Photographer or Videographer?

You will be spending a lot of money on this one special day and so it is understandable that you will want to get it absolutely right. The hard part of planning a wedding is choosing which suppliers are absolutely necessary to make your big day special.

You and your partner will need to sit down and make a long list of everything you want to have a wedding, then work your way through crossing out anything you think you might not need. For example, do your guests’ need a full three course sit down meal or can you get away with serving an equally delicious buffet? Do you need a band and a DJ or can you make do with just one or the other? And finally, the biggest hurdle is deciding between having a photographer or a videographer. We have a few tips to help you make this difficult decision.

The big advantage of having a videographer is that they will be able to capture all the smallest details of your wedding and record them onto a DVD that you can watch whenever you want to re-live your special day. Although hiring a videographer, could mean you miss out on photographic memories, which can be put all around your house and admired by all those who visit. To avoid you having to choose, a good idea would be to put disposable cameras on each table at the reception, or to ask your guests to bring their own digital cameras, for them to catch those magical moments to put in a photo album. Use your ushers to group all your family and friends together to take a big group picture against a beautiful background. There are so many alternatives to a professional photographer, really, you are spoilt for choice!

However, if you decide that you would prefer to spend your money on a professional photographer, designate the task of videographer to a family member and ask them to film footage throughout the day. Alternatively, a friend of a friend could be fanatic about videography and may do it for you for free! Perhaps put a camera in the church to film you walking down the aisle and the ceremony. This can be copied onto a disc for you and your partner to watch.

Or if you really can’t decide, there may be a way you can have both at your wedding. By re-working your budget and cutting costs on other parts of your wedding, you can realistically incorporate both a photographer and a videographer into your budget.

Do not forget that both of these professionals are just that and will put 110% into your wedding so whether you choose one or the other, you will still be impressed with the results. Make sure that you both come to an agreement and make a decision that will suit you, your wedding and won’t cause any problems in the future.

Top tips from nuptales.ie:

•  Ensure that you are 100% happy with the service before putting a deposit down. You may be sacrificing something equally important for this person’s service.
• See if you can strike a deal with the specialists, this may enable you to work around your budget and choose both instead of just one
• Do not worry about asking friends and family to take photographs for you. Chances are, most guests will bring a digital camera anyway and will be more than happy to take a few professional-looking shots.