QUESTION: Should I hire a videographer? ANSWER: It is surprising how many people ask me this question. When brides and grooms plan their wedding, hiring a videographer is usually the last item on their to-do list. It seems like brides and grooms want to wait and see how much money they have left in their budgets before making the decision on whether to hire a professional videographer or to ask uncle Bob to chronicle their wedding with a Flip. When asked for advice on whether or not it is worth to hire a videographer, I always answer that if you are going to hire one, hire someone amazing. When I got married, I relegated the responsibility for hiring the videographer to my mother; as a result, we got 4 hours of unedited footage on VHS. Hiring someone simply because they have a high-end camera or worked in editing or television usually leads to a final product that no one will ever watch. Like with many things in life, with videography you really get what you paid for. When hiring a videographer, ask to look at the final product, not at raw footage of a wedding. A good videographer can make your wedding story into a movie that will turn any Hollywood producer green with envy. Don’t fall for videos with a lot of flashy effects and transitions – those gimmicks are available in any low-end video-editing software such as the iMovie or Sony Vegas; adding spinning and blinking transitions between video segments are usually a good indicator of lack of editing skills. Over the years, I’ve worked with quite a few videographers – some do absolutely amazing work and create incredible memories that you and your children will cherish for years to come. Unfortunately, there are “others” who will turn your wedding day into a cheap reality show and you will be unlikely to ever watch your wedding video. If you are considering hiring a videographer for your wedding, hire someone who is really good; I’ll be happy to give you names of a couple of true professionals.