Why hire a Wedding Videographer?
The main reason, I think, is that videography in weddings is still (even in 2024) somewhat of a new concept. Photographers have been making people pose and capturing the important moments of a wedding day for decades. However, my first memory of videography at a wedding was seeing a video from my parent’s wedding day. It was over 4 hours long, with next to no editing, and captured from afar on a, *ahem* “budget” video camera from the 1980s. It’s nearly impossible to sit through (unless you are a glutton for punishment), and it has probably been watched collectively once or twice during the 35-plus years my parents have been married. Also, I think many people still have the idea of just a cameraman “capturing” footage of the day and don’t understand what the end result of wedding videography looks like.
Picture by Emma Gladman via Emma Spring Photo
Now, if we fast-forward several years to the type of videography that you see today in wedding videos, it is completely different. Wedding films are often designed to look like cinematic interpretations of your day. They make you feel and evoke emotion; if they are done right, they help you remember what the day felt like anytime you re-watch your film.
In my humble opinion, the importance of having proper wedding videography during your wedding day cannot be overstated. Weddings are very expensive - securing the ceremony, officiant, reception hall, decorations, clothes, make-up, the list goes on and on. With this, one of the most common expressions that can be heard is just how fast the day goes. Months upon months of preparation, thousands of dollars spent, and the day feels like it is over in the blink of an eye. How do you remember this day? How do you extend the value of all that precious money that you spent? To me, the answer is clear - hire a good wedding videographer. The wedding videographer will be there to capture moments that you will miss - this can be your dad smiling as you say your vows, or it can be that incredibly heartfelt and funny speech that your sister gave at your reception. Let your memories live on.
For the second reason - let me ask you a quick question. Have you ever smelt something, heard a specific phrase, or seen a long-lost friend and suddenly had a flood of emotion and memory come back about some prior event in your life? I sometimes get this feeling when I step outside in wintertime. Growing up in Canada and now living in Toronto, much of my time is spent in winter. Sometimes when I step outside and feel the snow and cold hit my face, it takes me right back to my favorite place in the world – snowboarding in the mountains. It’s an amazing feeling. My point is this, there is an indescribable value in being able to go back in time - even for just a moment, to relive what it felt like on the day that you got married. Can photographs capture this feeling? Sure, I believe, to a certain extent, they can. But video - being able to see people move, being able to hear their voices again – I don’t think anything compares to that. Every time you watch your wedding film – whether it’s a year from now with your new partner or 30 years down the line with your kids – I truly believe you should be able to feel again, even for the briefest of moments, how you both felt when you said, “I Do” or when you had your first kiss as a married couple. You should be able to feel the emotion and love that your friends and family felt as they saw you take this huge next step in your life. It can be a reminder of how you both felt when you were younger and so unsure of what the future was going to hold for you.
These are just a couple of reasons why I think having a good wedding videographer is not simply a luxury but one of the most important additions you can make to your wedding day. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard someone say, “I wish we had gotten a wedding video.” Don’t be that person and feel you missed out. It’s an investment that I am certain you won’t regret.
Photo by Emma Gladman via Emma Spring Photography