Advice · June 2, 2026 · 6 min read
Do you need a wedding videographer? An honest answer
We sell both photo and film, so take this with the appropriate grain of salt — but we would rather you spend well than spend more. Here is how we actually talk couples through the video decision.
Three reasons to book film
- You want to hear your vows and your toasts again. Photos cannot give you voices.
- Someone important cannot be there, or may not be there in ten years.
- Movement matters to you — the dance floor, the exit, the way the room sounded.
What a highlight film actually is
A highlight film is a three-to-eight minute edit built around the audio of your day: vows, ceremony readings, toasts, and the sounds of the room. It is not a recording of the whole wedding.
Longer options usually include a full ceremony edit and a full toasts edit delivered alongside the highlight, so you have both the short film you will rewatch and the complete record you will want once.
Why booking photo and film together helps
Two separate companies means two creative visions competing for the same angles. As one team, we plan coverage together: the film crew knows exactly where the photographer will stand during the first look, and the photos and the film share the same color treatment.
It is also simpler for you. One contract, one timeline conversation, one email thread.
When to skip it
If film is not something you watch, if your budget is stretched thin, or if you would rather put that money toward more photo hours — skip it without guilt. A great eight-hour photo gallery serves most couples better than a rushed six-hour photo plus video package.
Planning a Quad Cities wedding?
We are a married photo and video team based in Eldridge, minutes from Davenport. Tell us your date and we will send availability and our full planning guide.
