Budgeting the videographer

If your goal is only to have the ceremony captured rather than captured and edited into a video then I think it’s ok to have someone record it for you.

View Quoted Comment I totally agree with Melle. I think having a friend doing it would be fine and an easy way to cut your budget. My FH is from Costa Rica and it’s a particularly expensive locale.

I think it’s fine to have someone record it for you as long as you have someone you trust and don’t mind asking to do so! We thought about doing this initially but I honestly was just so nervous that if whoever we asked messed it up in some way, I would’ve been eternally pissed at them and I didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on any of my friends or relatives 😂

I want to add though, my friend had a really small informal wedding and I noticed no one was recording the ceremony so I just did it for her on my phone, from my seat and not holding it up or in the way of the photographer or any of the other guests lol. It isn’t the best video because again, I didn’t want to get in the way, so the angle is pretty crappy and the photographer stands right in front of the camera at a few different times lol. But she was SO happy that I recorded it and to have the memory even though it wasn’t a “good” video!

Okay, so I have a bad experience with this. My FSIL had a DW in St. Thomas a few years ago. My fiance and I were just dating at the time but already bought a house together. Months prior to the wedding, my FMIL made a comment, since shes paying for my trip, she's not asking me, but telling me I need to film her daughter's wedding bc they did not hire a Videographer. Not going to lie, I was offended. Especially after being told I would not be included in any pictures. Okay. Get there on wedding day, they had me separated to stand in the back where as my fiance was to sit with his sister's girlfriends. Totally felt excluded. He refused to allow that to happen, so they made some last minute seating arrangements so I could sit with him. I was using my FFIL Nikon. Pretty decent camera. BUT! Apparently it over heats in 100 degree plus weather with humidity. It literally shut off right before the kiss. I missed the whole ending. I was in tears knowing they were going to be pissed at me. So planning our wedding, it was a must have to hire a videographer. It wasn't in the budget for us either, but I found a great guy who offered an elopement package. Literally he's only shooting the ceremony, but we still get raw footage and a little highlight video. To this day I still carry that burden of what happened on FSIL wedding day. Especially since her and her mother always disliked me, before and after the incident. I dislike them too but I still feel bad

Have you considered fake flowers? We did it for allergy and budgetary reasons, and it worked out really well.

That said, if all you want is the ceremony, I'm sure having a friend do it would be great. Alternatively, call up your local schools and see if they have any film students who would like some work. Students are cheaper, but also eager to try new things.

Try the thumbtack app for an inexpensive local videographer.

I would rather have a videographer than a lot of flowers! Flowers die, your video will last forever!

View Quoted Comment Yes but they’re about the same on Etsy & we can’t bring much with us since it’s in Costa Rica!

View Quoted Comment Thank you!

View Quoted Comment Omg that’s horrifying! Im so sorry that happened, I would feel bad too but that’s a huge responsibility to place on someone now that I think about it!

View Quoted Comment I think if you have the attitude of if you get, you get it. If you don't, you don't. Like really no expectations, itd be okay. But if it's important to you, I'd def get a videographer. Their attitude was, I wasn't there to enjoy the ceremony as a guest, but as someone with a duty who needed to fulfill the task. One, it made me feel like crap to be given a job like that, and two, I still feel guilty about something from 3 years ago. What about setting up a camera on a tripod if a videographer isn't in the budget? Still risky though since the Nikon I was using overheated 20min in...

I'm def curious what you're leaning toward since in this post you only mention cost of flowers...are you considering either flowers or a videographer?
Personally, the photos and video were extremely important to us and something we knew was a must have for our wedding. While we did also have some flowers, it wasn't something I was as invested in nearly as much or knew as much about.
Since you have such a gorgeous tropical back drop, I would lean toward nixing the expensive flowers and going for the videographer, but it all comes down to what is important to you! Some potentially less expensive options could be to find a local florist, buy a few individual flowers and DIY bouquets the day before? Good Luck!!

I would check out how to make fun videos with I PHONES. My friend has some very basic videographer software and is making great videos! I wouldn't waste your money on this! I think this is a DIY or have a friend do it, or even use FIVERR to have them do the editing.

fiverr.com is a great way to look at people who can do this type of thing for cheap!

As for flowers, do silk. an DIY this is exactly what I am doing:-)

Best of luck to yoU!

Look up Wedding Mix or Wedit. They have an app that people can download to capture your wedding, they upload through the app I think and then a professional editor will edit you a video!