--- title: Questions to Ask a Wedding Videographer | Ellie Spencer Wedding Films url: https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/guides/questions-to-ask-a-wedding-videographer/ description: Eleven questions worth asking any wedding videographer before you pay a booking fee, why each one matters, and Ellie Spencer's own answers. last_updated: 2026-10-07 publisher: Ellie Spencer --- Guide # Questions to ask a wedding videographer before you book Eleven questions worth asking any wedding videographer before you pay a booking fee. Under each one is why it matters, and my own answer. By [Ellie Spencer](https://elliespencer.uk.com/about/)Updated 7 October 20262 minute read ## The short answer - Ask who will actually film on the day, and what happens if they are ill. - Ask how the vows and speeches are recorded, and where the music comes from. - Ask what you get back, when it arrives and how long it is kept. - Ask to see a full film, not only a highlight reel. ## 1. Are you free on our date, and how is it held? *Why it matters:* until a date is formally held, someone else can book it. **My answer:** your date is held once I have confirmed the booking in writing and the 25% booking fee is paid. ## 2. Will it be you filming on the day? *Why it matters:* some companies send whoever is free. **My answer:** yes. I film every wedding myself. If you book photography too, a second shooter I have worked with for years comes with me. ## 3. What happens if you are ill? **My answer:** I will find a replacement of the same standard from colleagues I trust, at no extra cost. If no replacement can be found, you get everything you have paid back in full. ## 4. How many hours are included? *Why it matters:* hours run continuously from arrival, so a late ceremony eats into them. **My answer:** eight hours with The Ceremony, twelve with The Full Day and Film & Photography. Extra hours on the day are £70 each, if I am free to stay. ## 5. How do you record the vows and speeches? *Why it matters:* a camera microphone at the back of the room does not catch a nervous whisper. **My answer:** on their own microphones, so the film carries what was actually said. ## 6. What music do you use? **My answer:** music from the day itself where I can: the song you walked in to, the first dance, the band. Your film should sound like your wedding. ## 7. Will you direct us? **My answer:** no. I work one step back and film what happens. If you want a few minutes for portraits, we will find them, but most of the film is the day as it ran. ## 8. What do we get, and when? **My answer:** a 60-second teaser within a week, then a highlight film of five to eight minutes and the full ceremony and speeches within eight to ten weeks. With photography, the photographs arrive within six weeks. ## 9. Can we see a full film? *Why it matters:* anyone can cut a good two-minute reel. A full film shows how they handle a whole day. **My answer:** yes. Ask and I will send you a private link to one. ## 10. How long do you keep our footage? **My answer:** ten years, in your private gallery. Please download and keep your own copies as well. ## 11. Are you insured? *Why it matters:* many venues ask suppliers for proof of public liability insurance. **My answer:** yes: £5 million public liability and £1 million professional indemnity. Certificates are available on request. ## Two questions to ask your venue - Does the venue, or the person conducting the ceremony, restrict filming during the ceremony? - Is there anywhere the filmmaker cannot stand? Tell me what they say and I will plan around it. ## Read next [Guide ### What a wedding film costs, and what changes the price My wedding films start at £1,000. Read](https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/guides/wedding-videographer-cost/)[Guide ### Film, photography or both? Film keeps the sound and movement of the day. Read](https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/guides/film-photography-or-both/)[Questions ### FAQ Short answers to the questions I am asked most. Read](https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/faq/)[Glossary ### Wedding film terms The jargon, in plain English. Read](https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/glossary/) ## Is your date free? Send me your date and venue. If I am free, I will come back to you within one working day. [Check your date](https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/#enquire) [See prices](https://elliespencer.uk.com/weddings/pricing/) --- ## About this business - Business: Ellie Spencer Property Media & Wedding Films, a sole trader run by Ellie Spencer - Address: Morton Spiert Farm, Abbots Morton, Worcestershire WR7 4NA - Email: ellie@elliespencer.uk.com (no phone line; enquiries by email or the website forms) - Covers: Worcestershire, Warwickshire and the Cotswolds - Wedding films: from £1,000 (8 hours), £1,250 (12 hours), £2,100 with photography - Property media: photography from £95, with floor plan from £150, full package with EPC and aerials from £250; EPC or aerials alone from £80, floor plan alone from £50 - Credentials: accredited domestic energy assessor (ECMK); CAA certified drone pilot; £5m public liability, £1m professional indemnity - ICO registration: C2004351