DIY Videography

Man, wedding videos have come a LONG way since the days of big ass video cameras, bad lighting and terrible editing.  These days, wedding videos are now cinematic works of art that look and feel like something out of a Hollywood movie.

After watching tons of beautifully edited wedding videos and admittedly bawling my eyes out over some, (and yes I know it's cray cray to get weepy over videos of strangers getting married but unless your heart is made of stone, it's hard to control the waterworks!) I desperately wanted a videographer at the wedding.  I started doing research into some videographers in Montreal and was pretty floored when I saw the price packages.  These Hollywood style videos certainly do not come cheap--the one company whose style I absolutely loved would have been anywhere between $3,000 - $6,000 to book.  And unfortunately we just wouldn't have been able to squeeze this in to our already bloated budget.

Discouraged, I shelved the issue for awhile and didn't really think about it again until a few months ago.  I just kept going back to the idea that there was just something so special about being able to capture live video of the wedding and I just knew I would regret not having something physical to watch afterwards.  So back to researching I went, but this time I was more interested in finding budget and "DIY" videography options.  And that's when I came across WeddingMix.

Flip cams and apps are used to capture video / Image via StoryMix Media

It's a really cool and simple concept--they send you a specific number of flip cameras which you then assign to guests at your wedding to take videos.  I know there are several companies out there starting to offer this kind of service but what sets them apart is that you can also take video on iPhone and Android devices through their free app (you just have to purchase a package).  You send back the flip cams after your wedding and then they edit all the clips into one video (which is also included in the package price).  And the best part?  The package prices range from $99 - $649, a fraction of what it's costs to hire a pro.  We decided to go with the five-camera package since we have specific people in mind that would be fantastic at capturing video (we haven't asked them yet so hopefully they say yes!)

And while I know of course the video edit won't have the same Hollywood style look and feel that caught my eye in the first place, I think there's something unique and even special about having people who actually know and love you capture the events of the big day :)

Anyone else going the DIY videography route or have you decided to hire a pro videographer?