Many brides struggle whether to include a videographer in their budget. Unfortunately the value of a videographer is often not considered until after the fact. According to a recent poll 70% of brides surveyed that did not use videographers regretted it. Stating that so much of their wedding day was a blur and that because of stress they really could not remember the details of it.  Being a professional videographer in the wedding industry I would highly recommend the services of both.

Why is it significant to hire the services of both? You have to understand that professional photographers and professional videographers have different purposes. Note the term professional because many people conclude that the services are interchangeable and therefore one would be as good as the other. That might be true when you are dealing with people that are not professionals in the field, but it is not true when you are dealing with professionals. 

This is the reason why, professional photographers are not just interested in capturing images. They are not concerned with just putting 1,000 pictures on a disc and concluding a job well done. They are interested in detail, editing, visual appeal, composition and compositing. All with the objective of creating a library of memories. 

One of the photographers that we work with spent 30 hours just removing sand that you could barely notice from a photo shoot on a beach. A person concerned with just images would not have done that, because in actuality the sand was barely noticeable. But professionals are concerned with detail and anything even remotely noticeable counts. That is why their prices are higher. You will get the best service and less regrets using a professional.

A professional videographer is not interested in just capturing a picture. Anyone can point and click a camera. They are concerned with capturing emotions and then taking those images, tell a story and then develop them into an art form.  The difference between a professional videographer and a standard videographer is where the production actually takes place. With a standard videographer the production takes place in the camera. With a professional videographer the production takes place in the mind and that can not be recreated. Each image shot and edited has a specific purpose to create a legacy. So you truly do get what you pay for.  You see, a professionally v/s standard can have the same equipment yet the results of the end production will be extensively different because to one it is just another image and to the other it is an art form.

So in essence a photographer is excellent if you only wish to remember elements of the event, but a videographer is essential if you want to remember the day, they tell the story. The photographer captures that grandma was there, the videographer captures what grandma was doing. These things become precious as time goes by and as some depart into eternity, a photograph will never be able to recreate that.

One of the dearest events that we ever produced was a 50 year anniversary. The family fought the entire time trying to pull the event together. Some of them did not want to participate and thought getting a videographer was not all that necessary. It was absolutely crazy. But somehow in the end, they all got together and pulled it off. 

The couple did not know that they were being re-married. They were told that they needed to stop by the church because someone had left something at church at a prior service. When they walked through the door everybody was there, they walked down a candle lit aisle and re-married in a beautiful ceremony. We captured every shred of emotion the entire evening and it was wonderful.

Three months later the wife died unexpectedly in her sleep. What do think the family concluded was most valuable at that time? Was it the joy, laughter, and funny moments of mom having the happiest day of her life that they had all captured from the video or was it the picture of her smile?  Family members concluded that they were so glad to have the video.

You might say, well I can't afford both. I find that a weak excuse because most people say that without ever really investigating the cost. Most professional videographers and photographers have budget plans or will at least work out payment options that make it affordable. So it really all boils down to what you value. 

If you want to see some pro's at work, I would recommend these sites, their work is amazing:

http://ibn7.tripod.com

aragen.com

texanweddings.com

bellsphotography.net

This will give you an idea of the difference between just capturing images and what  professionals that love their work and respect your memories do. Hopefully it will help you to truly be able to evaluate what you really want. My hope is that you will not cheat yourself of the joy of maintaining a once in a lifetime event. They really are worth it.

I've been married 20 years and the best thing that I could ever have done for myself concerning my wedding day was to have both at the event. The funny thing is, my wedding album sits in my closet, wrapped in plastic and has not been viewed in years, yet my video gets played every anniversary and it is a joy to watch. I am wonderfully transported back into time and can experience the sight, the sound, and the sheer emotions of the happiest day of my life.