Okay, so you’re diving into the world of wedding videographers—exciting, right? However, hiring the right one can feel like a huge decision and stressful decision. Think about it, you’re hiring them and entrusting them to capture your big day, your love story, and every moment in between, with only one shot to get it right. That’s why asking the right questions beforehand is so important. Here are our 12 favorite questions that you should ask your wedding videographer. Be sure to check out our 10 Favorite Pittsburgh Venues next.
The first type of questions we will cover are those relating to the actual videography from a stylistic and creative aspect. These are vital to help gauge the wedding videographers' artistic plan and choices.
Every wedding videographer has their own spin on how they shoot each of their weddings. Some aim for a super cinematic, high-glamour feel, that makes your wedding video feel like it was produced in Hollywood. Meanwhile, others choose to take a more documentary-style approach, capturing everything as it happens in a very candid manner. Oftentimes, videographers will choose a direction that they want to take their films in and stick with that permanently, choosing to never go outside of what they’re used to. At R&B Productions, we have experience in both cinematic wedding films, as well as documentary-style. For us, our main focus is to provide your video in a way that aligns with your vision, as well as encompasses the big day, as well as all of the small moments in between.
It’s a huge red flag if a wedding videographer says that they have “years of experience”, but are unwilling to show you any of their portfolio. It’s always best to hire a wedding videographer who is open to displaying their portfolio for anyone to see. With an open-portfolio, engaged couples are able to get a feel for the pacing of the videographers' videos, how they tell the couples’ story, and more. This is how you can get a sense of their work and determine if their style aligns with you were hoping for in your own wedding video. Be sure to check out some of our work, to see our portfolio in action.
Ask any wedding photographer or wedding videographer, I’m sure they’ll tell you stories of dealing with unique or challenging lighting conditions. All wedding venues are completely different from one another. Some can range from being outdoors, engulfed in natural sunlight, to completely enclosed indoor rooms relying on overhead lighting. If you are planning a wedding at a venue where you feel this can cause problems, you should bring it up to your videographer. Feel free to ask them how they plan to address these concerns and if they have any experience in shooting in low-light or outdoor environments.
Today, it’s pretty industry standard for wedding videographers to offer some option of drone footage. If you’ve ever seen gorgeous aerial views for wedding films, showcasing the outside of the venue and surrounding area, you know how they can really play into the video. If aerial footage is something that you’re interested in (and your venue allows for), be sure to ask your wedding videographer if they offer it. As an example, R&B Productions offers drone footage with their mid-tier and higher packages. We even offer it as an add-on for any package that it is not directly included in.
Next, we will cover some important questions regarding the wedding videographer's collaboration decisions and past experiences. This can help build trust between you and your videographer knowing how they've worked with other in the past or locations they've been to.
Sometimes, this question is overlooked even though it should be one of the first to be asked. Photographers and videographers both required one-on-one time with the bridge and groom, as they both have important jobs to fulfill, but it’s important to think of how they will interact and work together. Be sure to ask your wedding videographer how they communicate and gameplan with photographers, especially during key moments such as your vows or first dance. For example, our approach is to meet the photographers at the beginning of the day, and outline a plan for all of the key moments. This way, we work together as a team and ensure we both get what we need, while being respectful of one another.
Hiring a wedding videographer who has filmed at your venue before can be immensely helpful. They will already know some of the best spots for shots, the lighting of the venue, and how then can best capture the big day from which angles. However, with so many options for venues, it shouldn’t be a dealbreaker if the videographer hasn’t worked there. They will more than likely visit the venue ahead of time, this way they can plan their shots and workflow.
Don’t be afraid to ask your wedding videographer, “Why you?” You should be able to ask them “Why should I choose you over another videographer?” or “What sets you apart from the rest?” For us at R&B Productions, it’s all about our years of experience, our unique and adaptive videography style, and the relationships we have built with our couples.
Another important topic to ask questions around is the videographers offerings when it comes to their packages and services. These will be sure to help you understand what you're actually receiving from your videographer's packages, as well as how the process looks for the big day and beyond.
Kind of a no-brainer, but it’s very important to ask your wedding videographers what is included in their packages before signing the dotted line. At the end of the day, you want to know exactly what your videographer is providing before just entrusting them on one of your biggest days. Think of things such as length of coverage, how many videographers will be there, how long the final video(s) will be, what additional services they will provide, and more. These details are super helpful in aiding your decision when it comes to choosing the right videographer who aligns with your vision, not just from a creative standpoint, but from a financial one too. With R&B Productions, our packages offer 8-12 hours of coverage with two videographers, highlight reels, drone coverage, and more depending on each individual package.
On your big day, the last thing you want to be worried about is if something goes wrong with the videographer’s camera, will they still be able to get your big day captured? As a harsh reality, backup gear is always a necessary safety net just in the event something goes wrong. This can be anything from backup batteries, cables, lenses, or even entire cameras. It’s always a good idea to make sure your videographer has all of their equipment planned for in the event something goes wrong.
Another important portion of the videography process to take note of are revisions. Revisions allow for your voice to directly impact the production and delivery of the video. Most videographers allow for some amount of revisions of the final product. This way, if they edit the video and the newlyweds are hoping to change it slightly, or take out some things, they can do so at their discretion. Be sure to ask your wedding videographer what their process is for revisions and how many you are allowed, as well as how long you have to present revisions requests to them. For example, at R&B Productions our process allows for all couples up to 3 revisions, in the event that they want multiple changes.
After the excitement and the joy of the big day is over, it’s time to look forward to receiving your stunning wedding photos and videos. It’s super important to be sure to ask your wedding videographer what their delivery timeline looks like. This can help make sure you are choosing a videographer who aligns with your expectations. Some videographers offer 2-4 week turnarounds, while others will take upwards of 6 months. We aim to deliver our videos in no longer than 4-8 weeks, depending on the package chosen.
The final topic you should be sure to talk to your wedding videographer about is their logistics regarding booking. This can sometimes be overshadowed by the creative and fun parts, but it is also important to think about how much work it will be to book your videographer.
The last thing you want to deal with when booking a wedding videographer is running into problems, or having to deal with sending a ton of papers or payments via mail. You should ask your videographer what their booking timeline and process looks like. This way, you can get a feel for what the expect and how much time will go into securing your date. R&B Productions, we pride ourselves on offering engaged couples a custom and seamless booking experience from the initial contact, to the final delivery.
If you’re ready for a cinematic wedding video that truly captures your love story, we’d love to chat! Reach out today to learn more about our packages, or just to say “hi”—we’re here to help you every step of the way. Feel free to continue reading about "Is a Wedding Videographer Worth it?" or "5 Reasons Pittsburgh is Perfect
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