I’m Branson, a Utah wedding videographer and photographer who has been in the business of weddings for more than a hot minute. In fact, I’ve captured over 500 weddings in Utah including LDS temple weddings, non-denominational weddings, and everything in between. I often field questions from couples planning their wedding all about videography. Specifically, couples who are torn on whether or not to add a Utah wedding videographer to their wedding. So I thought I would share my insights as to how a Utah wedding videographer enhances the experience of your wedding.
We already have a photographer, do we need a videographer as well?
Photography and video, while they may seem like equal partners, both provide a very different end result and experience. Yes, they will both capture the love, emotion, and magic moments of your wedding day. But photos are to hang on a well or flip through in an album. A wedding video is to rewatch together every year on your anniversary. Or, to link to on social media so your family and friends revisit the timeless memories of your best day ever.
We are having an LDS temple wedding, can we still have a Utah wedding videographer?
The short answer is yes! You can absolutely hire a Utah wedding videographer for your LDS temple wedding. But, as you might have already suspected, it comes with a caveat. Having been raised Mormon, I know all too well that photo & video are not permitted during your temple sealing ceremony. However, I also know that the moment worth capturing, for you to replay for a lifetime, is the moment the temple doors swing open.
The very moment you throw your hands in the air in celebration, with your friends and family waiting to see you for the very first time as newlyweds. As an added bonus, capturing that moment on video allows you to see the reactions of your friends and family. Because the moment those doors swing open, you’ll be deliriously happy with that newlywed glow. From there, everything will feel as if it’s going by in a blur. You’ll want to relive that splendid feeling, through your wedding video, as much as possible. And that includes seeing the reactions of your guests.
We are having our wedding ceremony and reception at the same venue, how does that work?
As a Utah wedding videographer, I work with my couples to capture their first look, vows, and their wedding reception. The thing is, your wedding reception will be filled with toasts and speeches from the people in your life you love the most. It will also be filled with dance floor moments between you and your spouse, as well as you and your parents. Those moments, shared with your guests, are exceptional milestones that don’t convey emotion the same way when captured through photography.
A photo of your first dance will not have your song playing in the background, and a photo of the toasts at your wedding will not hold your best man or maid of honors voice along with the laughing and merriment that followed their speech. Through the initial booking process, I like to find out more about my couples who have booked an “all in one” venue so that I can capture everything that matters to them, plus a little extra.
What questions should we ask our wedding videographer before we hire them?
I’m sure if you Google this exact question, you’ll be fed all kinds of lists of questions to ask your videographer before you hire them. But, I’ll be honest here, most of those questions are irrelevant. Before you hire a videographer, you should take a look at their previous work, to get a feeling of their flow. Once you’ve decided their style matches what you’re looking for, you can reach out to inquire about your wedding date. From there, the questions you ask will mostly be related to “admin” things such as deposits, contract signing, and turnaround time for receiving your wedding video.
Here’s my hot take, your videographer should be the one asking the questions. PS: this can be done through a call or a questionnaire; which are both standard in the wedding industry. They should be finding out what matters to you most as a couple. Including, how you fell in love, what you are most looking forward to on your wedding day, and what excites you. This information will be the key to finding out who you are at your core, in order to provide you with an extraordinary wedding video. A wedding video that turned out even more amazing than you could have ever imagined.