If you're currently on the search for a wedding videographer, it's completely understandable that you may receive a quote, and initially think "Why does it cost this much?" You may even choose to compare this quote against other vendors that you include as part of your day, such as the DJ, or Hair & Make-up.
There are many factors which determine the cost of a wedding video, and I personally feel that it's only fair, for couples who are considering this type of investment, to know exactly what goes into the creation of your own wedding film...
More than the wedding day
Whilst the wedding day itself plays an important part in the curation of your film, many more hours are also spent afterwards, assembling your film together in the 'edit'. Time-wise, this could range between a day's work for some of the less-expensive videographers, to a more substantial duration like 40, or even 50 hours!
Therefore, videographers, and photographers alike, will always cost more than other vendors such as the DJ, Make-up, or a band, because of the additional time commited to your video, long after your first dance, or the final song choice of Robbie Williams' Angels makes an appearance.
It depends entirely on a videographer's devoted contribution, to making your wedding video the best it could possibly be. Therefore, the time spent, in what is known as 'post production', makes it one of the most diverse variables that ultimately plays a crucial part of how much your wedding video would cost.
Don't always go for the cheapest
Continuing on from above, it's important to recognise that, although the shortlist of videographers that you have assembled may be present at your wedding for a similar amount of time, you should not assume that the cheaper quote would result in the same quality of video, as opposed to some of the slightly more expensive options. So I'd recommend looking at the various portfolios, and really consider the quality of video that you may receive. For example, if two quotes are similar in price, there's a good chance that spending even £100 more, may result in you owning a much more professionally crafted video, and one that you both absolutely adore. But do your research first to see if this is the case, as you may occasionally stumble across a bargain!
Years of Development
The overall quality of a wedding video, and even photography, is also down to the creative and technical ability of the videographer, which can take years to perfect their craft. Therefore, the cost of your wedding video isn't just down to the labour time required, but also factors for the amount of hard work, training, and investment each videographer would have committed, to get to where they are today.
In fact, any type of filmmaker, has an instinctive determination to constantly improve and reach the next level of quality, and this is simply factored for when determining the cost of the videos that are offered - for those booking a videographer a few years in advance, you may benefit from this even more so, as the quality of your video may well be greater than the portfolios you were browsing at the time of booking!
And finally, there are also a few other costs such as music licencing, insurances, travel and food which all have to be factored for - but these aren't really that important so let's not spend too much time on those!
So, how much should you pay for a wedding video?
It would be wrong for me to provide you with a figure, or a total, that constitutes to the right amount for a wedding video. Weddings come in all shapes and sizes, and every couple will have their own aspirations for their video, so what may seem like the perfect video for one couple, may not be the same as another.
In a world where video is continuing to grow in popularity, its common for couples to find themselves finding a range of potential candidates as their videographer, and you feel unsure about which one is right for you, with pricing being one reason behind this uncertainty.
I would personally encourage any couples who're wanting a wedding video, to consider the investment similar to having a tattoo from a tattoo artist you've been a fan of, or a piece of art you may wish to buy for your home. The cost of these 'artworks' can often be determined by a personal attachment to it, or a long-lasting desire to have something created by that person. Therefore when it comes to looking for the right videographer or photographer, find the one that captures your day in the style that you have always imagined. With this approach, I'm confident that the videographer you choose, will be the right one for you.