One of the most important things to do in a wedding is to choose an awesome and definitely reliable photographer and videographer who can capture the most memorable events of your wedding. But before doing so be sure that you already have at least an idea on what you need to consider since paying deposits to book their services on a standard Php 10,000 per team is definitely a big deal for budget couples. And of course, letting go of your deposit when you decide later on that you found a better deal or a better one is something that you should try to avoid if you have a tight budget for your wedding. But, if you have all the extra financial means.. why not?

So before you even decide to book your Photo and Video team, whether they’re a combined one or separate, read these tips first. Below are the things that we considered as part of our checklist when we were sorting out our Wedding Photographer and Videographer. These things may or may not be applicable to you, but you can at least have a good idea to create your own standard or basis.

1. STYLE. This is one of the most important aspects when you select your photographer and videographer since styles vary and people have different tastes or preferences on what they want. During our planning, the “it” trend was anything bright or light (where some looks overexposed sometimes) and candid, but that’s not our cup of tea. For us, we wanted something that would look timeless and natural, which was something we know we can definitely look back for years to come. So, instead of going with the bandwagon, we tried our best to search for “our” perfect photo and video teams who can do what we want. Moreover, the styles of photo and video teams would of course vary depending on the expertise of the team. It’s always best to search for the differences between photo and video styles so you can have an idea but basically, they are usually either:

• for Photography
  • Dark/Edgy/Bold/Moody/Dramatic
  • Candid/Light/FreshAdventurous/Quirky
  • Editorial/Fashion
  • Fine Art/Photo-Journalistic
  • Traditional/Portraiture (think of your Parent’s wedding photos)

Take note that with “Style” the first thing that is visible and highly remarkable when one looks at a photo is the “color filter or gradient of the processed photos” used on the photos after editing. It varies kasi sa type of color filter applied to the photos. May iba na reddish masyado kasi super contrasting, meron naman creamish effect trying to look natural, though some light and bright talaga which usually lightens the skintone of the subject. Ito yung typical na makikita sa normal wedding photos lately and ideal din for dark skinned Pinoys who want to look tisay. Iilan lang  din yung photographers na magaling talaga sa “natural light effect” na even RAW photos pa lang, very miniman editing na lang ang need kasi maganda na ang kulay or kuha na ang kulay na gusto mo. Also, in the “Style” part, the second most visible thing that normal people would see is how the shots were taken or the angular effect. Some can call it varying names but it all boils down to how the photos are captured – traditionally (centered, inside box-type of thing) or yung Instagrammable ang dating na may pa-side side pang kaganapan. 

• for Videography
  • Documentary 
  • Cinematic
  • Movie-Inspired (usually for Prenup)
  • Music Video-inspired (usually for Prenup)
  • Stop-motion (usually for Prenup)
  • Interview (usually for Prenup)
  • Love Story (usually for Prenup)

Do you know which makes them different from each other aside from the gadgets like drones, super high tech cams, gliders etc? Fine Angular shots, Video Editing and Musical Scoring. These three things are connected which should result in 1 incredible storytelling – with or without a script. It’s like a movie, or even if it’s documentary-like, still the music should sync with how the “scenes” are being played. These are one of those key things that my hubby had on his checklist when we were checking out for our video team. Definitely, these are not that technical, but this is how we understood it.

2. PROFILE, REPUTATION, AND CREDIBILITY. This is an added edge when choosing your photo and video team since from these you’ll have a quick gauge on their caliber. Realistically speaking and most likely, the more reputable the supplier, the more expensive their rates are compared to the others. The quote “quality doesn’t come cheap” applies to this. But for couples who are on a tight budget who still want to get reputable ones, it is strongly advisable to do a thorough research! There are tons of resources out there and one of the best ones that you can get is from first-hand feedback from their past clients. Our recommendation? Become a W@Wie!

3. BUDGET. Since not all couples have the same wedding budget, this can be a deal breaker for everyone. It’s also good to remember that they are usually categorized into three:

• High-range – rates starting from Php 150,000-200,000 and up
• Mid-range – rates starting from Php 60,000-80,000 and up
• Low-range – rates lower than Php 60,000

4. PACKAGES AND PROMOTIONS. These vary depending on the team. Some would give you offers that would fit your budget, while some would not. It’s also always good to ask about any existing promo, discount and offers that they have. Not all packages are the same though usually, that’s why it is highly recommended to always check the details of the contract for the package inclusions they usually appear like these:

• Photography packages usually include —
  • Full coverage (from hotel preps til the end of reception)
  • Albums
  • Parents Album (optional)
  • Post-processed photos (soft copy, hard copy or both)
  • AVP or Photo slideshow to be played during the reception (comes with a fee for some)
  • USB or DVD for all the raw and edited pics 
  • Loose prints and Picture Frames (Wall-type)
• Videography packages usually include —
  • Full coverage (from hotel preps til the end of reception)
  • Same Day Edit/SDE (to be played during reception)
  • Cinematic Highlights or Wedding Film (comes with a fee for some)
  • with Aerial shots (comes with a fee for some)
  • USB or DVD for all the raw and edited videos
  • Full Documentation (comes with a fee for some)

5. WORK QUALITY AND OUTPUT HISTORY. This is related to a photo and video team’s team profile, reputation and credibility since from these you can have already had an idea about how they work. Take note that quality is not only highly dependent on a supplier’s reputation and tag-price since there are a lot of upcoming and underrated suppliers who have more affordable rates but are definitely “at par” in their output as those with the famous ones.

Hindi ibig sabihin na nakapag cover na sila ng celebrity or kilalang tao or mayayaman eh magaling na sila. That could have an edge for them to boost their marketing strategy, pero you can still find lots of great talents na pasok sa budget niyo. Just look around and do your own research! This is definitely based from our own experience.

6. HONEST AND REAL FEEDBACK FROM PAST CLIENTS. This is a MUST since from here you’ll have a good idea how things have worked with their past clients. This is really essential before deciding to book your potential suppliers. First-hand experience reviews are still the best way to know your desired Wedding Supplier! So checking out different blogs, reviews and communities to get “honest and real feedback” from their past couples is something that you need to do whether you book a full coordinator to do everything for you or you just got an OTD coordinator wherein you need to book all of your suppliers on your own. This is something that all bride and groom to be’s must do.

7. PERSONALITY MATCH. Another matchmaking event? Definitely. This is very important since you and your fiance should at least be compatible to work with your chosen photographer and videographer. The relationship is supposed to be professional since it’s a business deal but because your Photographer and Videographer are tasked to capture all of your memorable experiences whether it’s serious or candid, you should feel at ease and definitely comfortable when around your photo team. Iba din talaga kapag may “friendly connection” kayo ng supplier since pwede ma-lessen ang awkwardness. 

Also, a supplier’s personality and attitude towards their client really says something about their work ethics and who they are as a person. Magaling at super talented nga pero may attitude problem naman. So useless lang din.

8. NETWORK WITH OTHER VENDORS/SUPPLIERS. When you do your research try to know who your potential Photographer and Videographer have previously worked for and who they are currently connected/working with. From this, it will be easy for you to assess their compatibility with one another. It doesn’t mean that your photo and video teams needs to be a perfect tandem or partners, but making sure that they have a good working relationship with each other would mean fewer issues for you in the future. Besides, sa mismong araw ng prenup at kasal, sila-sila din ang mag work altogether so kung ok sila sa isa’t isa, the flow would be easy and comfortable for everyone. Hindi yun maipagkakaila since makikita yun sa output nila. 

9. POST-PRODUCTION OUTPUT. This will include the timeline for the availability and delivery date of all the deliverables including the albums, USB/DVD etc. Also, getting feedback about their post-production output from real brides is also essential to know if there have been past issues that you can at least try to avoid. Better be safe than sorry later on.

This happened to us from our Prenup photos when after checking everything, there were minor issues na umabot pa sa point na we need to buy a new Hard Disk so they can send it again. It was a hassle especially for us na overseas based, but since we wanted to get our money’s worth, we had no choice but to buy a new Hard Disk and had it delivered again to us. Thankfully though that our prenup photographer’s staff were so helpful.

Also, be mindful of what your inclusions are and the usual time frame range of your deliverables especially the Videos. Usually, they are as follows:

• Prenup Videos and other Engagement videos – 3 minutes to a max of 8 minutes
• Full Wedding Documentation – 1.5 hours to a max of 4-5 hours
• Same Day Edit/SDE – 2 minutes to a max of 7-8 minutes
• Wedding Cinematic Highlights – 6 minutes to 30 minutes
• AVP Slideshow – 3 to 5 minutes

10. AVAILABILITY. This is a no-brainer since it can make or break your decision to book them. Just be reminded that certain photo and video teams are like “hot cakes” especially during peak season (-ber months) so when your wedding falls on those seasons, better reserve as early as possible! The same thing applies to your Prenup or Engagement sessions. It’s okay to book at least 1 year ahead of time or now if you can just as long as you won’t change your mind soon or else bye-bye deposit (DP)! Unless something happened along the way, pray that you can still be able to book your desired photo and video team a few months before your wedding.

** Still can’t find your P/V team? Maybe our shortlisted  Wedding Photographers and Videographers with their rates can help! **