How Much Does a Wedding Videographer Cost? Packages, Hours and the Photo + Video Bundle

A wedding videographer in the US typically costs $2,500 to $6,000 hired separately, and somewhat less when bundled with your photographer. That is the same range as photography, for the same reasons: a full day of shooting, and far more hours of editing behind it. Here is what the packages contain, the bundle trade-off, and the two contract details that matter more than the price.

What the base price buys

Coverage of the day — usually 8 to 10 hours, getting-ready through the send-off — and the edit. Most packages are built around a highlight film of a few minutes; the extras that move the price are a full-length ceremony edit, the toasts and speeches in full, a documentary edit of the whole day, raw footage, drone shots (which need the venue's permission) and a second shooter. As with photography, the bottom of the range usually means a newer portfolio or a lighter edit; the top means demand for your date.

Bundled with the photographer, or separate

Bundling helps coordination — one team, one timeline, no two crews jostling for the same aisle — and usually costs less than two separate hires. Independent videographers win on portfolio more often, because video is a different craft and the best studios specialise. Compare both: a photographer's "we also do video" reel against a specialist's, at the same hours and deliverables. The photographer cost post has the photography side of the same decision.

Watch, and listen

Ask for two or three full films, not the highlight reel of a career — the floor of their work is what you are buying. Then listen as much as you watch: audio is where wedding films fail. Are the vows clear? Are the toasts? Ask how they mic the couple and the officiant.

The two contract details that outrank price

1. Editing turnaround, in writing. Video edits take longer than photo galleries, and a delivery date in the contract is the difference between a film you watch on your first anniversary and one you are still waiting for.
2. Who actually shoots. Studios assign associates. The person whose films you loved should be the person named in the contract, with a backup plan for the equipment and the shooter.

When to book

Book 9 to 12 months out; the top names in a market go 12 to 18 months ahead. Videography sits in the ten-month block of the planning checklist with the photographer, because strong ones carry one wedding per date.

Finding one

Video-only specialists seldom have storefronts, so our directory is thinnest here. Many of the wedding photographers by city listed below offer video as a bundle; for specialists, the Genie can research your city with sources and compare a bundle quote against a separate one on the same hours and deliverables.

Figures are typical US ranges, not quotes — the same ranges our planning assistant uses in chat. Major metros run higher. Confirm current pricing and package contents with the videographers you interview.