for the ceremony and part of their reception, which is like an 8 or 10-hour package. And then, there are these 7% of couples who have their videographer for their ceremony only, which means 4 to 8 hours package, depending on what your videographer offers.

So, you also know the number of hours or the ceremonies you want to cover, accordingly you can book your videographer.

If you are also looking to hire a videographer for your wedding, besides cost and number of hours, here are some pointers which you need to keep in mind, while you finally choose a wedding videographer for your special day. Here we go…

Pointers to consider before you finally hire a videographer for your wedding

  • First thing first, like your photographer, you need to hire a videographer whom you feel connected and comfortable with. It is crucial because your videographer is going to be filming you throughout from the start to finish, you definitely would want to work with someone who you are comfortable with.
  • Look for the videographer who has good exposure and whose work is also good. Do not just hire anybody without seeing his work. In fact, do some research online, ask for referrals, before you hire a videographer for your wedding. Read reviews and feedback on their website or social media pages. These reviews are very helpful to reach to any conclusion.
  • Also, it is important to meet the videographer in person before you finally hire him/her. Meeting in person will help you have a look on his work and know your videographer.
  • There are few couples who want as much as possible ceremonies covered in their budget, and in the process they hire somebody who is charging less but the quality is also poor. So, you don’t need to think that way, because at the end what matters is the quality and not the quantity.
  • Well, few couples because of time constraint or because of any other reason just book some videographer upon getting reference. But this is not the right way to book. You definitely need to have a look at his work first. It’s your wedding after all there is no harm in being a little choosy, your friend might have a very good taste for sure but trusting someone just for the sake of friendship is no wise decision. You need to know the videographer and see his work at least once before you book him for the D-Day.
  • Another most important point is to tell your wedding videographer what you are looking for exactly. Talking in detail with your wedding videographer is crucial. Know about the packages, what all the package includes, etc. See the videographer’s work at least once before you finally hire.
  • Make sure you do not miss to sign the legal agreement. Most importantly, make sure you read the legal agreement thoroughly and see everything is fine and mentioned in the agreement. Read more about legal agreements here
  • Once you hire the videographer, don’t miss to share the timeline with him. He should have the complete schedule with him beforehand. So that accordingly he can make arrangements!!
  • Also, make sure your emcee or venue manager or wedding planner knows to keep the videographer (and photographer!) in the loop so they know exactly when is happening what!!

Happy Wedding… ☺ ☺