You did it! You watched hundreds of strangers' wedding videos. You laughed, you cried, you cringed. You even found a videographer whose work you love. It seems like they could be the one. But how can you know for sure? It’s a daunting decision. So here are 10 helpful questions to ask your destination wedding videographer before you book.
It’s best to ask these questions over video or phone call. So much of communication is lost in email chains and it really does save both you and the videographer’s time to talk things out.
1. When and why did you get into filmmaking?
I love asking anyone this question. You can tell a lot about a person when you get them to talk about their passions. You’ll also get to find out how long they’ve been making films and what gets them excited. You want to hire someone who’s passionate about their job because this will definitely come through in their work.
2. What style of cinema influences your work the most?
This is a key point. Wedding videographers take a lot of inspiration from other films. All of their choices, from the lighting, to the framing, to the edit will be inspired by their inspirations. Talking about films that you both might have seen is a great way to quickly get on the same page about style. After all, a (moving) picture is worth a thousand words.
3. What has your experience been working closely with photographers?
Throughout your day the videography team and photography team will need to work closely together. It is very important for both your videography team and your photography team to have a collaborative attitude. The best result is achieved when everybody is working together to deliver the best product for you. Be sure to introduce your photo and video teams as soon as you can so they can get excited about working together.
4. What are the deliverables and when are they delivered?
It’s great to be clear on exactly what is included in your package and when you can expect to receive it.
5. Do you have your own liability insurance?
This is important because the venue that you are holding your Ceremony and Reception at will expect your videographer to have public liability Insurance. This covers any possible injuries caused by your videographer’s equipment, cords, lights, etc. Some venues require insurance documents from all vendors present.
6. Do you have international travel experience?
This is a great question if you are going to expect this person to work with you outside the country. Travel is glamorous on Instagram but is often hard work too. There’s a lot of things to take into account when planning an international trip. It’s best to find someone who is a pro at traveling so they can focus on making you a gorgeous wedding video.
7. What does your gear look like?
Most videographers use a camera that looks just like the photographer’s. They could also have a gimbal, tripods, lights, drones, microphones, or any number of exciting gadgets. It’s good to know what to expect so there are no surprises on the day.
8. What is your plan for low light?
Videography is different from photography because in low light, a flash won’t help. Most videographers have lights they can set up if needed. It’s good to talk about what lighting you will have at your reception to make sure there’s enough light to capture clear video.
9. What is your cancelation or rescheduling policy?
A great thing to know before you make this investment.
10. What are some ideas that you’ve always wanted to try?
This is a fun question to ask. You might be surprised by the answer. Wedding videographers are very creative people but often won’t suggest their latest and greatest idea until you bring it up. You’ll also be able to understand more about what excites and inspires this artist. Who knows what amazing result there could be. Bold artistic choices will heighten your video above the ordinary.