Tips to help you choose the perfect videographer for your wedding.

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We give advice and technical info, and what to look for in your final video. All the caveats to avoid, questions to ask, and what you should have included in your contract. Some of the helpful hints on our How To Choose A Wedding Photographer section apply here as well. First of all, once you've decided to get married and settle on an approximate date, waste NO time in searching for the videographer. The better ones are booked heavily into the future, often over a year in advance if they are in demand so time is of the essence.

Ask lots of questions when you interview the videographer.
How much experience do they have? Do they appear ethical? Do they look like someone you want to have mingling with your guests and interviewing them? Ask to see samples from 3 different videos. How does camerawork, audio, editing style, and image quality look? These are really the most important factors, above all the special effects.

Have they ever worked at your church and reception hall before? You should ask your church or temple if video is allowed and if so, where they should be placed, and where they are not allowed.

Here on BridalTips.com we have the best advice for you to make an informed decision when choosing your videographer. Ask if they have capability for multi camera coverage. Second cameras cost about $500 or more on top of your quote, but they give a great effect during the ceremony. The primary reason for a second or third camera is to pick up an angle the the primary camera cannot get. For example, the front camera will get the details of the ceremony, while the back camera gets an alternate angle of the recessional and processional as well as ceremony activities.

Two cams are important because one person cannot be two places at once. With 2 cameras the videographer can create a picture in picture on the screen, showing the exchange of vows in the main portion of video, and the parents' reactions in a little window. If you have the extra money, this is really worth doing. Also, the second camera can capture scenes at the reception that the first camera may have missed.

Do they bring lighting for the dance floor? Today's video cameras have impressive specs in the dark, but some are still not that great, and produce grainy images in the dark. Our videographer had 2 lights that lit up the dance floor and he turned them off when with a wireless remote when he was not filming. Also ask them if they have done corporate affairs/meetings/video production. You will find these type of people to be more experienced, and they may use better equipment, as corporate events are much more involved. Ask them how many copies of the final DVD video you will receive. You want to get at least 2 copies. It's a nice gesture to get one for your parents.

Do they record the event in a true digital high definition format? You do not want a videographer recording your wedding with a VHS tape. Some videographers don't like the digital technology due to video compression, and they feel it does not provide a good enough image. The technology has come a long way and more powerful cameras with higher bit rates can easily do the job. Do they have the capability of using computer generated graphics? (and not cheesy ones, either). What other hidden costs are associated with the quoted price? Sometimes they will charge you extra for a 1 minute "Love Stroll" segment of video. Some people want a package that includes a short musical picture story known as a video collage with photos of the bride and groom growing up. Usually a handful of photos of each person is given to the videographer to tape.

How many hours do you get the videographer for? You don't want any surprises here. Will the video be edited "In Camera" or in the studio? You want your video to be post edited in the studio, which usually has much better quality effects than the camera, even though it costs a bit more.

Don't forget to ask if they have worked in the location of your reception before.

Get References From Friends and Coworkers
Your best resource on who to interview is people you know like coworkers, recently married friends. Call a TV station and see if any of their cameramen moonlight on the side. They work with the video cameras every day, so if anyone can do it, they can. Look at other videos from previous weddings. As with your quest for photographers, interview 3 to 5 videographers. We interviewed 3 different companies before we settled on one, and the differences in quality and personality are vast. There are people out there who think they can just pick up a camcorder and hereby knight themselves as a professional. You want someone with many years experience in photography and videography who really knows lighting. For example, video usually turns out better if they use lights that are color balanced at 3200 Kelvin. Your vendor better know details like this, not just slap a basic LED bulb on top of their camcorder. Talk to them and listen to their philosophy on how they operate, how they interface with the DJ, photographer, and caterer. You want one who stays in close contact with the DJ, so they know when to be ready to film the important parts of your wedding reception. It's a big industry out there, but it is a plus if your videographer has worked with the DJ or the Hotel/Resort where the reception is. Visit people you know to view their videos and get an idea of what you like on the video.

A Little bit of wedding video tech talk

There are different types of video cameras that may be used for your wedding:

Digital High Definition Video Cameras
Most wedding videographers have ditched the old SVHS and Hi8 tape formats for newer digital acquisition, such as high definition format. Many now give you wedding video DVDs on Blueray. I would demand only a Blueray DVD as opposed to a regular DVD because the video will be high definition, the best quality you can get. Remember, a standard DVD is digital, but it is not high definition, and BlueRay will future proof your wedding video. You can make backups in case anything happens to your disk. The only type of digital camcorder that your videographer should be using is a "3 CCD" or a pro grade HD (High Definition) camera. With a 3 CCD camera, there is a separate Charge Coupled Device for red, green, and blue. This results in much better picture color renditions, saturation, and low video noise, all requirements of professional video. Video shot with 3CCD camcorders are stunning. If your videographer does not have a pro grade camera, it means they skimped on the bucks and could be delivering inferior quality to you.

The main types of camcorders they use are pro grade models from Sony and Canon for example, which cost between $3,000 to $10,000 and have high end lenses. Newer high end SLR 35 mm cameras from Canon and Nikon also do a great job shooting high definition video, you can use all your different camera lenses to get great differences in depth of field. I would not recommend using a videographer who is just going to bring a cheap consumer grade High definition camcorder, the lenses are not as good as the pro units and consumer grade units typically don't handle loud reception music well at all without distorting. Also their tiny lenses are no match for the superior optical lenses of their more expensive cousins. The $400 consumer camcorders often have very inferior microphones. I've seen parents upload piano recital videos of their kids on YouTube that were high definition, but the microphone could not handle the loud piano and distorted it.

The big video cameras that the TV news reporters use
Expect to pay $1000 and up for a bare bones package. If your wedding videographer uses a 3 CCD professional video camera from a TV station, you have it made in the shade as the camera is stunning in low light, still providing bright vibrant colors. It uses 3 CCDs, unlike the consumer camcorders, that typically use 1 CCD. Many cameras fail to deliver decent color in low light. The built-in cartioid mic is linked to the zoom lens, so you can stand 20 feet away and zoom in to hear 2 people talking. The audio is CD quality too. They don't typically like to use tape anymore, we're going all digital now. The type of videographer that uses this camera knows what they are doing and you can be assured of getting top notch results. But this is early 90's technology, and I dare say the advances in 3CCD digital video cameras have caught up to this type of $30,000 camera.

Old S-VHS (Super VHS) Video Cameras ("Prosumer")
You've got to be kidding me! S-VHS was used by many wedding videographers, but should not be any longer. This Prosumer format has nearly double the resolution of standard VHS. SVHS gives over 400 lines of resolution compared to 240 lines in VHS, nearly double the resolution of the VHS format. Most of the better wedding videographers used this type of camcorder in the 1990's, shooting onto S-VHS tape and editing in the studio is S-VHS format. This was a great video tape format because you can make 3 or 4 copies down from the original before you begin to lose quality. With VHS, you lose quality on the first copy, but S-VHS tapes cannot be played in a VHS machine. Why bother when DVD and Blue Ray players are even cheaper these days.

Regular VHS Camcorder
This format should NEVER be used to video tape a wedding! VHS is terrible, the color stinks, and you lose quality on the first edit, so forget trying to work with it in the studio. Any decent wedding videographer knows never to use this format.

Other Technical Aspects:
Make sure your contract specifies a few high definition Blueray DVDs in your final finished package.

Choosing Special Effects.
Some videographers have great effects on your wedding video. Advancements in computer and video technology, have put high quality graphic effects within reach of more people. Most editing is done totally digital and on the computer, using software such as Pinnacle Studio and Sony Vegas Studio Pro.

There's lots of other useful editing suites that produce a great job, I just listed a couple of the better known products. Ask your videographer which mixer they use, and get them to show you some sample effects. They all love to show off their computer setups, because seeing the setup leaves a lasting impression on the client, it totally wows you to see all the technology in action. Ask to see many examples to give you ideas. Some effects can really make the video come alive with a party atmosphere.

Summary: What Do I Really Want In My Wedding Video?

It all boils down to this folks. The package I am recommending here will be fine for 90% of you. In keeping up with the Jones's, here is what you should have in your finished product:

• 3 Studio Edited Blue Ray High Definition DVDs, not regular DVDs. If you don't have a Blue Ray DVD player yet, get one
• Titles, video of the invitations, Picture Story, 10 minute Video Recap, Location Sequence
• Great music recorded from CD
• Lots of great computerized digital effects, but not overdone
• Multi-Camera shoot at Ceremony only (About $300 extra or higher). Not every wedding videographer does this

This should get you going. Remember, do what YOU want to do, not what other people expect of you, and and stay sharp. The only one looking out for you is YOU. The wedding industry can be a nasty, and expensive, nickel-and-dime-you-to-death industry. There's enough hidden charges and weasel clauses out there to confuse a used car salesman. They make you feel sub-human for not buying this or that, but armed with the knowledge I've given you here, you are now fearless wedding warriors in my image (yuk, what a thought) ready to deal with the best of them. And remember, if they don't put it in writing, it means they won't do it!

Good luck, and let me know how your video turned out!

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