Filming a wedding is a very challenging video shoot.  Tight schedule, recording live, no opportunity for retakes, unexpected and changing situations, equipment malfunction, and uncontrolled lighting are just a few reasons you need a seasoned pro.   Being able to problem solve in real time while remaining creative takes a lot of practice.   Remember, if your wedding videographer messes up or problems come up that they are unable to solve you are stuck with what they give you.  There is no way to re-shoot it like you can a commercial or movie scene.

You don’t want to hire anyone who hasn’t been filming for at least 5 years.    You also want to investigate what type of experience they have.   If they have a ton of experience making music videos and short films but haven’t worked many live events or weddings, then be concerned.   You want someone with a lot of experience specifically shooting weddings because weddings are a unique type of shoot.

It is important to remember that photography and videography are two very different disciplines.   Modern DSLR cameras do an excellent job capturing both video and still images which led many photographers to start offering video.    Often these photographers have problems capturing high quality audio.  They just don’t have the equipment or experience to record and edit it effectively.  Flash photography is a wonderful skill that is useless in video and many photographers have problems filming in-doors and in low light situations. Videographers have video lighting equipment and techniques to capture low light video.  Video editing and post production is an art form that takes a long time to learn.   If you are hiring a photographer to provide both services, make sure they have several years filming and maybe 20 wedding videos under their belt before entrusting them with your wedding film.

Make sure they have a variety of wedding demos.   You don’t want to hire a wedding videographer who had one good wedding but then lots of average ones.  Look for pros who have many different examples to choose from.  Consistency is important.   You want to hire someone who does amazing work every single time.