Ever wondered what your parents’ or grandparents’ wedding was like?  Although still photographs of these events are wonderful keepsakes, they each only capture one silent moment. A professionally produced video of your wedding will compliment your still photographs by providing motion and sound.     

When planning a wedding, videography is often overlooked, deemed unnecessary, and/or pushed way down on the budget totem pole.  However, the only way to fully capture the mood and essence of your wedding is through video.  Don’t leave your important memories up to “Uncle Moe.”  By asking a friend or a family member to videotape your wedding you may end up with a “dust-collecting” video due to missed shots and inadequate camera work.  Friends and family should be able to enjoy the celebration and not have to worry about videotaping. 

So, you decide you want to hire a professional videographer, but how do you pick one with so many “professionals” offering this service?  Many videographers will promote their equipment, editing software, and DVD capabilities.  Yes, it is important they use good video cameras (3 CCD probably), edit on a computer, and can deliver on DVD, but those should not be the main considerations in deciding on a videographer.  Your deciding factor should be on how their equipment, software, and skills are used to document and preserve your memories.

You should watch demos and a full wedding video to see the full range of the videographer’s work.  Here are 10 tips you should consider when meeting with a videographer. 

1. Customer Service – Your videographer should be friendly, willing to listen to your ideas, and easy to work with.  You and your guests should feel comfortable around them and their cameras. They should be open about their prices and willing to show you their work, demos and full videos.  You don’t want your guests commenting about the annoying and “in your face” videographer, but about how everything looked and tasted.  You should meet with and watch the work of the actual person that will be doing the videotaping/editing of your wedding.
2. Camera Work – Camera movement should not be excessive.  Watch for focus (blurriness), exposure (too light, too dark), zooming, and panning issues.  Slight movement is sometimes unavoidable due to the “live” nature of a wedding, but too much can cause for a “sea sick” feeling while watching. 
3. Angles and Close-Ups – Two video cameras will allow for more angles and varied shots, similar to a movie.  Some churches/venues put restrictions on where video cameras can be located, but the videographer should put extra effort into finding the best camera angles for your particular venue within the restrictions. Video is a close-up medium and so close-ups of faces are important, especially when capturing facial expressions.  With multiple video cameras the videographer should be able to edit out unnecessary shots, such as zooming. 
4. Audio – Audio is 50% (or more) of video.  Bad audio will take the focus away from the action.  Make sure the videographer uses a lavaliere (wireless) microphone on the groom to capture vows.  Other microphones can be used to capture readers and vocalists. 
5. Lighting – With today’s video cameras your videographer should not have to use portable stand-alone lights.  A small camera light is all that should be necessary and only used when the natural light is inadequate, like on the dance floor.  You don’t want the videographer blinding your guests and ending up with “deer in the headlight” shots.
6. Editing – Editing should be seamless and not distracting.  Shots should be edited together with simple transitions (nothing crazy and inappropriate) and color corrected (shots should match and show the true colors).  Editing should streamline the video by eliminating excessive zooming, unnecessary footage, and blocked shots.  A good videographer does half their job the day of the wedding and the other half during post-production (editing).
7. Special Effects, Titles, and More – Anything the videographer does should not be “cheesy”, but should be classy and fit your personality.  Titles should be personalized instead of a generic “Our Wedding” or “The Ceremony”.  Any flowers, decorations, or colors they use should not be generic.  Special Effects should only be used to evoke emotion from the shots, not as a cover-up for bad videotaping.  Watch for overuse of slow motion, black and white, and transitions, since they can become distracting from the real content of the video.  Just because they can do it doesn’t mean they should.
8. Photo Montages, Scrapbooks or Slide Shows - Most videographers offer a way to put your baby and dating pictures together to show your guests.  If they offer this, look to make sure they restore pictures (color correct, red-eye correct, enhance, and repair).  Pictures that just sit there for 10 seconds at a time can get boring.  Too many and/or “over the top” transitions are distracting.  Instead, the pictures should be animated in way so they tell a story and the subject of the picture stands out.  A low price with lots of pictures included might mean a poor job, so watch many samples to find a videographer who does this right.
9. Video Package and Price – You should be able to have a clear understanding of what you will be receiving in your final video.  The videographer should tell you when they will start and stop videotaping, what will be videotaped, what extra video pieces are included, and how many finished copies of the video you will receive.  Don’t just look at price, but compare the actual video work (demos and full videos) of many videographers.  Many times packages are filled with lots of filler items (like montages - video and/or pictures put together with music) so it looks like you are getting a lot for your dollar, but in reality you’re not getting anymore than another package offer.  Packages and prices will vary, so until you watch and talk to the videographer it’s hard to compare just by looking at words.
10. Final Delivery – Your finished video should come on DVD or VHS tape if needed.  It should be personalized, eye-pleasing, and may come with menus and chapters.  At the time of writing this Hi-Definition video cameras are out and many videographers are promoting this technology.  However, there is not a standard delivery format available yet.  If a videographer is promoting this ask how your final video will be delivered and how upgrades to Hi-Def DVD in the future will be handled. 

Now that you have some important tips to use when looking for a videographer you can set-up appointments to view their work.  Just because someone has a video camera, computer software, and DVD capabilities doesn’t mean they can produce a quality video.  A good videographer knows how to use their tools effectively, appropriately, and creatively, which will stand out when viewing their work.  After the wedding is over you don’t want to regret your videography decision with no video or a poor video.