What questions are important to help us choose a videographer?

To ask yourself

- Have I looked around and seen a variety of different videos?

- Did I feel anything when I watched the sample videos of this particular videographer?

- Why do I want video? (In fact, why do I want photos?)

- What's the vibe of my wedding that I'm going for, and could this person's work match that vibe?

- What's important to capture? And is this person capturing what I'd want to see?

Logistics questions

- Which areas do you work? If my wedding is a little further afield, what sort of cost is there?

- What are the "deliverables"? What types of videos, what duration, and how are they delivered (download, USB, DVD)?

- How long does it take to complete the edit?

- What happens if the edit is not completed by time X?

Money questions

- How much does it cost for a 4-, 6-, 8-, 12-hour or all-day shoot?

- How much does it cost to add an extra videographer?

- Other there any optionals you offer, like same-day edit, live projection, livestreaming, pre-wedding shoot?

- Are there any hidden costs, like travel expenses?

- Is there a photo/video package where I can save costs?

- Is there a deposit, does all the money need to be paid upfront, how does that side of it work?

Personality

- It's not a question as such, but just see how well you gel with the person. So, just have a normal chat, a normal conversation. If you ask camera guys about gear or technique or about weddings they've attended and funny stories they have, they'll absolutely talk your ear off. At least, I know I do! So, maybe that's a way to get them to show off what they're like.

- How did you get into weddings in the first place, and how long have you been doing it?

Style

- What do you think is good or unique about your style, and could you give me a "DVD commentary" on one of your highlight films?

- Now, note that everyone shows off their best work, usually in the most amazing locations, etc. So, maybe it's worthwhile to get them to show you the cheapest wedding, most low-budget wedding they've covered, and see what they made of it.

- Do you do all the filming yourself? If not, how do you ensure the style is consistent?

What you don't need to ask

- What type of gear do you use? (It's the results that matter, not how they do it.)

1. What is your style of filming and editing?
2. Can we see examples of your previous work?
3. How do you handle audio recording during the ceremony and speeches?
4. What is your approach to capturing candid moments and posed shots?
5. Do you work alone or with a team?
6. What is your availability for our wedding date?
7. What is your pricing and what is included in your packages?
8. Do you offer customizable packages to fit our specific needs?
9. How long will it take for us to receive our final video?
10. What format will our video be delivered in?
11. Can you work with our photographer and other vendors to ensure a seamless day?
12. Are you open to shooting LGTB+ weddings?

Asking these questions can help you find the right videographer for your wedding day.

The most important thing you should do is view examples of your shortlisted videographers. Once you have your favourite videographers selected you might want to ask them some of the following:

• How do you capture the audio (you want clear audio of the ceremony)
• How long does it take to recieve our video
• How many edits do you allow

You also might want to consider checking out their google reviews as this will give you an indication of their expertise and also other couples experience. 

Finally, you might consider if you prefer a live stream of your ceremony to allow far away guests to attend virtually or if you just want the recording and edited highlight video. 

It is important that your videographer is friendly, professional, experienced and capable of using top quality cameras & sound equipment like we do at Stream Machine.  Communication is  also a key factor, simply let us know what you want, so we can deliver you perfect video package. If you are happy then so are we. 

Hey! Here are the top 5 questions you should ask that are a little bit uncommon:

1. Why do you film weddings? 
2. What would you say your wedding filmmaking style is?
3. What do you think is the most important thing to be captured on the wedding day? 
4. How can you make sure you capture all the important moments for us? 
5. What style of editing/music choice etc. would you says your films embody? 

Hope this helps!

Jonty and Sherman

Fable Wedding Films

I'd recommend choosing an actual videographer that just does wedding videography. Try to avoid photographers that also 'do wedding videos', this is often an upsell and the work is farmed out to sub contractors who might not capture you what you want on the day. 

Hi there!

Here is an article that might help you :-)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8yojj6sfmr3s64u/How%20to%20choose%20the%20best%20wedding%20videographer.pdf?dl=0

I think it's important to meet your videographer in person or on a zoom call to find out if your personalities mesh. You'll be spending a fair bit of time with this person and my main thing is I want couples to feel totally comfortable enough around me to be vulnerable and open on the day. This is a lot to ask of people and I do my best to make couples feel safe and at ease. 

Everyone has different styles though, some are more focused on cinematic footage than the emotions of the couple, so find ask the videographer what turns them on creatively, how they work on the day, are they talkative or quiet, etc. 

Have a think about what videos you want delivered at the end - Do you want a highlight film, an extended documentary style edit, the full videos of the ceremony and speeches, any drone footage?

Meet or have a call with your potential videographer to figure out if you mesh well. Ask questions about how they go about their work on the day, are they more candid or more posed with their style, how do they record audio, what is their delivery time, what music do they use and if you want to have a say in the songs are they flexible on this? Some logistical questions such as what if they are sick or can't make it on the day, what is their overtime rate if things run late?

Hope that helps!