8 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Video + Photo Team!

Experience & Portfolio

In the field of wedding photography and videography you will find people with a wide range of experience from a couple months to 30+ years of experience. It’s important to analyze their online portfolio but also ask how many years of experience they have and how many weddings they have shot. While our business, Blue Oak Wedding Productions is in it’s infancy stage after being formed in January 2024, owners Nick and Keith have over 25 years of experience shooting weddings and other professional photo and video content. I would recommend you choose someone with at least 2 years of experience and at least a handful of quality weddings under their belt.

Know Your Photographer & Videographer

Here is something many people don’t think about when booking their wedding videographer and photographer. Some companies hire freelancers to do their work so you may book with their sales person and not be assigned an actual photographer or videographer until months later and often times you have no choice on who they pick. Unfortunately, that person may not have the experience you desire or they may not vibe well with you and your partner. It’s better to start your conversation with the people who will actually be there shooting your wedding. Blue Oak owners Nick or Keith will be with you the entire process including being there on your wedding day.

Vibes

This goes without saying….you should book with a team you feel comfortable with. You don’t want added stress on your big day so you want a videographer or photographer who is punctual, personable and makes you feel at ease. Keith and Nick get to know each couple providing a simple and enjoyable experience.

Prices

This is a tough one. Having low prices doesn’t mean a team’s photo and video quality is the worst and the highest price doesn’t mean they are the best. I recommend accessing their content and how you connect with them over a call and then use price as one of the last determining factors. Don’t go with the least qualified person or someone you don’t vibe with just because their prices are low, you may regret it on your wedding day and after. Also, often times booking photo and video together can get you a discount which is another great way to save money.

Our prices are very fair but we also bring decades of experience to the table and our customer service is unmatched.

Reviews

Check for reviews online. Some newer companies may be building their reviews and only have a few but if they are all positive reviews then that is plus. This is important because we have heard horror stories of wedding photography and videography businesses going out of business and then ghost their couples. You want a team you can trust and leads with integrity. This is our passion so we aren’t going anywhere, we are only growing and have great reviews to support our work.

Team

It is important that your photographer and videographer have a team supporting them. Unexpected and unforeseen circumstances arise. It’s important to ask if your photographer and videographer if they have a qualified second shooter available on your wedding day just in case they are ill or an emergency happens.

Insurance

Make sure your photographer and videographer are fully insured with a reputable insurance company. Unfortunately, if they don’t have it and accidentally damage the venue space or hurt someone it could create legal challenges for you later on.

Equipment

Not all cameras and lenses are created equal. Unfortunately, in photography and videography you get what you pay for when it comes to quality. Be sure to ask your photographer and videographer what type of camera and lens they use. Write it down and look it up after your call. If their camera is under $1,000 or lens under $500, I would have reservations booking with them. Usually the best quality cameras are over $2,000 new and lenses over $1,000 new. We shoot exclusively with Sony, using cameras like the Sony A7R5, A74 and A7s3 and Sony 2.8 and prime lenses.