Can I get a great videographer last minute?
So wedding planning was a whirlwind, right as the dust starts to settle you realize you forgot to look into wedding videographers. Or maybe your parents pushed the idea, but your wedding is only 5 months, 3 months or a month away! (eeek!) So what now? You really want/wanted a videographer and feel a little panicked or hopeless.
First things first, take a deep breathe. In for 5, hold for 5, out for 5. Okay. Now, lets talk.
“What am I looking for? How do I know if this wedding videographer is available on short notice? Will they judge me for booking last minute?”
Your chances of getting an awesome wedding videographer isn’t hopeless. I’d start by searching for one in your area or if you have friends who used one, ask them who! Speaking as a wedding videographer, I am not picky whatsoever about WHEN you book, but more so why. But discussing the why is off topic and not why you’re here. If I were in your shoes, I’d open google and search “wedding videographers in Philadelphia” or even more specifically a style you desire. My work is storytelling and candid videography, so if that’s your vibe look up “storytelling wedding videography near me” or your specific city.
Alright, you searched and a million and one results popped up. Where to start? Start from the top down! Reminder : Sponsored posts don’t always mean better quality, it just means they have a bigger marketing budget than the others.
What am I looking for? How do I know if this wedding videographer is available on short notice? Will they judge me for booking last minute?
Answers in order : Look for someone you can afford and enjoy their work, find their contact form and reach out with your date, and no they will not judge you.
Availability usually isn’t readily available information to clients via websites or social media for you specific date, but a good hint to know who is NOT available are those who update their bios or website if they are fully booked for the 2025 or 2026 (or whatever year you are reading this) season. Not every videographer updates this information, but it is a good thing to look out for.
Now, as you are filling out inquiry forms, don’t come off too panicked. I know I said they won’t judge you, again they won’t, but save yourself the time of explaining to each one how you got here and why. Keep it short, sweet and simple. Start of with a friendly hello, mention something you enjoy about their work and ask if they happen to have your date open. Give them all some time to answer and move forward based on their answers!
Speaking from experience of being the wedding videographer booked last minute, I was found via a Facebook group called ‘Philaqueens’ (hey queens), so that could be resource. Check in with friends about any local girl groups and join them on Facebook. Then write a little post of your plea of looking for a wedding videographer, you never know who will see it and just might get contacted directly by someone available.
All in all my advice would be to not stress yourself out too much. At the end of the day, so long as your date is open in their books it won’t matter the pinch you found them in. To fast track things, set up a virtual meeting or phone call to discuss details such as payment, schedule, etc. Good luck to all my beautiful brides and spouses to be!
Cheers!
