Planning for a wedding can be challenging for couples. This is true whether or not they are trying to work within a budget. Many questions arise in relation to wedding video prices, and prominent among them are:
what is the typical or average cost for a wedding video in Ireland?
or
how much does a wedding videographer charge?
There are a few factors that determine the price of wedding videography. We’ll try to explain these factors here in this in-depth article.
How much does a wedding videographer in Ireland cost?
Quick Answer: The average price in 2018 for a wedding videographer in Ireland according to One Fab Day is between €2,000 and €4,000. While this rate might be okay for some, perhaps it will not be for others. We sometimes hear of wedding video pricing that comes in well below €1,000. We’re also aware of situations where the budget exceeds €4,000. Let’s look at why the cost of a wedding video can vary so much.
Any couple would love to get the best possible wedding videographer for their budget. We know how important preserving the memory of your wedding day is. Hopefully help you decide what is best for you. We believe the main determining factors for wedding videographer rates in Ireland are:
- style
- quality
- level of coverage & deliverables
- business costs
Struggling with comparing videography prices is understandable. So we’ve created this wedding video pricing guide where we will deep dive into each of these factors in turn.
Style of wedding videography
Broadly speaking, there are two main types of wedding videography style. Namely, traditional and cinematic. Some might say a third style is a combination between the two which we’ve termed as “tradimatic wedding video”. We won’t go into too much detail here because we have previously written about the differences between a traditional videographer and a wedding cinematographer.
One thing that the industry agrees on is that there is no exact definition to define traditional and cinematic wedding film.
Traditional style of wedding video
The way we think about this is that traditional video tends to be a simple. It’s like a straight-forward approach to documenting the wedding day. You’ll usually watch the events unfold in a similar order as they actually happened on the day.
Cinematic style of wedding videography
Wedding cinematography uses more of a story-telling approach and takes the traditional style to the next level, and beyond. This is achieved by way of creative camera movements, an arty look and non-linear (not in the order you’d expect) editing. When watching a cinematic wedding film, the editing will often immerse you in a well-crafted story where the element of surprise will typically be used so the viewer can watch without being able to predict what will happen next.
The main takeaway from all of this is that usually, there is much more time involved when producing a cinematic wedding video. So it is this additional post-production time required to craft a beautiful memento film that generally makes the cinematic wedding videography style more expensive than a traditionally cheaper wedding video.
Quality of videography
Just like every other industry, there is a strong relationship between the quality level of the videographer (their creative and technical skillset) and wedding video package prices.
Like most things in life, there are of course some exceptions to this. For some couples who may not be aware of the differences in quality, it is understandable that they may at first gravitate towards the lower rates for wedding videography. For some, this works out well and the couple ends up being happy with their decision.
However, for others, some couples can end up being very disappointed with the quality of their video. Anecdotally, the low-quality issues we sometimes hear cropping up often relate to the same things. These are poor audio quality, lack of adequate coverage, very little (if any) creativity, sloppy editing and making use of cheesy graphics that date very quickly.
For a lot of couples, they really see the value in choosing a high-quality videographer. Your wedding is a live event, it only happens once!
If quality is important to you, then go for the best quality wedding videographer you can afford. There are hundreds of wedding videographers in Ireland and they are definitely not all the same. Daniel of DK Photo, a wedding photographer, has taken the time to write about his perspective of hiring the right wedding videographer.
The overall standard in quality has improved greatly in recent years. Each videographer will have different strengths, styles, and level of experience. We have been in the industry for many years and have acquired in-depth industry-based experience.
We have seen heartbreaking situations where memories are lost because couples went cheap and booked videographers who never thought of budgeting for backup memory cards and camera equipment. A professional wedding videographer will go the extra mile to ensure he or she has adequate backup systems in place.
Experience
This is another determinant of wedding film prices and it closely relates to quality. Videographers with less experience may offer their services at lower rates to build their portfolio and practical skills. Those with years of experience in the industry tend to charge slightly higher prices for their services.
Everybody starts somewhere. There are a number of very talented videographers who are relative newcomers without much experience but they are producing some lovely work. Over time, as their business costs begin to increase, the trend is that their prices will probably also rise accordingly.
The best solution for couples is to find a balance between the quality expectation required and a paying a fair price for your choice of videographer.
Level of Coverage and Deliverables
There are a lot of variables when it comes to identifying the various offerings that can be contained within a package for wedding videography. For example, duration of coverage, number of videographers, types and number of wedding videos being offered and style of videography.
Duration of coverage relates to whether the event is a single day or happening over multiple days. It also more commonly refers to whether the coverage begins at the ceremony or the morning preps. Typical ending times for an Irish-based wedding videographer are after the speeches or after the first dance.
Of course, there are variations of this. For example, some packages might cover just the ceremony itself. Other packages might finish up just after the speeches but there could be a difference in price if the speeches are before or after the meal.
The number of videographers included within a package can be a hotly debated topic. Some videography companies offer a single videographer (like Keith Malone Wedding Films) as standard to do an excellent job. A second or third videographer can be included if required by the couple.
Other wedding videographer teams in Ireland offer two or even three videographers as standard within their packages. It soon becomes obvious that comparing like with like is not that straight-forward.
We would encourage any couple who are on the fence regarding opting for one or two videographers, to watch a sample wedding film from a single videographer and compare to a video shot by multiple videographers. Is it easy to tell from watching how many videographers were present?
We tend to use a second camera to capture an alternative angle at the ceremony and speeches. It gives us the impression of two videographers, but helps keep the overall cost down given that both cameras are operated by the same person. Again, there is no right or wrong here. Either offering has the potential to exceed client expectations.
With regards to the types and number of wedding videos being offered, you’ll need to look at the detail. Is there a long format documentary edit included with full ceremony and speeches? Or is that an added extra? Is there a shorter highlights film included? What about a preview teaser (1 minute) film?
And of course, there are also short cinematic films which can last anywhere from usually 10 to 30 minutes and even longer (or shorter) than that.
Still reading? Thanks so much! As you can tell from above, there are so many variables and it’s difficult to cover every single possibility within this wedding video pricing guide. It is so important to read up on exactly what is being offered when you are comparing pricing between different videographers in Ireland.
Business Costs
Every single wedding videographer operating within Ireland will differ in terms of their business structure and their attitude to risk management. Business costs will also vary greatly so it is understandable that this will be a big factor when making a comparison in price.
The vast majority of reputable wedding video companies in Ireland will have the following insurance cover in place: equipment, professional indemnity and public liability insurance. These are essential in our opinion. It offers peace of mind for couples, venues and of course the videographer.
There are lots of operating costs involved in running a professional wedding video business. Some of the bigger costs include insurance (see above), equipment, music licensing, advertising, accounting, motor expenses to name just a few. There’s also VAT, income tax and corporation tax to factor into the overall business equation.
Finally, as a profession, we’re sure you’ll agree that the videographer needs to be paid a fair wage!
Many reputable videographers, like ourselves, but not all, invest continually in training and retraining to keep themselves abreast with the latest trends and techniques in the industry.
To sum up, the videography prices and packages of videographers are also determined by taking into account all of the various running expenses, equipment, time and the dedication invested in filming and editing a wedding video.
Final thoughts regarding wedding video prices / quality relationship
To wrap up, the main factors that determine the cost of wedding video are style, quality, level of coverage & deliverables and business running costs.
Hopefully, this pricing guide has been helpful. If you have any questions at all, please reach out and get in touch.