What to Look for in a Wedding Videography Package

When I (Jessie) was booking my wedding videographer back in 2020, I remember one thing in particular being particularly overwhelming: packages. This videographer offers 8 hours for $5000 but this one offers 8 for $3000 so what's the difference? One videographer includes a "highlight" AND a "trailer," while for another a "trailer" is the main video. One videographer also offers photo and it's $8000 for both, but I'd have to add-on extra photos if I want to see everything... One videographer offers just a ceremony video for $800, but would it be any good? Pretty soon I couldn't keep track of which videographer offered what for how much and how do they accept payments and do they charge for travel and... 😵‍💫

Now that I'm working with a wedding videographer (read more of my story here!) I have a much better understanding of how to look at a wedding videography package to make sure you're getting exactly what you want and need, and not paying for extra.

How to Start Looking

There are two ways to start when looking at a wedding package: one is to look at hours, and the other is to look at deliverables. When I was a bride on a budget, just trying to capture my sweet little niece and our aging grandparents on video, I started by looking at hours.

Pros of searching by hours: You know how much time you're getting, it can help with timeline planning, and your biggest cost savings is often time on-site.

Cons of searching by hours: Now that I'm in the business, I realize that timelines are extremely flexible! We could've made it work with just about any number of hours on-site, and the surprise money my dad gave me right before the wedding could've covered an extra hour easy!

Take it from me, a bride who stressed about hours and agonized over packages: start with the DELIVERABLES.

Looking at Deliverables

"Deliverables" is industry jargon for the videos that get delivered after the big day. For some videographers, this includes a highlight-style video with a mixture of clips from the day; for other videographers, this also includes a full Ceremony video, a full video of your toasts, or a quick teaser before delivery. Major packages might offer so many bells and whistles it'll make your head spin! Start by asking yourself: what do I want to see?

Highlight Videos

If you've seen a friend's wedding video in the past 5-10 years, there's a fair chance it wasn't their full Ceremony. If you're like me, your pals received a video that was set to music, and told the story of their day through clips. You'd see some prep, the ceremony, some highlights from the reception, and maybe a nice sendoff. Some folks may have had voice-over sprinkled in, but not everyone.

This is what we in the biz call a "Highlight Video." Some might use other words, like "feature," "trailer," "film," "documentary,"  and some other odd, yet creative words that all mean the same thing: the story of your day through clips, set to music. When you're looking at a wedding videography package, if you'd like to receive a highlight video (and not all couples want one!), this is the place to start.

Some questions you might want to ask about the highlight include: how long is it? Are there options for length? Will there be voice-over? Do I get to choose the music? Will I get a chance to approve the video before it's considered finished?

Your gut responses to these questions should guide you as you select your favorite highlight video. Here's my best piece of advice as both a bride and an industry insider: watch some videos. Sit through and watch all of at least one, and then feel free to scrub through the others! See how their wedding video makes you FEEL! You don't want to book a videographer if you've never seen one of their videos all the way through! The proof is in the play button.

We have an article on how to watch a wedding video that takes you through all of the specifics like the technical stuff, but the main goal should always be the same. Pay attention to how you FEEL.

If you feel good, happy, emotional, or otherwise excited by a videographer's highlight video, that's a good sign you're on the right track.

Bells & Whistles

Many (not all) videography packages will also come with other deliverables outside of just the highlight video. Start by filtering by highlight videos, since these are the main deliverable! Once you have a list of folks who offer great highlight videos, start to look at the extra bells and whistles. How much can you get for your dollar?

For example, at Unnamed Films, our all-day wedding packages come with a full Ceremony AND a full Reception video, so you get to watch those vows beginning to end, watch each dance in its entirety, and hear those toasts. We also offer a 30-second teaser video (that's different from your final video! Not a duplicate!) to help you decide if you like the music we've chosen... and to give you something to watch while you wait!

Some videographers might offer photo packages or content creators. You'll have to decide for yourself whether those options are right for you! When in doubt, do some math. How many minutes of deliverables are you getting? How many photos? Look for the highest value, or the most attractive options for your day!

Flexibility and Time On-Site

When whittling down your list to the top few videographers, make sure to factor in flexibility. Can you change your highlight video length? Can you request edits? Can you change the amount of time on-site? Is there any wiggle room for unique payment plans? These are all answers you should probably be able to spot on their site, and that you'll be grateful for as you get closer. Some of those $3000 get-what-you-get packages might be tempting, but what happens if you only need 8 hours when they offer 10? Or worse, you find you need 12 but they don't have flexibility for hours, and adding hours is expensive.

Ultimately, it's good to have an idea of how much time on-site you'd like to see, but taking your videographer's advice is probably your best bet! After all, if you're getting salesman vibes from them it might not be a good fit; you want a video professional you can trust.

Consider On-Site Experience and Pre-Wedding Support

If you read our wedding video cost article, you already know that when you pick a wedding video package, you're getting a lot more than a video! Your package will also include support before the big day, on-site support, editing and revisions, and availability to answer questions. Hopefully by now you're down to 3-5 videographers you'd like to hear more from. Book some calls! On these calls, consider asking about how many videographers and cameras will be on-site, how many calls you'll have before the big day, whether you'll get a chance to ask for revisions, and how long editing will take. You can read more of our recommended questions to ask videographers here.

Post-Wedding Options & Add-Ons

Finally, look at their post-wedding options and add-ons! Do they offer raw video, or maybe a special highlight reel you can order for your first anniversary? What about physical items, like flash drives, video books, and DVDs? Can you order custom flash drives, or just simple ones? Can you order extras to give to your parents and friends? How long will this videographer hold your video files? And what other after-wedding support might you receive?

At Unnamed Films, we retain your footage for at least 1 year (often longer!), and offer discounts on add-ons after the wedding, like our beloved FOMO Cut (our more watchable version of raw video). After the wedding, you'll know that if you need something, you can always ask! And that if you ever need video for anything else, you're an official member of the UNF Fam, and will always enjoy discounts for working with us.

Bonus: Is Same-Day Content Right for You

Content creators: they're all the rage. These packages offer unique, vertical-style videos that you can watch as soon as the party bus ride over to the reception! These videos are often posted to your social media as Stories or Reels, and many will follow popular trends (depending on what you'd like to see). Content creators are FUN! They bring an upbeat and modern energy to the day, keeping their eyes peeled for fun trends, unique video ideas, and beautiful moments. You don't have to wait a few months to see these results, which can be wonderful! Often, they're also significantly cheaper than your run-of-the-mill wedding videography package.

We love a Content Creator! We think same-day video is an excellent new offering in the wedding video industry, and are proud to offer a Content Creator as an add-on to our core packages; however, we don't offer Content Creation on its own. Here's why. Content Creators are perfect for capturing transformations, entrances, special moments, sparkler sendoffs, and fun videos with guests. What they're not as good at is telling the story of your day. When you look back, all you'll really see on video is you, your partner, your party, and a few reel-worthy moments. You'll miss things like speeches, dances, letter reading, vows, and likely won't see very much Ceremony content. When you are ready to relive your wedding day, you've only got about 5 minutes total of vertical-only content. It's great for socials, and to make sure you've got some memories to relive as soon as the ride to your hotel... but in 5 years, will you wish you had more? If you have kiddos, would you wish you could show them your vows? Your grandparents, who they may not have had the chance to meet?

I know I'm playing the feels card right now, but as a bride, I stand by it. My little niece stays small in my wedding video. I can see our grandparents, many of whom have passed, smiling with the wind in their hair, brought back to life. I can see my partner as he was back then, and see myself, both of us with 2020 pandemic hair (and sadly some seriously grown-in roots on my end), and laugh at what a strange time it was. I even had kittens and a dog in my processional who have since grown up, grown old, and in some cases, crossed over the rainbow bridge. I love helping brides and grooms book their wedding video because I LOVE helping other people capture the memories I'm so grateful to have! Your wedding day is a day--the best day--but it goes by in a flash, and before you know it, you're 5 years married and life looks a whole lot different. Imagine yourself 5 years later and ask: what will I want to see? Your whole family and all of your friends only get together so often! A very special gift to give yourself is the ability to make it last.

Don't hesitate to reach out and ask for recommendations! We'd love to help you find the right package at the right budget to help you capture your perfect day.