How To Start A Wedding Videography Business

Like the wedding photography business, there is a large market for wedding videographers. Keep in mind there is also quite a bit of competition, if not from other professional wedding videographers, from family friends! If you're are a skilled videographer and your videos are professional, charge accordingly. It's not unusual for a videographer to charge upwards of $2500 or even more if they have a good reputation. Make a few calls to get an idea of the price range in your area so you have a starting point.

Just as in any business, you should be self-motivated and truly enjoy your chosen profession. You'll need to have some artistic ability and a creative streak to make sure your videos are different from the traditional videographer.

It may sound pretty easy to set up a camera and videograph a wedding, but there is more to it than just putting your camera on a tripod and pressing record. You must find the best camera placement for both picture and audio and be prepared to handle issues with photographers, family, the bride and groom or anyone else you may run into issues with.

It is always best to meet with the bride and groom before the wedding to discuss their expectations and to go over your terms, payment options, etc.

The bride and groom may want the added feature of an interview where they explain how they met, or even a slideshow of them both growing up to present day while guests are being seated. They may want you to interview some of the guests, etc.

It's a good idea to attend the rehearsal dinner so you can plan everything out, check the lighting and any obstacles that may get in your way while recording.

You'll need a good quality video camera and a computer that is capable of video editing, as well as a software program for edting your footage. Adobe Premiere Pro is a good option but there are many out there to choose from, you can get demos by looking online and choose the one that suits you.

You'll need DVD burning software to build the DVD menus and to burn the finished project. Adobe Photoshop is a good program for editing photos to add to the DVD. You'll also need software for editing audio and music for the background. Do a search for royalty free music or you can create your own with programs such as SmartSound.

If you don't have the technical skill needed right now, don't worry, you can learn everything you need to know by reading, practicing and practicing some more. Take your camera and record other events to practice zooming and panning, you never want to just shoot stationary, it's too boring. But nothing is worse than overdoing it and making the veiwer dizzy from all that moving around!

There are several different ways to market your wedding videography business: you can network with local florists, wedding retailers in your area, even wedding photographers that do not offer video. Use your local newspaper to spread the work, make a website that highlights your services and prices. You could also write up a press release to subit to your local newspapers. But, the best method of advertising is going to be referrals! Keep your customers happy and they will spread the word.

Attending a local bridal show is a great way to market your wedding video businss. Make up some professional looking brochures and keep them handy. You may also want to make a demo tape and have it playing in your booth.

If starting a wedding videography business sounds like something you'd like to check further into, there are lots of books, websites and organizations that will provide training and advice.

How to Start a Wedding Video Business