Wedding Videography 101: The value of video

I'll preface this article by saying that I am a wedding videographer, and have been for over 8 years.  So my opinion on hiring a professional videographer may seem biased, but my experience in the wedding industry has given me a key piece of knowledge that I must send along to every last person getting married:  You will regret it if you do not get a professional videographer for your wedding.
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Statistics (and my personal experience) back up the fact that Wedding Video is valued much more after the wedding.  According to a study by Breakthrough Marketing, "Before the wedding, only a little more than half of surveyed brides consider video a "Top 10" service in comparison to other wedding-related services.  However, after the wedding, the number climbs to 75%."  The study goes on to say that "98% of surveyed brides hired a professional photographer, while only 29% hired a professional videographer."
 
Your wedding is one day, and yes a very important day.  But your marriage extends beyond your wedding day.  There are only 2 services that you will select that deal with what comes after your wedding day:  your photographer and your videographer.  Photos are important, valuable, and are an artform all to themselves....but if "a picture is worth a thousand words" then wouldn't most assume that a video (read: a series of still images!) holds incredible valuable as well?

Jason Samkowiak, owner of JS Photography says, "I think wedding video is extremely important and should be a must have for every wedding.  Photography and video do not compete but rather compliment each other.  There are things that can be captured on video that can’t be captured in a still shot and vice versa. I hear “I wish I would've had a professional videographer” more time that I can count after the wedding is over."

It's hard to look ahead past your wedding, but if you consider the reality of the day, it starts to make sense to hire a videographer.  First, it is your wedding!  You are going to be pulled in a million different directions, talking to guests, having fun...one of the most common thoughts a bride has is "wow, I can't believe how fast everything flew by!"  And consider this:  Without a video, you will never hear your vows again...ever.  They will only exist in your head, and even a photo of your vows won't bring back the emotion that you felt that was evident in your voice.  And as you grow older, your video will serve as remembrance of loved ones, and you will hear them talking, laughing.  it is valuable to have more than a photo, and anybody who has lost somebody knows how valuable this kind of video (and audio) can be.

All in all, make your own decisions and priorities:  it is your wedding.  But if you are not looking past the wedding day itself, you should reconsider what's important.  Your photography and your videography is the only money spent on your wedding that can be viewed as an investment:  an investment in keeping your memories alive, and to be able to share them with future generations of your family.

​"But why pay for a professional, I'm going to have my uncle videotape it."  Stay tuned for future articles on the top 5 reasons why people talk themselves out of hiring a professional.
(Agree?  Disagree?  Be sure to post your comments or email Tom at [email protected] or visit www.cvideosolutions.com)