If you are reading this, I am guessing you have made the decision to jump into the wedding videography world. Although wedding videography is a very rewarding field to be in, it is also, very easy to be out of it, within a year, if you don’t make the right decisions. When I first came in to the wedding videography world, I made mistakes very quickly. It is easy, when you are alone and trying to figure things out as you go along. My goal in today’s blog is to help prevent all the aspiring wedding videographers out there, from making these five mistakes I made.

1) Don’t try and get the industry standard gear.All you need is a good gear that gets the job done, at first. Let me be honest, the first couple of weddings you do, will not be what you see veterans like Ray Roman, Rob Adams, or AJ Ingoglia do. We all had to start some where. Don’t put yourself in debt trying to keep up with what the industry is using. You may not be able to come out the gate with a Canon C100 or Sony A7SIII. You may have to use a Canon 5D Mark 2 or a Canon 70D. You may even have to rent gear. It is okay! Do not be ashamed! Renting is always better than debt.

2) It’s not just about a pretty picture.Wedding videography isn’t just about pretty picture. The technology today makes it very easy to get a nice quality image for a wedding day. They are now producing accessories for videographers who use their iPhones to capture moments. I don’t recommend that, but i think you get the point. A huge mistake as a wedding videographer is neglecting your audio. Audio, in my opinion, is more important than the image. There is nothing worse than seeing a great image, but hearing terrible audio. You don’t want your clients cutting your video off because you had no audio gear outside your camera mic.

3) Not setting the client expectation.It’s always good to push yourself and accept new challenges, but this is someone’s wedding day. The biggest day of a couple’s life is in our hands. It is always important to set and get your client’s expectations on the wedding day. You don’t want to be in over your head. You don’t want the client expecting a drone shot, when you don’t own a drone. Preparation is key in wedding videography. If you can’t do something, be honest. If it means losing a client, it is better than having an unhappy client.

4) Find a mentor!We all have people we look up to in life. Find someone local you can go to for advice and guidance. You are new to wedding videography. It is okay to ask for help. When I booked my first wedding, I hired a videography that I admired and wanted to learn from. He literally saved the wedding for me. He was willing to dedicate his time, gear, and knowledge to making me a better shooter. It is our jobs to leave our mark on this business. What better way than helping another wedding videographer. Ask for help locally! It is great to admire the leaders in the business, the big names, but their are leaders in your local community, who could benefit your journey faster.

5) Just because you started a business, doesn’t mean you expect results,Starting a wedding videography business does not mean you will book 30 weddings your first year. This is a slow progression and the only way you get there is hard work. Owning a business doesn’t guarantee you profit. Actually, it takes about 2-4 years before you really see a significant profit in any business. Majority of the money you make your first year, should be invested back into your business, whether it is buying gear, attending conferences, or getting software. Be patient, your time will come! The one thing you cannot rush is time. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the ride, because once it gets going, it’s no stopping it!