Before Getting Started…
As with other money making ideas involving photography or videography, there is an upfront equipment cost involved. The first thing you’ll need to start videoing weddings (besides a wedding) is high quality equipment. No, this does not mean that you’ll have to sell that Betamax camcorder you bought in the 80′s, but it does mean that, in order to be taken seriously, you will need to invest in semi-professional gear. In addition to a camera—and ideally you will have more than one—you will need a tripod, preferably of the fluid head variety, an audio mixer, and a diverse collection of microphones, including a remote system. How much you choose to spend on your equipment, and how many accessories you choose to purchase (such as a Steadicam support system, crane, or a track and dolly system) will largely determine the price of your wedding packages.
A smart business practice would be to offer several different packages, which vary by what equipment will be used in at the ceremony, how much of the ceremony will be filmed, and how much footage will be shot. For example, a three camera set-up with full cinematic capability, including Steadicam, crane, and dolly, could fall in the $5,000 to $7,000 price range, where as a more average, two camera set-up with Steadicam shots only could represent an attractive and affordable middle package, priced between $2,000 and $4,000. Altogether, the initial investment is daunting, but can be paid off quickly if you are committed to making contacts and looking for work.
If you have doubts about purchasing an entire crew’s worth of equipment, whether because you aren’t sure of your own capability as a videographer or because it just isn’t financially viable, a safe alternative that would prevent you from falling into debt, and would also provide you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the equipment if you aren’t already is to rent. Search your area for local audio/video rental shops, and experiment until you are comfortable.
Building a Customer Base…
Whether you have owned your own equipment for years, or have never picked up a camera before in your life (and especially if in the latter case) you will probably have to offer your first project as a videographer for free. Unless you are an experienced videographer transitioning from another kind of event, it is unlikely that a client will trust your skills without at least a demo reel to show them. One option to circumnavigate this is to offer a family member or friend who is soon to be married your services. This is how a lot of other businesses in this industry — ex. wedding planners — get started. It will give you an opportunity to prove yourself and to put together a portfolio of your video work, which you can showcase to other potential clients. More importantly, however, once you film one wedding, you can begin working on client referrals.
While there are many kinds of events people want (and generally will pay to have) recorded, weddings may be the best, firmest ground on which to build a steady business. People have always, and will always be getting married. Budding wedding videographers have the advantage of that wide and regular pool of clients when first starting out, where other small business owners may have to first do thorough market research to find their target clients. But make no mistake, just because the work is there doesn’t mean that it will drop itself at your feet wrapped in blue ribbon. As with most money making ideas, especially in the entertainment industry, work comes primarily on the basis of referral. In other words, if you want to work, you have to market yourself and your product.
Fortunately, this does not entail extensive—or expensive—advertising technique. Rather, the most powerful, cost-effective method of spreading the word about your services is by word-of-mouth. Client referral is a very powerful form of marketing, because it allows your service to speak for itself from the mouths of those who have already been impressed by you. Invest some time and energy into developing a strategy that will inflate your referral rate and get your name into more people’s doors. Platforms like social networking sites are a perfect place to start building and maintaining a client base, and, again, will save you and your business money in the end.
Client testimonies also serve an expanding wedding video business as well. At the end of every contract with your clients, ask them to respond to a feedback form that you have drafted, and incorporate their reviews in any material you use to market yourself—website, flyers, brochures, newspaper ads, etc.
Pricing Your Services…
One of the most difficult parts of running your own wedding video business will be finding the right price point for your service. Remember that you are sacrificing one or both days of your weekend in order to make a profit, not just to pay for any equipment you’ve invested in or need to maintain and repair. There is no exact science to calculate what you should be charging, but in general, you should aim to make at least a 10% return annual return on your investment. Furthermore, remember that you are in fact running a business, and as such, are eligible for a handful of tax deductions that you can and should claim to absorb some of the cost.
This guide is nowhere near comprehensive, but should serve as a starting point for you if you have an interest in video that you would like to develop into a revenue-generating business. The most important thing to do in the beginning of your pursuit is to simply practice shooting. Shoot everything. Sharpen your eye for composition, train your hands to respond to the activity around you while behind the camera. Nothing is scripted at a wedding, so when Uncle Earle spills his glass of wine on a bride’s maid’s dress, or when a nephew demands a dance with the bride, you have to be ready to capture it. You’ve got enough information to start your business—the slate is set, now get shooting!
When a business creates a video they almost put themselves in a new type of bucket from the standpoint of their audience. Branding increase and credibility is often times instilled into your website visitors.
Videos and photos provide a lasting recount from the wedding event. Long after the wedding is over these photos and videos live on. Videos are better because audio from the wedding couple, friends and relatives can be captured and this is something that photos alone can never provide.
http://sarasotaweddingideas.com/sarasota-weddings/
I totally agree with you. But it takes time to build your customer base, you have to work harder and harder. You also can use all your social networking to attact more customers. Or you can try to find more potential cusmters who are going to buy cheap wedding dresses.
To start of I was charging low fees and quite frankly the hassle wasnt worth it. Now I charge a competitive price and earn more for my time. I try to build in 5% of my equipment cost in each wedding so that I can afford to buy new equipment. My advice is to keep a tight rein on your earnings and MAKE a profit!
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I’m sure if you do quality work, quality wedding videong, people will start referring you to others. If you are just starting you have to make a name for yourself and cannot charge too much. Go out of your way to make the wedding video a fantastic one and you won’t even need to advertise.
It’s testimonials that really grab the attention – prove you can do it and people will come… but starting out is hard, you really do need to know people who are getting married
Me and my husband would really want to get into a business like this. Photography for all occasions, not just for weddings. I believe that competition is tough when it comes to this area. This is the reason why I’m checking out posts and researching about this so I can think of an edge that we can have on our business that can set us apart. Your article has truly helped us. Thanks very much.
Great tips you shared there for wedding photographers thinking of starting their own business. It would also help to do a lot of networking in order to meet new clients and other wedding suppliers who can recommend your services.
This is great info, my girl friend brother together with his wife are very interested in doing wedding business, wedding video will be part of the whole package, I will share this article with them. Thanks for sharing.
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This kind of business is good for wedding photographers. But you will need to learn different techniques in video editing which I think is not the same with the techniques they are using in photography.
I have a friend that has recently started this exact business and is starting to see success. You have outlined some really good points. It is very competitive and depending on your locale it may be hard to get started, but once you get some clients alot of the business is word of mouth after that. Don’t charge too cheap and make it worth your time.
It helps to have a photography background but with the technology available it is possible to teach yourself. Just be prepared to get a little bruised up learning and working with clients!
Jess,you don’t need a degree just to be in line in photography.What you need is passion on doing that.:) I wish you luck!
You know what Kaitlin, you are right. My brother is a professional photographer and he even not graduated in college. He is earning more than I do. Like you said, passion is the key.
Video editing allows you to assemble all of your shots into one cohesive story, along with the ability to color correct, add effects and titles. Gaining knowledge in this area will increase your ability as an editor.
All moments must be captured and the job for this is not really easy. Need to price this the right way
I am using ROXIO for video editing and if codek for watching other type of extension.
Spending big bucks on wedding videos is totally worth it. When my brother got engaged, his soon-to-be mother and father in-law hired a guy to make a video of my brother and their daughter. The started showing photos of them as children and moved toward adulthood. They played the Monkee’s song “I’m A Believer” in the background. It was awesome. 18 years later we still ask them to pull out that video and show it when we have family get togethers.
Starting a video business is not easy. The hard part is getting clients for your business. Most people want to do business with people they trust. Try your best to give quality service so people will start referring you to their friends and relatives.
My husband and I have been wanting to start a video business but we never got down to “starting” it. This post is very inspiring and we could really use the tips. Thanks!
Start a new business and get more clients is not a easy task. every business takes a time to set. There is the same case with the Video business. Wedding and other functions have a important place in everyone life and people can not trust upon everyone.
Just can’t imagine a more difficult business to start. If you get to think that people spend up to thousands of pounds to have their wedding day immortalized, it takes good credentials to attract customers but who will risk to go on your hand to begin with?
Even if you offer services for free at first, as you suggest, doesn’t this make people feel even more suspicious knowing that the better a photographer is, the more expensive fees he will charge?
Hi,
There a lots of tool for you to create video.The package for wedding photography may cost $500 depends on the promo and services.
Thanks,
Jian
Some great tips on starting out here. Like someone mentioned above passion is the key in photography, your work will shine if you love what you do. To those starting out, we wish you all the best and may the success follow. The earcandy live crew.
Come up with domain name for a wedding video business? I am in the process of creating a wedding video business. One that makes high definition videos for weddings. Need a creative, memorable, and concise domain name for the website.
Photographer Oxfordshire
It’s very great useful plugin.I want to to draft you this amount of word so as to give thanks as before concerning the fantastic basics you’ve documented here.
I am planning to learn on how to do video editing before deciding to set up a wedding video business. I think this will be successful.
It is always enjoyable to have a nice movie to see about our wedding. It must be of high quality, personal, well edited (this is a decisive feature about doing a nice or an ugly movie), plus, the cameraman must find the situation where people are unaware about being filmed to get natural, not posed movements and expressions. Nice review about this beautufil job.
This is great stuff, it is a motivational idea to starting not just a wedding video business but all kind of video business. I once started it one a ago and I can’t found my way around it and so I quit but today you’re just giving me another reason why I should go back to that line again.
Thank you for being a motivator
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Wedding videos for me is the best because its just like you’re making your own movie together.
Starting in this kind of business you need the right tools and experience on handling these kind of special events. This can definitely cost time, money, and effort since you need camera and disc duplication machines for giveaways for these kind of events.
This is a kind of kind of video business, Generally what we do in internet as Video marketing through online. It is definitely cost time, money, and effort also.