a pricing breakdown

How much is a Wedding Videographer?

February 2, 2022

1. The Newbie: $0

Hi! I’m Cali Warner, a wedding videographer based in Salt Lake City Utah.  I’m here to help you decide how much to invest in a wedding videographer so you can feel confident in your wedding video being captured exactly how you want it. 

What do you value? Style, consistency, experience, easy to work with-able-ness, professionalism? There are lots of factors that make an investment with an experienced videographer worth the money. It’s all about what you value. My priorities as a wedding videographer is that the experience from start to finish with me is fantastic. From the ease of working with me to capturing all their moments, being present yet invisible on the wedding day, to editing in a style that matches the couples vibe… are a few key intentions I have in telling a story that leaves a legacy of their love. And of course combines all that with stunning visuals.

So as I walk you through the different pricing levels, you can assess what is most important to you and make sure that you’re investing in a wedding videographer that can deliver what you’re envisioning. 

Let’s talk about specific numbers. 

2. The Amateur $500-2k

They’re brand new to the industry, no paid clients so far. If this is the case, it’s possible you may get lucky- and they may get lucky to capture what you wanted, but this videographer probably shouldn’t be charging you, unless capturing your day on film is a low priority for you and you don’t mind being their guinea pig! Most of the time this is you helping them out (helping them grow their portfolio) instead of the other way around. 

They have 0-2 years of experience, they take nearly all clients who inquire. They will most likely be in the range of charging $500-$2,000. They may have some examples, so you might feel like they can pull it off, but they probably don't have the ability to capture audio professionally, create posing cues that make you look natural, or put you in the right light for example. (Cue sweat drop dripping down a bride’s face) They’ll have limited exposure working together with a photographer. 

3. The Hustler $2k-4k

2-5 years into their business, they will still make mistakes like not capturing the audio correctly or missing key shots etc., will still produce good work but almost still holding their breath to capture everything right. Charging between $2-4k per wedding. It’s not uncommon for these videographers to invest in good gear, think about correctly backing up footage so they don’t lose it (I’ve seen that too many times even with photographers at this price point). They probably have some level of portfolio you can see they can be consistent. They most likely have only shot weddings only locally in their area. 

4. The Seasoned 4k-10k 

3-10 years into business. Produces solid work and seen as legitimate in the industry by their peers and other vendors. They’ve found a specific look and style that you might recognize as a signature look on their videos. Charges between $4,000-$10,000 per wedding. They’ll likely make you feel relieved and confident that they will take good care of you with an emphasis on incredibly high quality videography. More focused on storytelling and capturing emotion than just good visuals alone.

5. The Influencer: 8k-15k

4+ years into business, likely has a large following by making educational content and courses. Charging between $8k-$15k. 

6. The Icon: 15k-100k

Considered an industry veteran, shooting weddings for celebrities and household names and can handle these types of high-profile events easily. Charging between 15k-100k. Usually has an iconic look, has an industry sought-after style with refined taste. 

Of course this is the current scope in the U.S. in 2022, it's possible this may vary with time and location! I hope you found this helpful! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. 

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