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 stills can’t: the father’s voice during the speech, the laughter from the best man, the groom’s voice when he says “I do”.
But the moment you decide to have both, a new question appears. Should you book one supplier who offers photo and video together, 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 couples chose two separate suppliers, and sometimes that was the right call. Here’s an honest walk-through.
Why many choose two separate suppliers
There are good reasons to go this route.
Specialisation. 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 give 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 the same person having to suit both formats.
Backup on the day. With two separate teams, you have four people on site. If something goes wrong with one team’s equipment, the other still has their own setup.
These are real advantages. Let me be clear about that.
Why many choose the same supplier
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 don’t pay two companies the full price. A combined photo and video package is often 15 to 30 percent lower than booking two separately. (More on how prices fit together in the pricing post.)
Less coordination. With two teams, you have to inform both about timeline, every change, every practical detail. You’re the project manager. With one supplier, all communication is in one place.
Better collaboration 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 vow. Both want the perfect angle on the first dance.
When photo and video teams don’t know each other, it often becomes a quiet wrestling match. One stands in the way of the other. Microphones end up in the photo. Lighting from the video lamp ruins the photograph.
When teams who work together arrive, the roles are split in advance. We know who takes which angle during the ceremony. We’ve agreed where the lights go up for the first dance. There are no surprises, and you as the couple feel the difference.
Consistent visual language. When photo and video come from the same team, the deliverables often share an aesthetic. The colours match. The mood is the same. Album and film feel like parts of one story, not two separate productions.
Fewer people in your wedding. This seems small, 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.
When separate suppliers are right
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 the photographer doesn’t offer video, don’t compromise on the photographer to get a package. The photos last a lifetime. Pick the photographer first, find a good videographer afterwards.
The same goes the other way. 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 matter most. Price and convenience come after.
When a combined package is right
If you’re flexible on style and want both, a combined package is usually the simplest and most valuable option. You get:
- Lower total cost
- One contact person through the whole process
- A coordinated team on the day
- Consistent aesthetics in the final products
- Fewer strangers in your wedding
For most couples these benefits outweigh the marginal specialisation gain of booking two separate suppliers.
On Tromøy, I covered Turid and Erik as photo and video in the same team — Lisa and I split the duties through 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.
What to ask about
If you’re considering a combined package, here are some questions to ask the supplier before you book. (A longer checklist is in the 10 questions post.)
How many people are on site? One person can’t do good photo and video at the same time. It takes 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 main photographer and one main videographer, or do they split responsibilities? How much experience does each have in their field?
Delivery time for both? Photo usually comes before video, because video editing takes longer. Get concrete 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 really shows what you’re getting.
What’s included in the price? Number of hours, number of photos, length of film, whether raw footage is included, whether you get the rights to everything.
One last note
If you’ve decided that both photo and video matter for your day, don’t do it halfway. Choose a supplier, or two suppliers, you trust, and let them do their work.
What you don’t want is to sit upstairs five months after the wedding with photos you love but a film you’ll never watch again. Or the reverse. Both products should last a lifetime. Both deserve real attention in the choice.
Good luck.
Considering photo and video for your wedding? I deliver combined packages where team and style are coordinated from the start. Get in touch if you want to hear more about how it works.