You’ve got the dress, the venue, and the photographer. What’s missing? A wedding video. Wedding videographers are one of the suppliers that tend to book up quickly, so it’s important to get yours sorted as soon as possible if you want one.
Unfortunately, it can also be one of the biggest wedding costs in the UK, but it doesn’t need to be… more on that later!
The first thing is to decide if you really do want a video. Many people don’t bother, but they are becoming increasingly popular every year in England. Finding an affordable wedding video isn’t easy, so the price can be off-putting for people that aren’t that convinced anyway. However if there’s even a small part of you that is considering it, we really recommend prioritising booking a videographer (or a wedding video through alternative means, such as FIY!). It is absolutely the best way to keep a memory of your day. A video can take you right back to the moment in a way that photos often can’t.
National Average Cost: £1,780
Since the pandemic, the national average has increased (as has the cost of almost every other type of wedding supplier) – as suppliers try and recoup lost revenue.
If you want to know how much your wedding video will cost, your best bet is to look at the national average price and then see if that’s in line with what you have in mind.
Our research has found that in 2023 the national average cost of a wedding videographer in the UK, is around £1,780, so you can expect to pay around this for most videography services. Obviously there are a few key factors which affect price though, these tend to be:
- Location: The average in London is £2,450, whilst the average in Scotland is down to £1,310, so the location of your wedding will make a big difference
- Package: Many wedding videographers offer multiple packages – basic packages will likely include less time spent filming on the day, and less time spent editing e.g. shorter highlight videos
- Type of Service: This can vary a lot – some videographers may include 2 people on the day, some may have fancy equipment such as drones
- Experience: Often the amount of experience your videographer has is a good indicator of their quality (but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider giving someone starting out a chance, as they could be just as good!), and this will also affect their prices
So in terms of range, you can expect to pay anything from £1,310 to £2,450 for your wedding video in the UK. These numbers are calculated based on analysis of videographer’s advertised website prices, so don’t take into account any potential offers, or any additional costs such as travel, which may apply for long-distance shoots.
For example, let’s say that you live in London but are getting married abroad. The company will probably charge more than they normally would because they’ll have to fly over there plus all their equipment and staff—it all adds up! As another example: If it takes longer than expected for them to edit all those hours’ worth of footage into something cohesive (and awesome), then that adds more time onto their initial quote as well. Having said that, most videographers do work on a fixed price basis – but be sure to double check this beforehand!
As you can see, it’s easy to get lost in the numbers when trying to figure out how much a wedding video will cost. It all depends on what kind of package you choose, whether or not there are hidden fees and costs associated with traveling long distances to shoot your wedding. If you know exactly what you’re looking for then this shouldn’t be a problem—but if not then it may take some time to find that perfect price point for both parties involved! The best thing is to start doing your own research in your area to find out what the costs will be.
Lowest End Cost for a wedding video (2-3 hours, 1 camera) is about £600.
Generally the cheapest wedding videographers we were able to find, will charge around £600. However, often with freelancers at this end of the scale the quality of their videos is significantly worse than those at the top end. That is absolutely not to say that you can’t find a high quality option at this price point, but they will be few and far between (and will most likely be booked up for the next 2 years!)
It’s important to note that this is just an average price; costs can vary quite a bit depending on how long your ceremony and reception are and whether or not you want additional equipment like drones or lighting gear. You’ll also need to budget for editing, music licensing (if applicable), travel expenses if the videographer isn’t local, and other incidentals.
The last thing you want is to have a beautiful wedding video that doesn’t include some of your favorite moments because they were missed. Make sure the videographer has a backup plan for any shots that may get missed or lost in transmission. If possible, ask for references so you can see what other couples thought about their work and whether or not they were happy with the finished product.
High End Cost for an elaborate wedding video (8+ hours, 3 cameras) is about £7,000.
As you can imagine, the cost of a wedding video depends on the number of hours and cameras used. For example, if you hire a videographer for one day and they use two cameras to film your event, their charge will likely be less than hiring them for four days with four cameras.
We found the highest end videographers can charge up to £7,000. These tend to cater best to high profile weddings, such as celebrities or… the very rich.
What’s most important when determining how much to spend is deciding what’s right for you. If you want an elaborate wedding video that includes multiple angles and special effects such as slow motion shots (which can increase production time), then it may make sense to hire someone who charges more per hour. On the other hand, if your budget is tight or your only goal is capturing memories in video form for posterity’s sake, then maybe it’s more realistic to consider shorting yourself on some bells and whistles like multiple angles and slow motion shots so that there are fewer hours needed in post-production editing time by your videographer team after filming wraps up!
DIY Non-Pro Wedding Video Costs start from £249.
If you’re looking for a very cheap wedding video in 2023, your best bet will be to look at a DIY service. Of course, if you truly want to do it all yourself, then you can get the video for free! But there is a middle ground…
Using a service like FIY Wedding, allows you to get a quality, professionally edited wedding video at a very affordable price.
Essentially, your guests film the wedding for you – either using their own smartphones, or by renting cameras and equipment. After the day, everything gets sent to FIY and they edit the video for you.
Prices vary, depending on whether you are looking for just a short highlights video, where guests film on their phones, or looking to rent all the gear and also have guests submit their own phone footage. Either way, it tends to be a much cheaper option vs hiring a professional videographer to be there on the day.
Wedding videos can be as expensive as you want them to be.
- DIY or hire a professional? You can make your own wedding video with the help of YouTube tutorials, but you’ll want to be sure not to miss out on any important moments that are happening around you. If you want something more polished and professional, then hiring a videographer is your best bet.
- How much does it cost? This one really depends on how much work goes into creating your wedding video, how many people are involved in the creation process, and what kind of equipment is used for filming. The least expensive options start at around £249; however, some companies charge upwards of £7,000—and this doesn’t even include post-production editing!
- What should I expect from my budget? The industry standard for wedding videography packages ranges from about £1,310 to £2,450.
The more you pay, the better quality of video and service you can expect to receive. If you’re on a budget, it’s best to ask for an estimate before hiring any company. Also, be sure to get a contract so everyone is on the same page regarding what is expected from both sides.
Conclusion
Wedding videos can be as expensive as you want them to be. We’ve seen some amazing wedding films that cost tens of thousands, but we also know couples who are happy spending just a couple hundred pounds on their video. The important thing is that you get what you need and are happy with the end result.
