Why You Shouldn't Skip Videography

Videography: It's the one-line item that many couples forget about while outlining their budget. Here, David Tutera explains why you should make room in your budget for a wedding video.

I always insist that my clients consider booking videography on top of photography. Then, they always ask, "Can my photographer do my videography?" The answer is that while they probably can, my advice is that you hire a separate expert, allowing the photographer to focus just on what he or she does best.

The reason why I insist on video? When your wedding is long over, you'll sooner watch a video than look at your photos. And when you're celebrating your 25th or 50th anniversary, you'll want to see and remember your loved ones who have since passed on still. The movement of your guests set to powerful music is so much more impactful than looking at photos.

But that's not to say that videography is a replacement for photos. No, photography is still so super important to me.

I love this inexpensive, personal wedding favor: Give your guests an "instant edit" of your wedding day. My personal favorite videographer, Brett Culp, is a true visionary and an artist besides being a videographer. With an instant edit, he shoots a wedding, and a couple hours before the end of your wedding, he creates an instant edit of the actual day set to music (which I suggest is the processional music or your first dance song). Then, the guests get to take a copy of that video home with a pre-written thank-you note from the bride and groom. It's an immediate and wonderful memory of the wedding-day experience.

One of the reasons couples tend to skip videographers is because the old-school videographers show up with lights, multiple cameras and are always in your — and your guests' —  faces. These days, videographers can actually shoot with cameras the size of a 35mm camera. They should not be seen, they should not be heard; they should just magically capture the moments unnoticed.

Down the Aisle in Style,
David Tutera