When you’re planning a wedding, there’s always another decision to make and another expense to consider. If you already have a photographer, you might be wondering whether wedding videography is worth adding to your budget.
I’m Josh, the videographer behind Zedala Creations. I’ve filmed and booked over 100 weddings, and I’ve also been married myself. I understand the excitement of planning your day, but also the need to decide where your money will make the biggest difference.
My honest answer is that wedding videography is a meaningful investment if hearing your vows, watching your loved ones’ reactions, and revisiting the atmosphere of your day matter to you.
Here’s what I’d encourage you to consider before deciding—and the questions I’d ask before booking any wedding filmmaker.
Why wedding films matter to me
I remember watching my parents’ wedding video for the first time and seeing this new side of them; video was not common, but it allowed me to connect with them by seeing how they were on their day. I am fortunate that they are still alive and can talk about their day with them, this treasure is something I have been able to enjoy and will be treasured for generations to come.
Being married myself gives me a personal connection to the weddings I capture. Behind the timeline and the beautiful details are two people making a commitment, surrounded by relationships that have helped shape their lives.
That’s what I want a wedding film to hold onto.
After filming over 50 weddings, my view is that the most powerful parts of a film are often simple: a voice trembling during a vow, a speech that makes the room laugh, or a quiet reaction between two people.
Beautiful imagery helps tell that story. The people and their words give it meaning.
What does a wedding film give you that photographs don’t?
Photography is a wonderful way to preserve your wedding. You can print your favourite images, create an album, update your profile picture or lockscreen and keep them around your home.
Film adds sound, movement and the way a moment unfolds.
A photograph can capture your partner smiling as you approach. A film lets you watch that smile appear. You can hear the words spoken during your ceremony, the laughter after a joke, and the applause as you’re introduced as a married couple.
If you’re unsure about video, ask yourself:
Would I like to hear these voices and watch these moments again in ten, twenty or thirty years?
That question is more useful than deciding whether you “should” have a videographer.
How many couples choose wedding videography?
Public wedding research shows that a substantial number of couples include video:
The Knot reports that 37% of couples book a wedding videographer. Its latest Real Weddings Study surveyed 10,474 US couples who married in 2025.
Bridebook reports that one third of UK weddings in 2025 had a videographer.
These are overseas findings, rather than New Zealand booking statistics, and the studies cover different markets and audiences.
They provide context, but your decision should come back to what you want to preserve. A percentage can’t tell you how much hearing your partner’s vows or a parent’s speech will mean to you.
My advice for choosing a wedding videographer
5 Tips when booking a videographer
1. Watch complete films before looking at packages
A short Instagram reel can show beautiful shots, but it tells you less about how someone puts a whole wedding film together.
Watch several complete highlight films. Notice how the filmmaker uses voices, music, pacing and candid moments.
Do you feel connected to the couple’s story? Can you imagine enjoying that style with your own wedding?
My tip: Find two or three films you love and tell your videographer what draws you to them. It gives you a much better starting point than simply asking for something “cinematic.”
2. Put audio high on your list
If hearing your vows and speeches is one of your reasons for booking video, ask how they will be recorded.
Outdoor ceremonies, wind, quiet voices and reception sound systems all need consideration.
Ask:
How do you record our ceremony and speeches?
Do you use more than one audio source?
Can we watch an example of your ceremony or speeches coverage?
A film can look beautiful, but the words need to be clear enough to enjoy.
3. Understand exactly which videos you’ll receive
“Wedding video” can mean very different things between suppliers.
A highlight film brings selected moments together into a shorter story. A full ceremony video lets you return to the ceremony in more detail. Speeches videos preserve the words that won’t all fit into a highlight.
Check the deliverables individually, including approximate film lengths and delivery timeframes.
At Zedala Creations, our wedding film packages include a highlight film, a trailer, and full ceremony and speeches videos.
My tip: If a particular moment matters to you, ask how it will be covered and delivered. Don’t assume everything filmed will appear in the highlight.
4. Choose your coverage around your actual timeline
The right number of hours depends on what you want captured and how your day is organised.
Think about preparations, travel between locations, the ceremony, portraits, speeches and the start of the dancing.
For a fuller wedding story, I like having time to capture the anticipation before the ceremony and the celebration afterwards. That gives me more of your day to work with when shaping the film.
My tip: Share your draft timeline before choosing a package. Ask what would be included—and what would fall outside coverage—at each option.
5. Choose people you feel comfortable around
Your photographer and videographer will be alongside you during personal, emotional parts of the day.
A meeting helps you understand their personality and how they work. Ask how much direction they give and how they help couples who feel awkward in front of a camera.
Our approach at Zedala Creations is warm and relaxed. We offer guidance when it helps and give real moments space to happen.
You should feel able to enjoy your wedding and be yourselves.
Should you book photography and videography together?
Rebecka and I work together as the photographer and videographer behind Zedala Creations.
Booking one team can simplify communication and planning. We can discuss your priorities together, coordinate the timeline, and consider how photography and film will work alongside each other.
Separately booked suppliers can also work beautifully together. If you choose that route, introduce them before the wedding and make sure both have the final run sheet.
You can get in contact and receive our photography and videography packages here.
What if you’re considering a wedding content creator?
A content creator can provide candid clips, behind-the-scenes moments and social content, often with a quick turnaround.
A wedding filmmaker may offer a more developed film, dedicated audio recording and longer ceremony or speeches edits. Services overlap, so compare the actual deliverables rather than relying on the job title.
If your priority is hearing your ceremony and speeches in full, check that this is specifically included. If your priority is sharing moments immediately, ask about shorter edits and delivery options.
When might photography alone be right for you?
If you don’t enjoy watching films, feel little connection to wedding videos, or would need to stretch beyond a comfortable budget, photography alone may be the right choice.
But if video matters to you, bring it into the conversation early. You’ll have more time to explore the right coverage and decide how it fits with your other priorities.
I’d encourage you to make that decision after watching some complete films and understanding what you could receive.
Conclusion for “Is wedding videography worth it for your wedding?”
For couples who value voices, movement and the experience of revisiting their day, I would say yes, yes yes! Having a professional to rely on to protect your moments means you can relive your special day in more depth going forward.
At Zedala Creations, we capture weddings in Auckland, throughout New Zealand and Sweden, with a focus on the people, words and moments that make each celebration individual.
If that sounds like what you’re looking for, we’d love to hear about your plans. Tell us your date, venue and what matters most to you, and we can talk through suitable photography and film coverage.
Watch our wedding films, explore our packages, or get in touch with Zedala Creations.
Written by Josh, wedding videographer and co-founder of Zedala Creations.
