What is Included?
Your wedding video along with any photos you take will often be the best way to relive the details of your wedding, since each special moment is being captured as they actually happened. You can expect to be able to choose from between three to five packages, depending on the length of coverage, how many cameras will be used, the style in which it's being shot and edited, if you want the final product to include interviews, titles, special effects, music, etc. Information on the differences of each package and their related costs are shown below:
-
Basic or Classic Packages usually consist of a single videographer shooting the wedding ceremony only and can cost anywhere between three and eight hundred dollars. It generally consists of 60 - 90 minutes of shooting time, a single edited video, and basic equipment. Basic packages are usually for couples that want their wedding ceremony professionally recorded for future viewing.
-
Deluxe or Enhanced Packages will consist of coverage of both the ceremony and reception and will usually include a second shooter at both locations to capture different angles of each important moment. They generally cost anywhere between $800 and $1800 and can include up to 3-5 hours of shooting time and will include effects like custom music and titles in the film. Proper lighting, microphones, and other equipment will be provided by the videographer, and multiple DVD copies of the final product should be provided.
-
Luxury or Platinum Packages will include professional movie quality as a final product and prices can start upwards of two thousand dollars or more. Multiple shooters will completely cover every moment of your wedding, including the planning time with your vendors, your rehearsal, the preparation of your wedding venue, the bridal party getting dressed, the ceremony and reception, interviews with everyone, even the couple driving off together. They will also include 6 hours or more of shooting time, custom music and titles, a photo montage of important moments, multiple edited versions, multiple DVD's, and maybe even a live webcast of the big day for those guests that could not make it!
A la carte options are also available with many videographers, which can include:
-
Each shooter will charge $100 or more per hour of coverage. You may have to guarantee a minimum number of hours.
-
Extra copies of DVD's
-
Online streaming of the event
-
Highlight reel or short version
-
Rush editing or additional rounds of edits beyond what was originally agreed to in the contract.
-
Photo montages and all custom editing work
-
Raw footage
Regardless of which package you choose or which options appeal to you, be sure that every single detail is included in the contract to prevent future misunderstandings! From the names of the videographers that will be present at each location, specific times they will be there, how many hours of raw footage each will shoot, what specific moments will be included in the final product, what style will the film be shot (cinematic or documentary), by what date the final product will be delivered, penalty clauses (recommended), even what they will wear on the big day should be included and not be left to chance.
Key Points to remember:
-
In 2018, the average wedding couple in the US will pay {averageWeddingCost} to hire a wedding videographer, which averages out to {AveragePercentage}% of their total wedding budget.
-
The primary determinant of how much you ultimately pay is according to what type of package you choose (basic, mid-tier, premium)
-
The final amount you will be expected to pay can depend on what is included in the package you choose, your city/area, supply and demand factors such as month and day of week, the popularity and experience of your selected videographer, and more.