· By Mark Taylor
How to Get a Wedding Video Without a Videographer in the U.S
Most couples don't skip the wedding video because they don't want one. They skip it because of the quote.
A videographer in the U.S. usually runs $2,000 to $4,000, and more than that in New York, Chicago or most of the West Coast. By the time you've paid for the venue, the catering and the photographer, video is the thing that quietly falls off the list. Then a year later you realize you have hundreds of beautiful photos and nothing that moves. Nothing that sounds like your dad's speech, or your grandmother laughing at your first dance.
There's a middle option between hiring a videographer and hoping someone's phone footage turns out okay. We mail you the cameras, your guests do the filming, and our editors turn it into a proper wedding film.
How it works
1. We mail you a box of cameras. It arrives at your door 3-5 days before the wedding, so there's no rush and no last minute panic. Inside are 4K cameras, wireless microphones, a mini tripod, and tip cards you can hand to whoever is doing the filming.
2. Your guests film the day. The cameras are tiny. They fit in a jacket pocket or a clutch, and there's one button to turn them on and one to record. Hand them out at the rehearsal dinner or on the morning of the wedding, and people will do the rest. The person who films the most is never the one you expected.
3. You mail the cameras back. Everything goes back in the same box.
4. We edit your film. A real editor, not software, cuts your footage into a wedding film, set to music you choose. It takes about four weeks. You also get every second of the original footage, so nothing is ever lost.
The whole thing starts at $650, editing included.
"Will our guests actually film anything?"
This is the question we get asked most. The honest answer is yes, and usually far more than you expect.
Being handed a camera isn't a chore, it's an invitation. It's the aunt who loves a gadget, the bridesmaid who films everything anyway, the groomsman who suddenly discovers he's a director. People like being asked, because it makes them part of the day instead of spectators at it.
It also gets you something one videographer physically cannot. Nobody can be at the top table, on the dance floor and outside with the smokers at the same time. Your guests can. The moments couples tell us they treasure most are nearly always the ones nobody planned: the reaction shot, the quiet moment at the bar, the thing that happened while the professional was setting up somewhere else.
What you get that a videographer usually doesn't
- Every angle of the day, filmed by people who know who matters in the room.
- All of your original footage, not just the finished cut.
- A reel for social, with your suppliers tagged, so you have something to post while the main film is being edited.
- No stranger following you around. No posed shots, no "can we do that again for the camera."
What about the sound?
People assume this will be the weak link, and it's the reason the U.S. kit includes wireless microphones as standard. They're what capture the vows and the speeches properly, instead of as a distant echo from the back of the room. You clip one on, and the audio comes out clean even in a loud room.
Is the quality actually good?
The cameras shoot 4K, they're stabilized, and they hold up well in low light. That last part matters more than anything else at a wedding, because the best parts of the day happen after sunset. Candlelit dinners, sparklers, the dance floor at 11pm. That's where phone footage falls apart and these cameras don't.
We've been doing this since 2013, across more than 3,000 weddings, with hundreds of five star reviews. The footage that comes back to us is raw and a bit messy, which is what real life looks like. Our editors know how to turn that into something you'll want to watch more than once.
Who this is for
It works best if you:
- Would rather spend the money on the party than on a second photographer with a video camera.
- Have friends and family who'd enjoy being involved.
- Want the day to feel like your day, not a production.
- Are getting married somewhere the pros charge a fortune to travel to.
It's probably not for you if you want a cinematic, carefully directed film with drone shots and a two person crew. That's a different thing, and it costs what it costs.
Booking
Check your date, pick how many cameras you want, and we'll take care of the rest. Two cameras suit a smaller wedding. Three or four are better for a big one, or when the day is spread across a few locations. You can pay in full or leave a deposit, and if you're in a hurry, express editing gets your film back faster.
Your wedding gets filmed by the people who love you. That's the whole idea.