Videographer?!

Hey Alyssa,

If it's not in your budget, getting any decent wedding video would require significant sacrifices to other elements of your wedding or you would end up spending more than anticipated. Based on the fact that you're not super on-board with a wedding video, I would not hire a professional videographer if I were you.

BUT, you can still get video if you want something to relive the day. Encourage guests to shoot and send clips to you. Or you can buy very cheap camcorders at Walmart (I've seen some for $30) and place one per a table. Get guests to shoot guerilla style similar to how guests do with disposable cameras at weddings, and collect the camera at the end to see how each table was like.

Every couple has their views and what they would like to have down the road to see back on their wedding day. I have noticed cultural weddings do have videographer without a question while society here is half yes and no.
Ultimately, its comes to you as the couples final decision. Budget of a professional videographer can be saved by getting a student starter third the price.

It wasn't something we wanted so we skipped it. But it sounds like something you do want, so I would look into how you can make it happen without busting the budget. If you need to trim a little (maybe you don't splurge on individual name cards at the tables, maybe you get smaller centerpieces, skip the open bar or ask them to remove the top shelf pricey alcohols, it all adds up!) from a few places you might find enough to make it more affordable. Or reach out to a few friends and loved ones and say "instead of a wedding present, would you be willing to chip in to pay for a videographer?" A lot of people give cash gifts these days and they might appreciate helping you do something wedding related and giving you a gift you can literally cherish for years to come.

I have a photographer and two videographers. Those are essential for me.

I think it is absolutely worth it, for me! I don’t think only having pictures will be enough for me to look back on. I love that the video shows you aspects of the day you may not have seen, such as the boys getting ready, the reactions of all your guests as you walk down the aisle, the speeches, all of it!! This was something I was absolutely not willing to compromise on. Luckily our video package came with a complimentary engagement film, and after seeing that my fiancé was super happy we decided to go for it!

My fiance and I aren't having one just because we don't want to pay for that extra expense. Plus we have our photographer for 12 hours, so I'm very confident that she'll have the best photos for us.

Personally for me it was one thing I was not willing to negotiate on! I think it is so worth it. I’ve watched my parents and my sisters so many times so I knew it would be worth the cost.