Planning your nuptials requires a careful balancing act of several factors: time, resources and desired aesthetics. A tight budget can make that prospect challenging, especially when it comes to hiring photography and video professionals. If you're tempted to go with a do-it-yourself approach to save a few coins, here are a few things to consider.
Don’t Forget About the Price Tag
The Knot estimates that photography and videography constitute between 10 to 12 percent of nuptial budgets. Since the average cost to wed usually runs between $31,000 and $35,000, you could easily encounter a price tag of between $3,000 and $4,000 to capture memories of your special day. For couples whose entire nuptial budget might only work out to $5,000 or $10,000, those costs can easily place standard photo and video services out of their reaches. Thankfully, inexpensive professional and DIY possibilities may fit within even the tightest of budgets.
Low-Cost Professional Options
Bridal Guide revealed that some professionals offer a basic “point and shoot” type of service for only around $1,000. Depending on the videographer, the final version might include a video of your ceremony with some footage of your reception mixed in. Nevertheless, some of these may also incorporate “cheesy” special effects and shots of annoyed guests. To reduce the probability that your edited take is marred by these, Bridal Guide recommends making a few requests with your video pro:
- Cut back on animated graphics and sound effects
- Do not approach guests and ask them to speak
- Specify the music you want in the soundtrack
Planning Your DIY Videography Approach
If you can’t or don’t want to shell out that much money for a bare bones professional video, you can adopt a smart DIY strategy to capture memories of your big day. Mark Tioxon at A Practical Wedding lays out some solid advice on getting the footage you want while leaving out the mistakes that you don’t. First, you should designate a single individual or a group of people you trust to do camera duty. Help them understand the end goals for your video, but don't expect an award-winning cinematography masterpiece. Second, think outside the box with your equipment and remember that you can shoot good footage with traditional camcorders, digital single-lens reflex cameras and smartphones. Another advantage with mobile devices and laptop cams is that you're also able to live-stream your event.
In addition to homegrown DIY solutions, some companies are offering a blend of do-it-yourself techniques with rented equipment and editing services for hire. Firms such as StoryMix Media and Wedit allow couples to lease high-definition video cameras, providing shipping to and from their facilities. Each type of service is a little different. Some will host your footage online and offer the option to request an edited video for an additional fee, while others automatically compile and trim footage as part of their packages.
No Videography? No Problem!
Perhaps neither “point and shoot” services or DIY videography are viable options for you. In that case, you shouldn’t overlook the possibilities available with basic still photography. A Practical Wedding contributor Alyssa Griffith details some sample budgets, with reasonably priced versions based on guest counts as low as six and as many as 75. Griffith’s estimated photography costs range anywhere between $150 to $1200, based on who’s handling the camera and what’s being shot.
Taking a conservative approach to your wedding expenses doesn't mean you must sacrifice the extras. You’ll need to decide on your priorities early in the planning stage, but it’s possible to select videography options that match your wishes and your budgetary constraints. From low-cost professional shooting to DIY strategies, capturing your special day can be well within your means.
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