When to book your wedding videographer (and why early)

It’s probably the question I get asked the most, right after price. “When should we book a videographer?” The short answer: sooner than you think.

The real answer: 10 to 12 months before

Couples plan their wedding over 12 to 18 months on average. That’s what industry studies show, and it’s what I see too. The photographer and the videographer are booked a little later in that calendar, around 10 to 12 months before the date.

Keep that window in mind. As soon as your venue and your date are fixed, it’s the right time to look for your videographer.

If your wedding falls on a Saturday between June and September, don’t go past that deadline. For a winter or weekday date, you have a bit more margin: six to eight months is often enough.

Why Saturdays go first

A videographer can only film one wedding per day. Not two. I’m with you from morning to night, I can’t be anywhere else.

Over a season, I film between twenty and twenty-five weddings, no more, so I can stay available and present for each one. Do the maths: there are only a handful of summer Saturdays, and each date can be given only once. That’s why peak-season weekends are often booked well in advance.

The ideal calendar, month by month

Here is the order things usually happen in. It’s not a rule, it’s a guide.

When	What you do	Why at that point
18 to 12 months before	Date, venue, caterer	These three choices shape everything else
12 to 10 months before	Photographer and videographer	One wedding per day, Saturdays go fast
10 to 6 months before	DJ, florist, outfits, celebrant	These vendors have more flexibility on dates
3 months before	Timeline of the day, speeches	The schedule takes shape, times get fixed
1 month before	Final adjustments	Guest numbers, seating plan, likely weather
1 week before	Last call with the videographer	We confirm the times and the moments not to miss

What you risk by waiting

The scenario I see most often: a couple has found their venue, their caterer, their photographer, and realises a little late that they’d also like a film. When they contact me, the date is already taken.

The problem isn’t only having to look for someone else. It’s having to choose in a hurry, without time to watch full films, to feel whether you get along, to compare calmly. And choosing your videographer is first and foremost a matter of trust.

How booking works, concretely

Many couples imagine a heavy procedure. It comes down to four steps.

1. You write to me with your date, your venue and a few words about your wedding.
2. We talk by phone or video call, with no commitment. Twenty minutes is enough.
3. If it feels right, I send you a written proposal with what’s included.
4. We sign a contract and a 30% deposit secures your date.

From then on, the date is yours. Nobody else can take it. We talk again a few months before the wedding to build the timeline of the day.

What to have before contacting me

You don’t need a complete file. Four pieces of information are enough for me to give you a precise answer:

• The date, even if it isn’t signed with the venue yet.
• The venue, or at least the town, to work out the travel.
• An idea of the schedule: town hall in the morning, outdoor ceremony in the afternoon, party on site or elsewhere.
• What you’d most like to keep: the vows, the speeches, the party.

The rest we’ll build together. Guest numbers, decoration or menu don’t change my availability. And if you’re still hesitating between two dates, tell me both: I’ll let you know which one is free, and that sometimes settles the question on its own.

What happens between booking and the day

Once the date is secured, you hear very little from me for several months. That’s normal, and it’s deliberate. You have other vendors to choose, and nothing is urgent on my side.

Three months before, I send you a timeline template to fill in. One month before, we talk about the music and the moments that matter most to you. One week before, a last call confirms the times and the addresses. The rest of the time, you can write to me whenever a question comes up. An answer usually arrives within two days.

Winter dates, Fridays and weekday weddings

Everything above mostly concerns Saturdays from June to September. For other dates, the calendar relaxes.

A wedding in October, December or March leaves more room. So does a Friday. Six to eight months in advance is often enough, sometimes less. These dates have another advantage: venues and vendors are more available, and you have more choice.

For a wedding abroad or far from Nantes, the logic reverses. Travel takes organising, and I recommend booking 12 to 18 months ahead.

What if your date is in three months?

Don’t give up. Dates do free up sometimes, a postponement here or a cancellation there, and a wedding that’s close is still perfectly filmable. Write to me: I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m available, and if not, I’ll point you towards someone I trust.

In that case, go straight to the point. Watch one full film, ask your three most important questions, and decide. A wedding in three months leaves no time to hesitate for weeks.

Booking early means keeping the choice

The simplest thing is to tell me about your plans as soon as your date and venue are fixed. Even if the rest isn’t settled yet. Securing the date removes one worry, and it lets you choose your videographer rather than take the last one available.