Dream Image Club
Videographer
Hiring a wedding videographer: what to prepare, and what to ask before you book
Short answer
To start talking to a wedding videographer, a couple only needs three things: the date and a rough schedule, which moments matter to the family, and one or two pictures or clips you like. Then ask clearly who will film on the day, how many people are coming, what you will receive, when, and whether the price includes travel. Those answers matter more than the starting price, because a wedding cannot be filmed twice.
What to prepare before contacting a videographer
- The date and a rough schedule — morning ceremony, evening reception or the whole day, and the auspicious times.
- The venue. No pre-wedding location yet? An experienced videographer can suggest one.
- The moments your family cares about — the monks' blessing, the water-pouring, sending the couple to the bridal room, or whatever your parents are waiting to see.
- The people who must be in the film — elders, the bridal party.
- One or two pictures or clips you like; no need to describe them.
- A rough budget, said plainly, so you can choose what is most worth it together.
Seven questions to ask before you book
- Can I see something longer than a highlight reel? Anyone can cut a pretty highlight; a longer film shows whether they can actually carry the whole day.
- Who films on the day — the person I am talking to, or someone sent instead?
- How many people and cameras, and what happens when things happen at once — bride and groom getting ready in different rooms?
- What exactly will we receive — a short film, the full ceremony, stills, vertical clips — and roughly how long is each?
- How will the elders' blessings and the words in the ceremony be recorded?
- When and how is everything delivered, and can we keep the full files?
- Does the price include travel, accommodation and everything else? Could anything be added after the wedding?
Should the photographer and videographer be one team?
This comes up constantly in Thai wedding forums: two teams who have never worked together can block each other's angles or fight for position at key moments. The simplest answer is one team that does both. If you hire two, have them talk before the day about who stands where during the ceremony.
I shoot both stills and video on the same day, so you deal with one person and agree things once, with nobody extra to coordinate on the day. If a large wedding has several things happening at once and needs another person, I say so when quoting, never afterwards.
Not comfortable on camera — do we need to rehearse?
No. Most couples I film say they will be stiff, yet the results are good, because I do not pose anyone and you never need to look at the camera — just be with your guests. I work from a distance that does not intrude, and plan in advance where to be at each moment so I am never standing in front of the elders when it counts.
What helps most is one coordinator from your side who knows the schedule and the relatives, and can tell the videographer who is who.
The question people forget: raw footage
In Thai wedding-planning groups, couples describe receiving an edit they did not like, with no raw footage to have someone else re-cut it. Some teams deliver only the finished films; others include the footage. Neither is wrong, but you should know before paying a deposit.
If you want the raw files, agree at booking whether you get them, all or part, how they are delivered and whether there is an extra cost — so there is nothing to regret about a day that cannot be filmed again.
Prices and what you receive, in my work
Pre-wedding stills start at 20,000 THB and video with stills at 27,000 THB. Both include travel and cost the same in any province, except southern Thailand, which adds 5,000 THB. The final figure depends on half a day, the morning ceremony, the evening or the whole day, and whether you want the full ceremony or vertical clips as well.
After the wedding you watch it first on a private link, with changes as agreed, then the full files arrive via Google Drive on the date set at booking. The files are yours to download and keep.
