Today we are very excited to share a blog written by one of Forever Bride’s new VIB vendors, Joe Pollock of Joe Pollock Films. Joe is a talented, Minneapolis based photographer and filmmaker. His style is candid and cinematic. He likes to capture the little moments in life that brings a smile to your face and tears to your eyes. We are thrilled to have him as one of our own Forever Bride vendors!

Today we are sharing with you Joe’s personal tips for choosing the right videographer for you and your wedding day! His blog offers important things to consider when choosing a videographer for your big day!

Somewhere, at any given time, a recently engaged woman (let’s call her Bri) and her girlfriends are drinking a bottle of red wine and watching wedding videos online. You know it’s true. And like so many before her, the combination of wine and cinematic romance is too much. It’s decided. She must have her own wedding video. And besides her father, who will be footing the bill, who could blame her? So the decision to make a wedding film has been made. But now what?

If you’re like Bri- excited about the idea of a wedding video but wondering where to start, this list is for you. It’s a list that comes from four years of experience filming weddings, lots of mistakes, a few bigs wins, and about 500 hours of testing what the recipe is for a great film.

1. Be sure that you jive with the videographer
When you bring a videographer on, you’re going to have to tango with them from the moment you sign the contract until months after your wedding during their editing process. You’re going to want to make sure that before you sign anything, you’re tangoing to the same beat.

Being filmed all day when you’re not used to it is an experience. Whether it’s a good or bad one is entirely dependent on how well you jive with the person behind the lens. And more importantly, the quality of your film is directly related to the degree of rapport you and your fiancee share with your videographer.

If you’re comfortable around each other, then your videographer will know the little nuances about you that will make your film uniquely yours.

So grab a coffee or drink with a few different people. Which one do you feel really gets you as a couple? Which one is asking you the right questions? Which one shares your sense of humor?

2. Be sure you like the way their previous films tell stories
A bride once told me “There has yet to be a wedding video you’ve created that has not made me cry.” Whenever I get feedback like that, it feels awesome because it tells me I am doing my job. I am storytelling.

The truth is, most couples have a story that could bring grown men to tears, but it can only happen if their storyteller (the videographer) takes the time before the wedding to get to know them enough to find that story and tell it with purpose.

I’d urge you to compare as many videographers as you can and see which videos really stand out to you. Why do they stand out? Why did one film make you cry when another didn’t?

3. Make sure they have assistants to help split the tasks at your big day
I used to shoot weddings solo and I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. There is just too much gear, too many balls in the air, too little time, and too many places to be at once for it to go smoothly. Choose someone who will send at least two people out on your wedding day.

4. Don’t be afraid to budget for a videographer- quality often depends upon what you pay
A lot of brides still consider video a luxury item to add to their wedding if budget allows. I would say that with that mind set, you may not want to get a video at all because you could end up paying for something you don’t love.

There are no discount stores, coupons, or Black Friday sales for quality wedding videos. Filmmaking is a craft, and a well-put-together film takes thought, preparation, physical demand, high quality gear, and editing time. I’m not going to suggest a price since prices vary so much, but I would budget at least the amount you plan on paying your photographer, and perhaps slightly more. No need to dismiss someone based on price, but be skeptical of someone who tries to sell you a highly discounted package.