The Do’s & Don’ts When Hiring a San Antonio Wedding Videographer
Your wedding day is one of the most special days that mark the end of one season of life and the beginning of another. No matter what life stage you are in, the day brings promise, memories, and joy that lasts a lifetime. At the end of the day, the bride and groom are forever bound together with a new identity as husband and wife!
Wedding Videography Testimonial in San Antonio
Recently, as a father-of-the-bride myself, I endured the planning and preparation of this most glorious day like a champion. Ok, my main job was to smile, nod, and enjoy the catering and cake tastings, which I did indeed. While the planning process was not all fun and games, my family and I came to realize that the actual wedding day was going to fly by and as dialed in on being present as we were, there was just no way that we could take it all in. So, we decided to capture the day and memorialize it with a cinematic video that has now become a part of our story and family’s legacy. One of our family’s traditions is to watch our daughter’s wedding video on their wedding anniversary each year.
I wanted to share my personal background and experience as a way to let you know you are not alone and I fully appreciate the challenges of today’s wedding planning and encourage you to make room in your budget for a cinematic wedding video. You will not regret it!
San Antonio Wedding Videographer Do’s
Once you have made the decision of capturing the wedding day via video, here are a few areas that you need to be mindful of:
- Do your research and due diligence early. Videographers will have limited availability on dates.
- The best way to determine a videographer’s quality is by reviewing their portfolio and reading reviews from their past customers.
- Determine what you want to be included in your cinematic final product video. Most packages include a cinematic highlight reel that is anywhere from 5-10 minutes long and includes vows, first looks, and toasts. Add-ons could include a ceremony chapter, raw footage, and drone footage.
- Ask your videographer to include details on what is included, how the wedding day will be captured, how much time is included, how many videographers will be capturing footage, what the final product is like and what is the estimated turn-around time in delivering your final video. Additionally, it is best to determine what their deposit and balance requirements are.
- Make sure that you have access to the videographer(s) that you will be working with at least 30 days prior to your big day to work out details, timing, and expectations.
- Does the videographer have a backup plan in case of an emergency on the big day? And what are their cancellation and refund policy?
- Does the videographer include any edits or revisions after they deliver the final product? Do they allow you to make your own music selections in your video?
- Make sure you understand how long the videographer keeps the wedding footage backed up after the event and what fees are associated with receiving all the raw footage. Raw footage is all the unedited clips that the videographer captures on the wedding day.
San Antonio Wedding Videographer Don’ts
Alright, that was a list of dos. Now you may be asking where the don’ts are. That one is really simple: Don’t make the mistake of not capturing this special day in a cinematic video. The #1 regret we hear at Complete Weddings + Events is that people wish they would have made the wedding video a priority. From reliving the special moments to seeing the day unfold, it’s a reminder of when your journey was just starting and the joy you experienced at the beginning of the great adventure of marriage.
Complete Weddings + Events in San Antonio
Our team at Complete Weddings + Events is on a mission to provide extraordinary special event services that deliver joy for generations to come. Contact our team to learn how we can reduce your stress, help you stay within your budget, and be a resource during your wedding planning and preparation process. Complete Weddings + Events, San Antonio’s leading provider of event and wedding photography, videography, lighting, coordination, DJ services & photo booth rental.
Happy Planning!
Kevin Paladino
Chief Vision Officer / Owner
Complete Weddings + Events