Should I hire a wedding videographer for my small wedding?

You’ve hired your dream wedding photographer to capture all your special moments but should you also hire a wedding videographer for your small wedding?

Is it worth it to film a small wedding?

with 100 people or less—do you need to invest in a wedding video?

Is it worth it to spend a few thousand dollars to have an event filmed with less than 100 guests in attendance? When you find out how much a videographer is (and most don’t know what a videographer costs—I mean, why would you), you realize it’s a significant investment on par with your wedding photography.

Small weddings tend to have a more subdued atmosphere because fewer people are attending. Or they’re a 2nd+ wedding, and the attendees are a bit older, and therefore the party isn’t as rager as it’d be with 300 of your closest friends who are around 25 years old.

And in the case of an elopement—it’s even more intimate.

You probably think that you’ve already hired a lovely photographer and photos will be enough.

But should you splurge on a videographer, too?

Even for a small wedding, not getting a wedding film is the biggest regret of 95% of married couples. But do you want to spend more money?

I think we’re asking this question the wrong way, so let’s flip it on its head. It’ll help you focus on what causes regret (hint: it’s never the money spent). 

Why wouldn’t you want your small wedding filmed?

Photography is already covering the event—it’s just not needed

Got it. But they’re two completely different mediums.

It’s like watching an amazing film and looking at pictures of the movie without captions. You’ll see the still image of the dress reveal to your wedding party but you won’t see the whole moment and you certainly won’t hear them fuss over how gorgeous you look. (Who doesn’t want that? Seriously, you can even make a ringtone out of it.)

Small Wedding or Large—it’s still a significant life moment for you

You’re getting MARRIED to the love of your life (presumably… I mean, if you don’t love them, then maybe skip the video). Getting married is a big deal. It’s a major life event. Even if you’ve been living with that person for years. This is somehow different and it’s incredibly significant. Even to the most curmudgeonly among us.

Not to mention, you’re sharing this moment with a few dozen of your closest friends and family. Which is saying something in this era of 180,000 followers and social media friends. These people are your CLOSEST.

Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to hear their voices again? Hear your wedding vows again? See everyone you love at the prime of their lives again?

Photos can cover some of this, but if you’re reading this, you already know that photography doesn’t hold a candle to the kind of memories that a wedding film can provide you.

Never mind just wanting to relive details that you’re personally excited about. Maybe you’re like one of our Chatham Bars Inn brides, Amanda, who was enamored with the idea of having a caviar bar. To her, that was one of her long-held wedding dreams and she wanted plenty of that in her photos and videos. Or maybe it’s the champagne tower, or excessively large wedding cake, or a s’mores bar, or maybe it’s that you donated what you would have spent on favors to an important non-profit.

What YOU want to remember matters.

A wedding film is the only way to truly relive a memory word for word and step for step.

That it’s smaller doesn’t mean it’s insignificant.

When you look at it that way—it is worth getting a videographer for your small wedding.

Small Wedding Days Are Still Intense And Difficult To Remember

Surprisingly, intimate wedding days still go by in a flash

One thing couples don’t expect is the incredibly high adrenaline of the day. You know and understand that the adrenaline rush is coming; you absolutely know without a doubt it’ll be there. But it’s still a surprise how intense it is. And nothing can prepare you for going through it until it’s actually happening.

Even though your wedding is small, being the center of attention means you’ll still be in high demand, and your wedding day will be a blur. Even people with the best of the best memories won’t remember their wedding day.

At the end of the night, when your party is winding down, you start to realize you don’t remember what it was really like to walk down the aisle, or what you said to each other during your first look, or exactly what your partner said to you for their vows.

You don’t quite remember everyone you said hello to, who hugged you, how many times your parents told you how proud and happy they are for you.

And it’s precisely THIS moment, this EXACT moment where regret hits you. And then again on your one year anniversary. And when you have children. And the worst time is when you’ve lost someone. Which I’ve personally been through, and you would give anything to hear them tell you how much they loved you again.

Wedding films are a bonding experience

Sharing Your Film Allows People To Feel Like They Were At Your Small Wedding (Even When They Weren’t).​

A great wedding video puts the viewer in the front row of your wedding. And although they weren’t in attendance, they can feel like they were there with you.

They get to experience all the events—they get to see you say your vows, have your kiss, see all the beautiful decor you spent so much time on, and let’s not forget how exceptionally special toasts are.

Wedding films are a fantastic way to share your experience with others and create a bond with them.

And that isn’t even including the option to have it streamed live (which you totally could do—provided there’s strong enough wifi).

Wedding videos inspire new traditions

They’re not just for your anniversary

We’ve had couples who’ve started the family tradition of watching all the family wedding videos on major holidays. Anyone who had a wedding video participates.

Traditions are what bring us together as a family. They make relationships stronger by creating like experiences that everyone can enjoy. And in time where it seems like families and friendships are being more polarized and fractioned—every new tradition to keep us bonded and together is a welcomed opportunity to create new memories out of old ones.

Will a wedding videographer be overwhelming?

Is it possible for videographers to be unobtrusive at a small wedding

It will always easier for people to get lost and blend into a large crowd. At the same time, if you hire an intrusive team, they will always be intrusive even if you have a guest list of 700. Picking the right team is essential.

The right people will make you feel like they were never there but at the same time they gave you the support when you desperately needed. Those times when you felt overwhelmed or you needed a little direction. Or when you needed some privacy.

This is our speciality as filmmakers.

What memories of your wedding day are important to you?

Try to think ahead to how you want to remember your wedding after it’s over.

Important considerations are, if like me, you have dementia in your family. Because that brings in a whole new meaning to memories for potentially you and/or other family member.

Will it be important to you to:

• Have crystal clear memories of that day.
• Hear your vows whenever you want.
• See people closest to you dancing.
• Hear people closest to you laughing.
• Remember the exact way you were looking at each other as you came down the aisle.
• Hear the toasts given by friends and family.
• Be able to share how fun this day was with future tiny family members.

Then, absolutely — yes, you need a wedding video for your small wedding.

Yes, it’s important to film your small wedding

Even if it’s not the biggest deal to you, it’s a surprisingly huge deal to everyone else

In the end, it’s not just an experience for you. It’s an experience for your whole family. It’s an experience for your friends. And if you choose to have them, it’ll be an experience for your kids one day.

You’ll be surprised how many people will watch your wedding video as much as you do.

I hope this has helped you figure out if you need a video for your small wedding.

And if you want to talk to us about filming your small wedding (anywhere on Cape Cod) we’d be incredibly flattered. You can jump over to our Contact Page or fill out the form right under this post.