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As far as video is concerned, consider what a video will mean to you. Sure, a video of your wedding is a pretty nice thing to have, but let’s face it, who really watches this video? Your family may watch it once after the wedding is over and you and your future spouse may bring it out on your anniversary every year but other than that, the most public viewing of your wedding video will probably be at your 50th anniversary party (and by then you will have had to pay a couple of hundred dollars to have your video converted to the latest format e.g. DVD).
I think that a great way to save a thousand bucks is to ask yourself before your wedding “Who owns a video camera that I know?” and “Who do I know who has a hobby of videotaping?”. Maybe you know one person who owns a video camera but hates to tape and another person who has the patience and artistic ability to video but doesn’t own a camera. Voila! You have your own videographer, if both parties are willing to play their part (and I think you will find that almost everyone is willing to help in whatever small way they can to help make your wedding a success).
Of course, it would probably be a good idea to lay down some rules for your videographer since they are using someone else’s camera (such as, keep the camera with you at all times and don’t let anyone else use the camera, etc).
Or maybe you have a friend or family member who owns a video camera and has the artistic ability to do the filming? This would be an even better solution to your problem as the person doing the videotaping wouldn’t feel nervous about using someone else’s video camera and they would be familiar with the workings of their own video camera.
Either of these solutions will save you big bucks!
If you do find a friend or family member to do your wedding video, there are many studios around who can cut and splice parts of the video together and add background music if you want a precious keepsake. You can do this later, after the wedding, when you can afford it and when you don’t have a million other things to pay for!
This is an extract from our eBook ‘Planning The Perfect Wedding On a Shoestring Budget’, it’s packed with ideas to help you plan your perfect wedding without having to remortgage your house! If you would like to download our eBook, please click here.
Tags: Wedding Videography, cheap wedding videography, diy wedding videography, wedding dvd, wedding video, wedding videography, wedding videography on a budget, wedding videography tips
2 responses so far ↓
1 Olivia // May 4, 2008 at 1:45 am
This is a great idea for saving money on your wedding video. You might also want to have a discussion with your “volunteer” videographer and let him/her know exactly what you want captured the day of the wedding. Because if you don’t shoot it you won’t have it…and you only get ONE chance to get it.
Also, with regard to finding someone to edit the footage…you can also check with your local college or university to find a video production student who would be willing to do your edit for a substantially lower cost than a professional editing house.
2 Scot // Jul 7, 2008 at 7:33 pm
The problems with the “Do it yourself” suggestions when it comes to videography are far too numerous to pan off on an unexperienced novice who isn’t prepared for the extreme skillset that is required to get great shots on a consistant basis.
In the long run, you are far better off firing your photographer or caterer and doing THAT yourself, as the skills and time involved in either of those tasks are far, far easier than those needed to capture the most important day of your life in an appropriate manner.
Don’t forget, consumer-level cameras are typically 1-chip (CCD), have horrible optics (lenses), on-camera lights that tend to make those awful “deer in the headlights” type of shots, and almost always perform very poorly in low-light conditions. It’s no wonder that these cameras usually cost around $350.00 and are sold in Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target.
On the other hand, the greatly superior quality of a professional camera, which absolutely CANNOT be found in any of those usual retail outlets (they must be purchased from a professional retail supply company, typically found only in the major metropolitan areas) completely dwarfs the consumer grade cameras and offer a large variety of necessary professional features that are always missing from the cheap, inferior cameras.
There is a reason why these type of professional grade cameras typically cost between $5,000.00 and $30,000.00. The optics are far better, you can usually use specialty lenses (like a fisheye lens or telephoto lens), there are all 3-chip CCD or the newer CMOS variety, they typically work very well in low-light conditions (like a sanctuary during a candlelit ceremony, which is very common in a lot of weddings!), the shoot further away, have better zoom controls, offer full manual white balance and black balance controls (necessary to keep the colors looking right, so that everything isn’t washed into an orange/red or blue hue), they mount on professional tripods and Steadycam / Glidecam units (body vests that are stabilizing units, great for ultra-smooth shots), they have far better audio features (like allowing for wireless mics to be worn by the groom so that you can actually HEAR the bride and groom when they speak their vows…try THAT with a cheap consumer camera; for the most part, you CAN’T!), and on and on the list goes.
Balance all of the technical info and physical hardware with the actual knowledge and experience it takes to actually use this type of gear (or ANY type of camera!). You cannot say that knowledge and experience don’t count, or mean nothing in this or any type of professional capacity. If it didn’t really matter, then we would have “shade-tree heart surgeons”. Knowledge DOES matter!
All of the above is only PART of what you get when you hire a professional Videographer. When it comes time to edit, iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, or ANY of the consumer grade “editing” programs can’t hold a candle to Apple’s Final Cut Pro, Adobe’s Premiere Pro or any of the true professional applications that support thousands of plug-ins and tightly integrate with entire suites of programs that help give the finished DVD a polished, professional look and feel.
Let’s not forget that the average Videographer ends up spending well over $250,000.00 on education, training, equipment, constant upgrades (VHS to Super VHS, then DigiBeta, then DV and DVD, then HD, and now Blu-ray) that put a financial strain on a professional’s business. This type of equipment, software, training and all of the various accessories (like lights, lenses, tripods, monopods, Glidecam units, cases, DVD & Blu-ray burners, even tapes and other blank media themselves) tend to add up quickly and are quite expensive. Wen it comes down to the bottom line, the pro typically has an initial investment that ranges between $20,000.00 and $50,000.00, just to get started. The literal YEARS of training account for thousands of hours invested in training, education and becoming members of local trade associations. This is a never-ending, ongoing process.
Compare this to your average photographer. They can equip themselves for around $5,000.00 to $15,000.00 max. Once their initial investment is complete, they have far less new gear to purpose over the years. The wear and tear on their gear is also far less than on video gear, and once a photographer learns his basic skills, he has far less to have to deal with concerning continuing education.
Also, consider that a photographer can make his “shot” in less than 1/60th of a second. Any trained monkey, any adult or even most any child can take competent digital photos. The same is NOT true in video, as evidenced by the usual “shaky camera” effect, constant zooming in and out, super fast panning from one subject to another, failure to follow the subject(s) properly with the camera throughout the entire event and inability to capture clear, understandable audio.
What is the value of video? Ask your parents, who may have had 8mm or 16mm film footage of their wedding form the 1950’s, ’60’s or ’70’s. Ask them if they would be willing to part with that footage, for ANY amount of money. The usual answer is an emphatic, “NO WAY!”
Then ask your parents what type of food they had at their reception. Usual answer: “I don’t remember!”
The value of professional Videography is evident when your children ask you, “Mom and Dad, what was it like at your wedding?” This is something you can answer to your children, and grandchildren, if you have the sights and sounds captured properly by using a professional Videographer.
So, fire your wedding planner, the caterer, the photographer, scrimp and save in every other area, but if you cut out Professional Videography and have your “Uncle Bob” shoot it with bad audio, an unsteady, shaky camera and lack of knowledge in how to actually use the equipment, plan the shots, work from a shot list (also super important!) and how to properly edit the 2 - 8 hours worth of footage and create a series of well-produced DVD’s, the end result is something that you will be less likely to want to view or show anyone else in your family ever again.
I almost forgot to add, that a professional Videographer will usually put your video(s) on his website, or yours, for members of your family that could not attend the ceremonies. This is great for members of the military who are stationed overseas, or anyone who is in another part of the country. Amateurs typically have no clue in what is involved in the multi-stage process that is required to complete these tasks.
Good luck, I wish you all the best, and a wonderful, romantic ceremony that you will remember for your lifetime.
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