Videographer? Waste of money?

We're getting a photographer for basically free (friends of family) but will offer them gift. I want to know what you paid for your videographer and what it included.

Is $800-1000 normal or high?

Is it worth it??

$1,000 seems about right. I paid that and I got married 8 years ago. I am SO glad I had a videographer to capture everything. As it turned out, my photographer turned out to be so-so and the video is way better. Besides. You get to watch it any time you want and relive your wedding day. What's better than that?

Oh and I forgot...I did have disposable cameras on all of the tables and some of the best pics were the one I got from those cameras. Worth the expense.

Depends if you have extra money to spend on a videographer. I would just try to find a family friend who has a video camera to tape your wedding/reception. It would be alot cheaper than $800-1000 to pay a professional.

well my fiancee' and i are purchasing 20 disposable cameras and 13 people are bringing their digital cameras and both our families have a total of 5 video cameras.we are just handing them out to random guests (throughout church)to take the pictures and videos.saves a butt load.may not be the highest quality but it is what you make of it..p.s. the money we save on doing that is going to be added to the honeymoon.

I will tell you for my wedding the two best financial investments I made was my day of wedding planner and my videographer.

You CAN"T put a price on capturing your most special moment.

If you can get an extra $1000, I suggest you do it. We didn't hire one for our wedding, and now we are sorry. :((( Best Wishes!

My favorite thing about my wedding by far is the video. I went for the best guy in town and paid $4,000. It isn't even the most expensive videographer either. With that I got footage from getting ready, the pre wedding photo session, the ceremony, and the reception. The entire ceremony is on it and he put together a 30 minute collage to music we chose. It highlights the entire day from before during and after the ceremony and reception but condensed. I love it soooo much, it really makes my wedding look more spectacular and important then it felt to me at the time. I also got to see my wedding. When you're in the moment you have a lot going through your mind and don't really get to relax and truly enjoy everything. My friend said her daughter loves to watch her wedding video so I am hoping to show it to my children someday.

$800-1000 is on the low end.
Almost everyone I have talked to has said they were either glad they got a videographer or wish they had gotten one.
My mom feels strongly that we should have one. She said that she would give anything to be able to see her (deceased) parents and their manerisms again. She said it's something you can look back on and recall all the good times and what it was like with your family and friends. Pictures just aren't the same. If you get a videographer, they can also pull some stills from the video if other pics don't turn out... AND there will be so much you will miss and enjoy seeing later! GO FOR IT!!

...oh.. I also know someone who went to their HS and asked the audio visual dept. for info on their best student and they put their video together. She said it turned out great, but I don't know that I would trust my wedding to an amateur like that. BUT that's just me.

I would so do it. My fiance family lives in Russia and will not be here to celebrate our special day with us. We are having our wedding video taped. Not only will his family get to share these special memories but It will be ours to treasure for a lifetime.

I think that's a normal charge. I'm skipping it for my wedding, I can't imagine that I would ever watch the video. I'd rather have the $1K in my pocket or around for honeymoon expenses. Still photos should be plenty to remind me of the day, I think.

$1000 is actually really inexpensive compared to most of the videographers in my city. $800 is great!! An acquaintance (friend of a friend) is doing our video for $800; his packages typically start at $2500!

For us, the video is very important. This is because the groom's parents live in another country and will not be able to attend the wedding. Soon after the wedding here, we're traveling to their country for another big reception there. We want to take them the video when we go.

Our video will include the ceremony and highlights from the reception. They'll be using 2-3 cameras, wireless microphones, and special lighting. we'll get to pick a song of our choice for the opening and closing sections. Some packages include filming the rehearsal, interviews with the bride, groom, parents, and wedding party, and lots more. The most important part for us is the ceremony. Everything else is extra.

It's kind of cool to see the wedding put to music. It's something you won't watch by maybe once or twice, but you'll watch it on your 10th or 25th anniversary and your kids will watch it.

First off, I am a little biase with this quesiton being a photographer. It will depend on what the market rate is. Where I am at, that price is high. For that amount, $800-$1000, is far a high end videographer. If you do have the avaiable funds and really desire one, there is nothing wrong with getting a professional videographer.

I don't see anything wrong with letting the friend or family do the video either. If you are looking for something simple and to watch latter.

Word of caution when using a friend or family, they are friends and families. This is may not be their forte. Also, your video maybe the last thing on their mind to work on after the wedding. From a photographers point of view, I hear it all the time, I wished I hired you instead of letting uncle Bob take are wedding picture.

Here is another thing, will your friend or family edit the tape? Just like us photographers, videographers will have the highest quality equiptment out there follow by the lastest software for editing.

Where you hired a pro or use friends and family for your video, it is VERY IMPORTANT you introduce the to your photographer. We are very proactive when there is a videographer. Most of the time the photographer has the right of way. There are certain angle that just looks better when it comes to pictures.