National wedding booking companies carry some big risks for brides. They promise the world and offer low prices. What is hiding behind these advertisements and bargain prices?
In late June 2022, I was contacted by a national booking company who had a wedding upcoming. They had not secured a videographer for a wedding that was less than 3 weeks away. Their client probably had no idea that their wedding video was in serious jeopardy.
Brides are booking national wedding videography companies without knowing the high risks. These companies book wedding videos in popular markets and sometimes cannot find a subcontractor to film the wedding video for them.
These companies care about one thing. Volume. High numbers of weddings drive their business model and their lower prices reflect that. They use massive advertising campaigns to reel in unwitting brides all over the country. They have little investment other than dollar signs and most brides are simply a number in their business model.
These companies can back out of their contracts if they don’t find a contracted videographer, leaving the couple out in the cold. If they do miraculously secure a contracted videographer at the last minute, this person could be anyone with a video camera. They may have no wedding experience!
If a company is advertising on Google or social media and does not appear to be local to your wedding state and city, tread carefully.
How to avoid getting entrapped by these companies:
- Ask who your videographer will be. If the company can’t tell you, keep an ear out for other warning signs.
- How much experience does the videographer have filming weddings?
- Ask, “when can I can chat with the videographer about my wedding?”
- Be wary of prices that are significantly less than quotes from local companies. Low prices in the wedding industry can indicate
- Where is the videographer located?
- What is their backup plan? If the videographer is sick, who will be covering the wedding?
A National booking giant may save you a lot of money with your wedding, but you’re also rolling the dice with having a wedding video at all.
When in doubt, stick with a company in your local area of your wedding, or at least within the same state!