3 real life reasons wedding videography is worth it
We have to admit something.
We're wedding videographers. We think having a beautiful wedding film is an absolute must. We shout it from the rooftops. We make sure our engaged friends have one.
Investing in a wedding videographer is 100% worth it. We say this again and again and again to anyone who will listen (or is on the fence about hiring a wedding videographer).
And yet . . .
We didn’t hire a videographer for our wedding.
That's right. You read that correctly. We didn't hire a wedding videographer. We have practically zero video footage from our wedding. Moments we'll never see again include (and we'll try not to cry thinking about it):
Our flower girl letting out the littlest flower-girl toots during our vows.
What we said in our vows (literally, we have no idea. The computer that stored our vows died years ago, and we have no idea what we said to each other up there.)
Real-time footage of me (Heather) dancing with my best friend to "Always Be My Baby" by the indelible Mariah Carey while all our friends surrounded us singing their hearts out.
And so so so so so much more.
It's heartbreaking. Every day we wish we had a wedding video to relive that day. Our lives have changed so drastically since then (hello, two kids!), and it would be magical to relive that day.
So what happened? Why didn't we hire a wedding videographer? A few reasons.
First, we got married in 2009. In Nevada. In a teeny tiny town. Honestly, we had no idea what a wedding videographer even was. We didn't know it was an option. We weren't filming weddings back then, and we just didn't know any better.
But like many of you, we knew we at least wanted some video documentation of our day. We just didn't go about it the right way.
We handed a camcorder to Jarrett's dad and asked him to film the ceremony.
You know where this is going, obviously. His sweet dad decided he wanted to be in the moment during our ceremony (which we adore!), and he handed the camera over to Jarrett's uncle. He took a few stabs at turning the camera on, pointed it to the sky, at the grass, and nabbed a few shaky shots of guests' shoes. We're assuming he decided it was a bit too much to figure out because then the footage goes black.
And that's it, that's all we have. Our wedding day sky, our wedding day grass, and a few snazzy pairs of shoes.
Of course, we have stunning wedding photos, and we're forever grateful for them. But as wedding videographers, we know there's value in having both. Great value. They capture the day in different ways, and they each bring something unique to the memories of that day. But one is not better than the other, and we'd do anything to have both.
Here are three reasons why, if we married all over again, we'd hire a wedding videographer.
1. Not hiring a wedding videographer is a top regret of brides. Including us.
You've already heard our story above, and we're definitely not the only ones who regret not hiring a videographer for our wedding.
It's no surprise that not spending more money on a videographer is the number one regret of brides.
How else are you going to see your mom's hands shaking while helping you into your dress? Or see your husband's tears actually falling down his cheeks as he watches you walk down the aisle?
Is there another way to hear your shaky voice during your vows? Or see your cousin split his pants on the dance floor?
There's just no replacement for a wedding videographer.
We've had couple after couple tell us that the investment they made in their wedding film was the best money they spent on their entire wedding. More than flowers. More than the cake. More than the dress.
Why? Because having a videographer to capture your wedding transports you back to the day so quickly, profoundly, and emotionally.
There's something about the moving images, audio, and music together that enhance your memories of a day that goes by way too fast.
You only get to do this day once. You dream about it. You plan it. You perfect it. You want to remember it.
You don't have to spend a ton of money. We're all for hiring a quality filmmaker, but do what you can. You won't regret it.
2. You’ll want to show your kids.
We have two young kids who've grown up seeing us craft magical wedding films. They sit and watch them with us, ask about the couple, twirl around like brides and fix bow-ties like a grooms. It's adorable.
And without fail, they always asks, "Can we see your wedding video?"
We want to cry every time they says it. "No, loves," we say. "We wish you could watch our wedding video, but we don't have one."
They’re dying to see what we looked like, what we sounded like and marvel at the moment we started this sweet family of ours. And while we can look through our wedding album, it's not enough for them. They’ve seen the videos, they’ve heard the vows, they know there could be more.
But we just don't have anything to show them.
Our cousin got married around the same time as us, and she and her husband made sure to hire a wedding videographer for their destination wedding.
When her son was about 7 years old, they sat down to watch their wedding video with him. Do you know what he said?
Nothing. Her son stared at the screen without blinking, a goofy grin on his face. The whole time.
When it ended, he asked to watch it again. And this time, when it came to the vows, he asked my cousin and her husband to stop the video. He wanted to know what they were saying and why.
"We're saying our wedding vows," she told him. "They're promises Daddy and I made always to be a family and always love each other."
His big goofy grin came back, he told her to hit play, and they watched it three more times.
That's why having a wedding videographer is so beautiful. It's a gift, not only to the bride and groom but to your family, too. It not only transports you back to your day, but it gives future generations a glimpse into where it all began.
We'd give anything to have that same moment with our kids, but we didn't know then what we know now. Hiring a wedding videographer is always worth it.
3. You get to see and hear your loved ones, even after they’re gone.
A past bride recently lost her father, and she sent us a DM through Instagram that made us both cry sad and thankful tears.
"I have to say thank you again so much for our wedding video! Tonight at my dad's celebration of life, we were able to show the footage of my Father-Daughter Dance and of my dad singing with at the wedding. So many people wanted to see and hear him again, and this was the perfect way to do so. We will forever be able to see and hear him!"
Of course, this sweet bride could also have iPhone footage of their dance together, and that'd be just as precious. But it's also pretty damn amazing she has those moments with her dad in a way that makes him feel present in a different, powerful way for her.
One of my favorite things about weddings is that all the important people in the couple's life are there with them. It's one of the only times in life all your friends and family are in one place together. It's a day when memories are made.
Your flower girls grow up (ours just graduated high school!), your loved ones pass away, your friendships change. And yet, you can be transported right back to that time with one click of the play button. Your flower girl is little again, your grandma's on the dance floor, your old friends are eating cake. It's all there to see . . . and see . . . and see again.
We didn't give ourselves the chance to watch those memories unfold all these years later. Does it affect our marriage? No. Does it change the life we've built together? Of course not.
But, man, what we wouldn’t do to go back in time and make that decision all over again. To think about the vows we'd hear again, the children we'd watch our wedding video with, and the loved one we'd get to see again.
If we knew what we know now, when someone asked, "Is it worth it to hire a wedding videographer?" we'd enthusiastically give a, "Hell yes."