In this blog, we aim to help brides, from a wedding photographer’s perspective, make informed decisions about whether to capture their wedding through photos, videos, or both. We’ll also discuss how many hours of coverage they might need and how many photographers and videographers are ideal for the event.
Why Wedding Videos Are a Must:
Wedding photos are a timeless tradition that continues to improve with advancements in technology, offering better color reproduction and higher resolution. However, videos offer an immersive experience that photos alone might miss. Beyond the obvious advantage of sound, which captures the entire ceremony, personal vows, and speeches, video also captures emotions and subtle expressions that still images might overlook. The laughter during toasts and the lively dance floor moments are brought to life in a way that photography simply can’t match. With 4K resolution becoming the standard, your wedding video will remain sharp, clear, and detailed for years to come, preserving every nuance in stunning clarity. If you Google “What is a bride’s biggest regret?”, not having a wedding video is often at the top of that list.
How many photographers and videographers do I need?
There is a key difference between photographers and videographers that is often overlooked. A photographer typically carries one or two cameras, allowing them to move quickly and capture every important moment. If you hire an experienced photographer, they can usually handle the entire event alone, predicting moments like laughter or tears and finding the best angles for the most creative shots. A second photographer may only be necessary if you have a large number of guests, making it impossible for one photographer to physically be everywhere at once.
For videographers, however, the situation is different. They need to manage multiple cameras, at least one on a tripod, another on a stabilizer, as well as fly a drone, and install various microphones and sound recorders. For this reason, we always recommend hiring two videographers, regardless of the guest count. Two videographers can also capture the event from multiple angles, providing more material for editing and resulting in a more dynamic and engaging final video.
How many hours of photo and video coverage do I need?
A typical Punta Cana wedding goes like this: we’ll start a couple of hours before the ceremony to capture the bride and groom’s preparations. After the ceremony, we’ll take candid shots of guests congratulating you, followed by group photos. Then, we’ll take the bride and groom for a private photo shoot, where we capture those iconic shots we’re known for. Finally, we’ll join the reception, documenting everything from dinner to the first dances and the evening’s festivities. How long we work depends on what will be the last thing that the bride and groom would like us to film (dinner, first dances, crazy hour, fire dancers, party…). On average, 7 to 8 hours of coverage is usually enough to capture key moments during a wedding day.
For those considering 9 or 10 hours of coverage, the benefits include capturing more candid moments throughout the day, from pre-ceremony preparations to the reception. This ensures a more comprehensive and detailed story of your wedding, with more time to focus on the intricate details of your decor, attire, and venue.
A much more important advantage is that a longer time frame also provides more opportunities for creative and unique photo shoots, allowing us to explore different locations, experiment with angles, and capture a wider variety of shots.
Also, if you decide to hire us Photo Cine Art, as your photographers and book our biggest package, the Signature Collection, as an added bonus we include in it our Additional Photo Shoot free of charge. As you probably already know, we are famous for the artistic photo masterpieces from our photo shoots!