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Should I let a friend videotape my wedding?

I was recently at a wedding where, during the ceremony, there were probably 7-8 people crowding around the bride and groom. Each person was armed with a palmcorder or handycam, jocking for a good spot and nearly pushing the photographer, a paid professional, and myself out of the way. She, the photographer, had to kindly inform someone that she was getting paid and had to ask them to move. I noticed that over half of the seated guests were pointing either digital cameras or cell phones at the bride and groom and, even though the ceremony was outside, on a sunny day, the repeated auto-flashes, strobing and beeping was enough to cause a headache.

With that many people holding a camera of some sort, it made me wonder why anyone would hire a professional videographer. With digital technology becoming less expensive and more accessible, and with it getting easier to share pics and video clips with anyone in the world that has internet access, it seems that just about anybody could, possibly, shoot a decent and watchable wedding video. So, should you let a friend or family member shoot yours? Chances are, you probably know a few people that own a camera and probably own one yourself. Why not let someone you know do it for you? They'll enjoy having a chance to be creative and you'll save some money.

The benefit of having a friend shoot your wedding video is that while you might have to give them a few bucks for tapes, you won't have to spend anywhere from $600 to $3000, or more, to hire a professional. With a professional, though, they know what they're doing. That's not to say that your friend isn't capable of producing a quality video that you'll enjoy watching, but more than likely, a professional has gone to school and received training, or both, for specifically this kind of work, has shot numerous wedding videos, has years of experience, and has spent literally thousands of dollars on pro-grade equipment.

Some real-life examples:

My partner took a job where the groom used his own camera to shoot he and his bride's wedding video. During the ceremony, the camera was mounted on a tripod and positioned at the back end of the room. You could see everything in the frame, albeit, not clearly. The bride and groom looked like a couple of blurry dots in the background, which was probably due to the camera being set on auto mode. And, since the built-in, on-camera microphone was used, the sound was almost unbearable to listen to. There was a continuous noise that sounded like tape hiss throughout and the guests seated on the back rows, talking and sniffling, were about the only thing that could be heard. The exchange of vows was missed entirely. Those important words, "I do" and "I now pronounce you husband and wife," were completely inaudible.

Another couple wanted their wedding video put on DVD. They had also asked someone they knew to shoot it for them. It seemed that there was an almost endless amount of footage that was mostly boring to watch. Aside from having some bad footage and bad audio (again, the built-in mic was used), the couple didn't have the proper tools and skills to take the footage from their tapes and transfer it to DVD. They also didn't have the right tools or know-how to edit the video in order to make it more interesting and enjoyable to watch. A professional videographer is, in many cases, an editor as well, and would normally allot 20-30 hours just for editing a wedding video.

These are just 2 examples, and quality isn't necessarily everything. You could purchase a digital videocamera for $200 or $300 and spend $40 or $50 on a simple editing program, and either do it yourself, or have a friend or family member do it for you. But, hiring a professional videographer, one who is equipped with the right gear, may be a better choice than handing a camera to someone you know and trusting that they'll produce a video that you'll actually want to watch. Professional camera, sound and editing equipment can cost more than a new car and it takes a considerable amount of time, training and talent to learn how to use it effectively and proficiently.

A consumer-end camera manned by a friend would get the job done. You would definitely have a document of your wedding day, but here are some questions you might ask:

If the picture and sound quality were poor, would you watch the video once and store it on a shelf or in a box somewhere?

Would you be able to even watch it once without fast-forwarding to the good spots?

Would your friend be able to hold the camera steady and keep the subjects, you and your soon-to-be husband, in focus?

Would your friend simply put the camera on a tripod and hit record, hoping that the camera's automatic functions do the job and that the picture and sound are clear?

Would you end up with an artistic, cinematic video that runs between 45 minutes and an hour long, which tells only your story and shows exactly what you would want to see, or would you end up with 3 to 4 hours of raw footage, where only a small portion is interesting to watch?

There are many other factors to consider when trying to decide if you want to hire a professional videographer or go with a friend, but the key thing is whether you would want to basically be the star of your own movie, or if you would rather have a home video.

Written by Matthew Mercier, Magic Productions http://www.themagicstudio.net.