Wedding videography from other vendors can be an expensive service. Let’s take a look as to why wedding videography packages can range from $600 to $8,000, what features and products you usually get at particular price points, and the actual costs associated with them.

Lowest tier packages ($600 – $1,000)

Features for these basic packages usually include 6-10 hours of coverage—from the beginning of the ceremony to the end of the reception (sometimes including the pre-ceremony coverage of the bride getting ready), one camera, wireless microphones for the ceremony, minimal to no editing, and a DVD or Blu-Ray disc for viewing. The final product runs anywhere from 60 to 120 minutes depending on the vender, and you may not receive it for 2 to 6 months.

This is all basic “coverage”. You’re paying primarily for the videographer and equipment usage. There’s also the added cost of the DVD / Blu-ray authoring. Editing is minimal, but any cutting and splicing adds to the cost. Want to edit it yourself? Then expect to pay more. Most venders charge extra for the raw footage.

While this low-tier option may be within your price range, the disadvantage to you is the 6-10 hours of coverage you’re stuck buying. Whether you need 6-10 hours of coverage or not, you don’t have much of a choice. Not every wedding needs full coverage. Most ceremonies are only 30-40 minutes long, and for the reception, most of the important stuff is truncated within a 2-3 hour period

Middle tier packages ($800 – $2000)

Middle tier packages range in price and features depending on the vender. This type of package will most likely include a handful of the following features including the features from the lowest tier packages: 8-12 hours of coverage, two cameras (but most times only one videographer—which means one camera is unmanned), multiple locations, pre-ceremony coverage, title / credit sequences, highlight recaps, wedding story montage (usually a “how they met” montage of either photos or staged video), a dance montage, or interviews with the bridal party and families.

Here, added to the costs of the lowest tier features, the additional costs are attributed to the editing (post-production) time. Even with only one videographer, an extra camera adds a significant chunk of time to the editing, because the editor must cut between the two cameras (for the most part, the two-camera setup is only for the ceremony). Highlight recaps, montages, and/or interviews all suck up editing time as well, which not only effect cost, but turnaround time.

Highest tier packages ($1,200 – $3,000 or more)

These are the all-inclusive packages. Typically, all the features offered by the vender you’ll find combined into this package. They include many of the features from the middle tier packages outlined above, plus more. These packages could include two manned cameras, different photo montages (using photos of your choosing or those taken by your photographer at the wedding), a trailer, save the date video, and/or additional DVD or Blu-Ray copies. Depending on the vendor, there could be other features too. It all depends.

Although you’re getting the all-inclusive package, the major drawback is, obviously, cost. These highest tier packages are the most expensive. The disadvantage to you is that all of these pre-packaged offers don’t allow you to pick and choose your features. Some venders give you a la carte options, but they’re generally more expensive. So you’ll most likely get everything you want, but you’re stuck paying for everything you don’t want too.

Film / Cinematic highlight packages ($1,000 – $8,000)

Since HD video DSLRs have hit the market, a new trend of cinematic wedding videos packaged as 10-20 minute short films have grown in popularity. Typically they involve 10-12 hours of coverage, with a final product that’s concise and story-driven. Oftentimes, they come with trailers or outtakes on the final DVD or Blu-Ray. While these tightly-edited products might be more ideal than simple event coverage, they can be very expensive and with turnaround times in the 6-8 month range. And what’s the use of a shareable video if you don’t receive it for 6-8 months?

Vanilla Video: A better solution

Vanilla Video is affordable, fast and easy. Our prices aren’t inflated by long hours of editing and our services aren’t limited to pre-packaged bundles. Using our online order form, you can build your customizable package in minutes. Pre-ceremony? Ceremony? Reception? It doesn’t matter; we can do it all and at a price you can afford. And we don’t charge extra for raw footage. Why wait eight months, four months, or even two months for your video? Vv can help you share your special day with friends and family in just days. Now that’s a better solution.