Is It A Good You Hire A Content Creator To Make A Video For Your Wedding? | The Pros and Cons From A UtahWedding Photographer and “Content Creator”

Social Media Behind The Scenes video For Your Wedding Day

Tai Lee Photography | Utah and California Documentary Elopement and Wedding Photographer

Did I call myself a content creator in the title? Yes I did. And it’s because this is something I have been doing for a long time, but hadn’t officially been calling it this. With my photography packages, there is the option to add this on, and I’ve had several couples love my approach and style that I bring to creating behind the scenes content for their wedding day. At the end you’ll read the best way I recommend adding content creation onto your wedding day photo collection.

Ok, so you’re looking for the best wedding content creator, to do behind the scenes video for your wedding day. When I first heard about this content creator trend, I had a few questions about it, and they’re probably similar to what you had wondered as well—what is a wedding content creator? Should I hire a wedding content creator? Are wedding content creators worth it? What’s the difference between a content creator and a videographer? How much does it cost to hire one, and what are their packages like? How does the price compare from hiring a videographer versus a content creator? I’ve thought through this a lot, and thought it would be helpful to write an article going over this new trend, the pros and cons, and my concluding thoughts on the topic.

I find this 2024 wedding trend interesting. One, because this is something that I have kind of already been doing, but didn’t know that people had been putting themselves into a category and selling it as content creation. Content creation is a huge world, and is able to be used in multiple ways. It seems like with Gen Z and TikTok and Instagram reels, there has been a desire for things that are less polished, and more authentic, and feel real and genuine. I actually love this whole concept. There used to be much more emphasis placed on curating the perfect feed or portfolio, and in the process, people didn’t feel much connection between them and the photographers they wanted to hire. We’ve moved into a time that people want to not only learn about what you do, but also how you do it, and also want to learn about you personally.

The personal connection between a client and their photographer starts way before they have hired them. And even though I’ve evolved into more of a documentary style of photography, it still has some curation. Creation is curation. It’s a thoughtful approach to how you are going to document something. So I understand the desire for the real, and the authentic moments—those are some of my favorites—but my opinion is that there is value in approaching it in a thoughtful, intentional way. You can hire a kid to record for you (hey that would probably actually be really cool), or you can look for someone who has a creative eye, and let them take an intentional approach in how they document the day.

This all leads me into a question loop I can’t get out of. What is the point? Is it for budget purposes, for the unedited video clips, for the quicker access to things you can share on social media? I think the answer is going to be different for everyone. And while I know that there may be some photographers and videographers that are not into this idea at all, I think it’s important to take a look at what is trending and find out why, and see if there is a way it can be implemented into their businesses. And if there’s one thing we can all count on, it’s change right?

Why Is Wedding Content Creation Trending? The Pros

1 | Authenticity

Like I said above, I think that things that feel authentic and real have become very highly valued. And while us professional photographers and videographers may have a hard time understanding this, I think people are drawn to things that aren’t overly polished or things that feel staged. There is a reason film photography has become so popular recently, and part of that is because people are over perfection. There is a deeper connection that takes place when something feels real and true, and not like a production of perfection.

2 | Nobody Is Left Out

A lot of us know of that person that is the one that documents everything, and in the process, tends to not be in the photos or videos. They can tend to be left out and not have any proof that they were even there! I know this, because I am often this person. :) So the reason you wouldn’t just have your friend or mom record all the behind the scenes is because you want them to be part of footage. Hiring a content creator seems like it bridges that gap.

3 | It’s Quick

With professional photography and videography, there can often be a wait of several months. It is hard to be experiencing that wedding high where you and your person are being celebrated, and you’ve got all your favorite people in one place. It’s so exciting, and so fun, and then you don’t get to see anything for MONTHS. By then, a lot of the excitement has died down, and it doesn’t feel quite the same. With content creation created on a cell phone, you can literally get the clips that same day or the following day, allowing you to share your life in real time with all your family and friends.

4 | Cost

Getting married in itself could be budget friendly, but as soon as you start adding in some of the components that you’ve wanted to implement on your day such as pretty flowers, a killer dress, food, photographers, and videographers, etc, it starts to add up. In general, most of our budgets are not a bottomless pit, and we have to make decisions on where we want to spend. Having someone recording behind the scenes on their phone can be a cost friendly alternative to videography. It can also end up costing you exactly the same! But overall, the gear for doing this is cheaper, and if there isn’t much editing that takes place afterward, there isn’t work post-wedding that needs charged for.

The Downside To Hiring A Wedding Behind the Scenes Content Creator | The Cons

1 | Risk Of Losing The Videos

A huge downside, if not the biggest downside, is when you are shooting video footage on a phone, there is no way to really back up that footage. Newer DSLR cameras come with two card slots, so that if something happens to the files on one of the cards (happens more than you think), then you have everything on the other card as a backup. If I were to hire a content creator for my wedding day, I would 100% be asking them what measures they are taking to prevent this from happening. Honestly, I’d ask photographers and videographers this question as well. No method is completely bullet proof, but you should get all the reassurances you can on this. Maybe they have their cell phone, and also a DSLR camera and they record on both, just so they have backup files, or maybe they even shoot the same stuff on two cell phones at a time.

2 | Etiquette + PROFESSIONALISM

I am sure there are a lot of content creators that are very professional, and know how to collaborate with other vendors that are working on the wedding day, particularly the photographer and/or videographer. Unplugged ceremonies became popular for a reason, and it wasn’t just so everyone could be present and enjoy themselves. SO many moments have been impossible to capture on photo because someone was standing in the aisle with their cell phone capturing everything from the first kiss to walking down the aisle, while the photographer just missed the shot because the phone was blocking the couples face. People have good intentions, but when they aren’t professionals in the field, they don’t have that same level of awareness that they need to be conscientious of who’s views they may be blocking. It sounds like this has been happening a bit with content creators. This can happen between photographers and videographers as well, so the key is to be sure that you hire someone who understand this etiquette and is self-aware enough to know that they are collaborating with whoever else they are working with.

3 | Craftsmanship and Creativity

This may not be important to everyone, but I bring this up because there is a difference between someone shooting behind the scenes, and someone who has a creative eye taking the same approach. Someone that has an eye for composition and light. That can see colors, and unique components that will really elevate the footage. These are the things that put an artistic spin on your behind the scenes footage.

My Recommendations

1 | Have multiple friends and family record behind the scenes footage and send it to you.

2 | Skip in entirely

3 | Add It Onto Your Photography or Videography Package

Obviously this one is my favorite. It keeps there from being “too many cooks in the kitchen” so that people aren’t competing to get into the space needed for the footage. My current approach is to have two smart phones that I record on, and I also use an artistic video recorder that shoots in the Super 8 Film Video style. I’ve chosen to go the digital route instead of using actual super 8 film because of that risk of losing the film, so it’s the best of both worlds. By adding this on, you also get the style of your photographer or videographer in the behind the scenes clips. They can send you all of these clips the same day, but then also compile them into an actual video as well. I will sometimes hire a second person to come with me to do this, which gives the benefit of synchronicity between the photographer and the content creator, which is crucial to getting the best in both your photos and videos.

There are a couple of options in each of my content creation packages, and different pricing options. One is to just get the clips, all in color, and you will receive them within 24 hours. There is also the option for black and white conversion, and the option to compile the clips into a video with music (highly recommend). So there are plenty of options to choose from and they can be customized to your needs.