Should you book the same person for photo and video, or choose two specialists? An honest look at the pros and cons, from someone who delivers both.
In recent years, more and more couples have chosen to have both photo and video at their wedding. It's understandable. A film captures something still photos can't: the father's voice during the speech, the best man's laughter, the groom's voice as he says "I do".
But once you've decided to have both, a new question arises. Should you book one supplier who offers photo and video combined, or two specialists who each do their own thing?
I deliver both, so I have a vested interest in the answer. But I've also seen many weddings where the couples chose two separate suppliers, and sometimes that was the right choice. Here's an honest breakdown.
There are good reasons to go this route.
Specialization. A photographer who only does photo, and a videographer who only does video, have both spent all their time mastering their own craft. At the top level, this can yield marginally better results than a generalist who does both.
Aesthetic freedom. If you find a photographer with a style you love, and a videographer with a completely different style you also love, you can get the best of both worlds. You're not bound by needing the same person to fit both formats.
Backup on the day. With two separate teams you have four people present. If something goes wrong with one's equipment, the other still has their own setup.
Those are real advantages. Let me be clear about that.
But there are also reasons combined packages have become so popular.
It's cheaper. This is the obvious one. When one supplier offers both, you avoid paying two companies full price. A combined photo and video package is often 15 to 30 percent lower than booking two separately. (More on how the pricing works in the pricing post.)
Less coordination. With two teams, you have to inform both about the timeline, all changes, all practical details. You're the project manager. With one supplier, all communication is in one place.
Better teamwork on the day. This is the advantage people underestimate. Photo and video are two crafts constantly competing for the same seconds. Both want to capture the bride's reaction when the groom says his vows. Both want the perfect angle of the first dance.
When the photo and video teams don't know each other, it often becomes a quiet tug-of-war. One gets in the other's way. Microphones end up in the shot. Lighting from the video light ruins the photograph.
When teams that work together show up, roles are assigned in advance. We know who takes which angle during the ceremony. We've agreed on where the light is set up during the first dance. There are no surprises, and you as a couple notice the difference.
Consistent stylistic understanding. When photo and video come from the same team, the delivery often shares the same visual language. The colors match. The mood is the same. The album and film feel like parts of the same story, not two separate productions.
Fewer people at your wedding. This may seem minor, but it's real. With two separate teams you have four strangers hanging around you all day. With one team it's two. On a day when you're already surrounded by people, that can make a difference.
I want to be honest: there are situations where I'd advise couples to book separately.
If you've found a photographer you love, and that photographer doesn't offer video, don't compromise on the photographer just to get a package deal. The photos last a lifetime. Choose the photographer first, find a good videographer afterward.
The same applies the other way around. If the videographer's style is the main reason you want video at all, don't swap them out to save a few thousand kroner.
Aesthetics come first. Price and practicality come after.
If you're open on style and want both, a combined package is usually the easiest and most valuable solution. You get:
For most couples, these advantages outweigh the marginal specialization benefit of booking two separately.
On Tromøy I photographed Turid and Erik with photo and video on the same team. Lisa and I split the tasks throughout the day, and it was precisely because we were coordinated from the start that we could cover every moment without stepping on each other's toes.
If you're considering a combined package, there are some questions you should ask the supplier before you book. (A longer checklist is in the 10 questions post.)
How many people are present? One person can't do good photo and video at the same time. It requires two sets of eyes, two sets of hands, two sets of equipment. Ask specifically who's there on the day.
Who does what? Is there one lead photographer and one lead videographer, or do they share responsibility? How much experience does each of them have in their field?
Delivery time for both? Photos often arrive before video, since video editing takes longer. Get specific numbers. My own answer: around eight weeks for the photos, twelve to sixteen weeks for the film.
Can we see examples of both? A complete photo gallery and a full film from the same wedding. That's the only thing that truly shows what you'll get.
What's included in the price? Number of hours, number of photos, length of film, whether the raw material is included, whether you get the rights to everything.
If you've decided that both photo and video matter for the day, don't do it halfway. Choose one supplier, or two suppliers, you trust, and let them do their job.
What you don't want to experience is sitting upstairs five months after the wedding with photos you love but a film you never want to watch again. Or the other way around. Both products should last a lifetime. Both deserve real attention in the choice.
Good luck.
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