Marriage Proposal Photography versus Videography

As a Proposal Planner at The Heart Bandits I always recommend that people document their proposal with either photo or video. With social media these days, it’s so common to post everything that happens as soon as it happens so why not have high quality documentation of one of the biggest moments of your life?

When clients come to us, they are sometimes conflicted as to whether to have photography, videography, or both capture their proposal. The answer really depends on several factors so we created the following list of things to keep in mind when deciding on proposal photography or videography during your proposal planning process.

Type of Proposal

To decide on photo or video, the biggest thing you should ask is what type of proposal idea is it? In general, it’s a better idea to go with a videographer if you have a lot of movement in your plan such as with a flash mob. If you have a proposal where the setup is romantic and intimate, then photography is probably the better choice.

Personality of Your Partner

Much like when deciding on the best proposal idea for your partner, when it comes to deciding on photo or video, you should always keep your partner’s personality in mind when deciding on which. Normally videographers like to interview the couple afterwards. If your partner is camera shy this may not work out well. Photographers also typically take portraits after a proposal so if your partner likes posing, then this could work.  If your partner may feel awkward doing poses then the videographer option might be better and you can just have the videographer not conduct an interview.

Lighting Situation

Lighting is something that many people don’t often consider when it comes to hiring a photographer or videographer.  But this is something you should always keep in mind for your engagement idea. If it’s outdoors, you should find out the sunset time.  If it’s indoors, you should know if the lighting will be dim, fluorescent, etc.  Some type of lighting situations don’t work as well for photo or video or vice versa. If your proposal setup is darker and further away, it typically tends to be more difficult for photos to come out well if there’s any kind of movement involved. It’s best to speak with a professional proposal planner during the planning process if you’re unsure.

Footage For Announcement/Save-The-Date/Wedding

This is something that you may want to keep in mind depending on your proposal idea and what you will do afterwards.  If you love to post everything you do on social media, think about if you want photos or video to post for your announcement.  Keep in mind that edited trailer videos tend to take longer to finish off (typically 3-4 weeks) where professional images can take 2-3 weeks.  Many photographers these days can even get you sneak peak images within a day or two so be sure to ask what your photographer or videographer typically has a turnaround time.

After your announcement, you should think about what you would want for your Save the Date and Wedding. Oftentimes, people use the pictures and/or video from their proposal at their wedding or save-the-dates. If you have a video save-the-date, then video footage from your actual proposal will be very sweet and touching. Keep this in mind when considering your options.

Cost

Sometimes selecting which vendor to use will come down to cost. Videographers tend to be more expensive than photographers. Photographers typically range in price from $300-$600 depending on the amount of time needed, location, and experience of the photographer. Videographers range in price from $500-$1200 and also depend on the same factors. If you can afford it and your proposal idea fits it well, then going for both will provide you with priceless footage that you will have forever.

If you are unsure how to propose and how to pick the best vendor option best for you, then contact us. We have planned thousands of proposals since 2010 and can advise you on what would work best for your proposal idea. We can help you with the initial proposal concept and also with the proposal planning. Contact us today to get started on your perfect engagement story!