What is the average cost of a wedding videographer?
Contents:
Introduction
Investment
Reducing your costs
What a videographer does before, during and after your wedding
Is it worth the expense?
Wedding photography and wedding videography package
Summary
1. Introduction
I’ve written here about the rising costs of weddings - but what about the different costs of wedding videographers?
When it comes to wedding videography, there are a lot of pressures on the wedding videographer.
We have to film the entire wedding, and make sure that we capture all of the important moments.
This is no easy task, and the level of expertise required for such a feat can determine the cost of your wedding videographer.
In this blog post, I'll take a look at the average cost of wedding videography in the UK, and I'll also discuss some of the factors that go into determining this price.
2. Investment
High-quality anything, including wedding videography, is not cheap, but it is a worthy investment that will be with you for the rest of your life to pass on from generation to generation.
According to Hitched.com, in the UK, the average cost of a wedding photographer is around £2000. HD Moments.com puts this figure closer to the £3000 range.
This price can go up or down depending on a number of factors, such as the length of the wedding, (how long you need a wedding videographer for) the number of guests, and the location of the wedding.
Many wedding couples want that all-important video to include their first dance - and it's something that I always recommend. Some wedding videographers charge extra for staying past the speeches. Some don't even have a package that prices their time up to and including the speeches, but would rather leave before the speeches for a shorter day.
Personally, I think this is a disservice to wedding couples - it's your special day and extended coverage should definitely be an option to you.
If you are having a small wedding with only a few guests, you may be able to get away with a less expensive videographer, but for me the effort that I go to and the amount of work involved is the same for an elopement as it is for a large wedding.
Some of the venues in Northern Ireland where I live lend themselves really well to a more intimate wedding (such as the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel in Bangor), but covering intimate weddings can have challenges that larger weddings don't. I’ve previously written about the best wedding venues in Belfast and my top 5 wedding venues for videography in Northern Ireland.
Compare the freedom of movement that I have in a large venue such as a large Church - I can move around, I can get a number of different video angles and setup multiple cameras to make sure that every viewpoint is covered for your final wedding video edit.
In the more intimate venues I'm professional and experienced enough not to move around too much - it's more easily noticed in these venues. This means that my exposure, frame rates and audio needs to be completely dialled in throughout the whole wedding ceremony - and changes on the fly are much harder to handle (I've heard of one wedding videographer moving around in an intimate venue and tripping up over the Brides dress!).
However, if you are having a large wedding with hundreds of guests, you will likely need to spend more on your wedding videography - coverage of family shots takes longer. Larger venues might need more videographers to cover. It's all about providing a bespoke package to my wedding couples.
3. Reducing your costs
Let's face it, the cost of living crisis is real and many wedding couples are feeling the pinch.
There are a few things that you can do to try and reduce the cost of your wedding videography:
First, you can see if any of your friends or family members are willing to help out with the filming. This can be a great way to save money, as you will not have to pay for their services. If you know someone who might be a dab hand with a camera then it might be worthwhile to ask them to video your wedding. You're taking a risk with this - and it's something that I wouldn't personally recommend to anyone with any sort of budget, but there are wedding couples out there who want to get married but just don't have the funds to stretch for a professional wedding videographer. I, and many other vendors totally understand.
Second, you can look for wedding videographers who offer discounts for booking early. This is often a great way to get a lower price on your wedding videography. Personally, I don't offer discounts like this for my services. I've written here about why you need a professional wedding videographer at your wedding. But some people might be new to Wedding videography, and give you some sort of introductory offer. Ask around your network of friends for anyone who might be new to the wedding industry and this might bare some fruit.
Finally, you can try to negotiate a lower price with your wedding videographer. This may not always be possible, but it is definitely worth a try! Your wedding might be in the winter, it might be at a venue that wedding videographers really want to shoot at for their portfolio (like Ballygally Castle Hotel, County Antrim, which offers some great 'portfolio building' shots for the videographer). Your wedding might also be short - where the videographer could only be there a few hours. This means you get that all important ceremony filmed for your memories but don't have the expense of hiring someone for the whole day.
I offer these packages, just get in touch for more information.
4.What a videographer does before, during and after your wedding
A wedding videographer's work begins long before your big day.
Experience
I shot weddings for years for other wedding videographers before doing my own weddings. I learned how to shoot commercial videos long before this, and fell in love with the whole process.
I shadowed other people who taught me everything from client care to how to deliver a final edit.
This experience is reflected in a videographers rate that they charge. The more experience a videographer is, the more they can command in the market. This experience means that there is less margin for error for your special day and the person will know how to present themselves as a guest at your wedding - they will have built up a reputation. Think about it, you pay more for a top car brand because it's seen as more reliable than other brands - and reliability is something that you need on a day that happens only once in your lifetime!
The extra mile
I like to meet my couples face-to-face before their wedding day.
I've been told that meeting me puts them at ease that their wedding video is in safe hands, and that my passion and commitment comes across incredibly well in person.
Let's not forget that as a professional this costs time, and in most other professional arenas you'd be expected to pay for what is essentially a consultation - you wouldn't sit down with a solicitor for an hour and discuss something without paying for it (I once paid £400 for an hour of a barristers time..that’s a story for another day..but it was worth it for peace of mind!).
A videographer comes to your wedding and films everything that happens. This includes the wedding ceremony, speeches, first dance, cake cutting and any other special moments that you want to remember. My kit typically runs into the thousands of pounds worth. For someone to hire my video camera kit for the wedding it would cost a few hundred pounds.
I pose my couples when I need to, without it being too 'stiff'. Some couples need a little more direction than others, which is totally understandable.
If you haven't already noticed, weddings are long days for your videographer.
I'll head to bridal preparation early in the day. I'll take my time getting establishing shots and getting to know the bridal party.
Periods of intensity surround the ceremony.
I need to make sure that the audio equipment is tested and working properly.
I have to record the bride coming down the aisles- easier said than done in some venues.
I have to film the grooms reaction and make sure that my static cameras are recording - no matter how long the wedding ceremony lasts.
I then need to make sure that I capture those family members and friends that are important to you as a couple, and possibly coordinate big groups shots.
All of this is recorded with the edit in mind. Not every edit is the same. Some couples prefer more romance, others prefer their wedding film to show more of the fun times.
My day finishes after the last dance.
I've often been known to be saying my goodbyes past 10pm.
After the wedding, I'll backup, duplicate and upload your footage to start the process of editing multiple versions of your wedding video, all crafted to fit the music and audio captures. This process alone can take 5 full days, if not longer.
5. Is it worth the cost?
I don’t keep my couples waiting for months, or even years as I've seen happen before.
You'll receive multiple versions of your wedding video from me, some of which will include extended coverage of your ceremony and speeches. On average I produce 4 videos which are yours to keep.
So when we break down the cost of your wedding videographer I analyse it this way:
Client liaison
Planning
Equipment hire
A full day of recording
Use of a second wedding videographer
Around 5 days of editing
My packages start at £1200, rising to £1500 for bookings in 2024.
When you break down what a wedding videographer does, compared to their cost I would argue that we charge too little.
You receive films that you can cherish forever, in a digital format that you can show your family for generations to come.
Many couples choose to watch their wedding video on their wedding anniversary.
Unfortunately some members of our family and friendship groups won't be with us forever.
To be able to look back at them on such a happy day..to listen to them speak again or see what made them cry…this is priceless.
6. Wedding photography and wedding videography packages
One last way to reduce your costs is to look for suppliers that provide packages over both wedding photography and videography.
I provide this kind of package thanks to working with two of Northern Irelands top wedding photographers, but I don't advertise it very frequently, so be sure to ask your wedding videographer if they provide any package deals.
7. Summary
I hope this blog post has given you some helpful information on the average cost of wedding videography in the UK.
Remember, there are a number of factors that go into determining this price, so be sure to take them all into consideration when you are planning your wedding.
With a little bit of effort, you should be able to find a wedding videographer that fits your budget and provides you with the quality of service that you deserve.
Thanks for reading
If you found this blog post helpful, be sure to check out my other wedding-related blog posts! You can find them all here.
Wedding planning can be a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy the process and have a beautiful wedding day!
For more information about my style of videography just check out my films here.
I cover weddings across Northern Ireland, Ireland and destination weddings across the globe. For more information just get in touch today. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
Adam White
