How to Choose the Right Videographer for your Michigan Wedding⁣

To create that perfect video of your wedding day, that forever keepsake, you need the perfect videographer to capture it. Here’s how to find them.

Gone are the days of videographers being considered a luxury vendor. Nowadays, the modern couple considers their talents, production, and the necessity for a videographer completely on par with that of a photographer. And that’s because these days we consume so much video content everyday through social media, the news and from our friends. We understand the impact, the elevated experience a video can offer over a simple photo. It’s powerful. Just think of those old videos you sometimes find on your phone, and how they always take you right back to that moment again. Helping you relive all the sights and sounds of that wild night out, or fun moment between friends. They’re wonderful to discover right? Which is why wedding videography is so popular now, and vital for capturing memories. But how do you find the right videographer to capture your Michigan wedding?

After all, your wedding video needs to represent your love story, and a deeply personal day. Therefore, the person shooting it needs to get you and understand your style.

I’m confident that, if you’re in the midst of planning your Michigan wedding, you’ve already done your homework on how to find the ideal photographer, therefore, the search for the perfect videographer will feel familiar. However, there are some major differences between the two vendors, and today I’ll share the things you should watch out for during your search.

Start the Search Early

Too many couples leave booking their wedding videographer to the last-minute, only to find the very best vendors in Michigan are already booked up. Popular videographers get booked up 12 months in advance for peak season, so you’ve got to move quick if you want someone with experience, and a style that resonates with your own.

Treat videography with the same importance as your photography, by searching for them in tandem. Create the perfect team early, rather than just hiring whoever you can get. This will also increase your chances of finding two vendors who can work seamlessly together, as you’ll have more time to find a good match.

Look Local

If you can find a photographer, or videographer in Michigan who’s already shot at your wedding venue before, that’s a massive plus. Any professional who’s already had experience shooting at a venue before, will know where’s best to shoot from, where the sun will set from and how the light falls during the day. Which is key to creating a beautiful wedding video.

If a potential videographer hasn’t worked at your venue before, it’s absolutely not a dealbreaker, but it is wise to look closely at the list of recommended vendors when starting your search.

Hire a Videography Team

There are, of course, instances when having a solo videographer capture a wedding is more than enough. Intimate celebrations, for example. However, I typically recommend having two shooters present on the day as this allows us, as a team, to create a much better, more rounded video of your special day.

We can be there to capture both of you getting ready simultaneously, shoot your vows from multiple perspectives, and be present for so many more moments that would otherwise go ‘uncaptured’.

What Kind of Equipment Will They Be Using

I’m not expecting you to become an expert in camera equipment. But it is useful to ask your potential videographer what kind of gear they typically use, as their response will often help you understand their style. For instance, if you want quite subtle, candid wedding videography, then it would be useful if your Michigan videographer had a small DSLR camera, which’ll allow them to weave through guests unobtrusively.

If you want your wedding video to have quite a cinematic feel, then drone videography can help you achieve that. The sweeping aerial shots drones can create are so impressive, but not every videographer can, or is legally allowed, to fly them. Therefore, it’s wise to check their FAQs, or inquire directly about their equipment early on in your vendor search to avoid disappointment.

Choose a Videographer, Not a Photographer Who Can Shoot Video

If you’re serious about creating a special keepsake video of your wedding, hire an expert videographer. You wouldn’t ask the chef on your big day to start making cocktails, or request that the florist helps with icing the cake. You’d get the right person for the job, and videography is no different.

From the outside, the two disciplines may seem the same, but as an experienced wedding videographer in Michigan, I can tell you they’re not. Photography and videography require two different skill sets, and experience levels to create a professional looking production.

Your wedding video should also feature all the big moments from the day. Walking down the aisle, taking your first dance together, exchanging vows. That’s not going to be possible if your videographer is also taking pictures. They can’t do both things at once, meaning things will be missed, and you’ll end up with a video that’s a lot less full than you dreamed of.

Do their Videos Make You Feel Something?

It is important to find a wedding videographer in Michigan who creates work in a style you like. But beyond that, their videography should give you ‘the feels’. Move you in some way.

I’ve known plenty of couples to shed a tear watching the videos of other couples they’ve never even met before! But this can only be achieved if the videographer can really tell a story with their films, and purposefully guide the narrative.

The only way to truly discover if a videographers’ work moves you, is to watch their films. From beginning to end, watch as many wedding videos as you can and compare the way each of them makes you feel. Do that long enough, and not only will you discover which type of wedding videography you like, but you’ll also realize just how you want your story to be told. Just make sure you have enough tissues on hand!

You Might Have Already Found the Ideal Michigan Wedding Videographer!

I sincerely hope this post has helped you in the search for the perfect wedding videographer in Michigan, or maybe convinced you that you need videography on your big day. It would be an honor to go one step further, and actually be your videographer!

As a born and raised Michigander, and an experienced wedding videographer, I’ve shot countless couples across the state – and loved every second of it! I take enormous pride in capturing memories in a way that you’ll love for generations to come.

Please take a moment to watch some of my real wedding films, and if you feel my style resonates with your own, feel free to get in touch via my contact page.