Elegant Productions is a professional wedding videography + photography company serving Cincinnati and the surrounding areas for over 15 years. If you want a professional wedding videographer + photographer to capture your wedding day, fill out our contact form so we can meet you!

References are the closet thing you will find to an unbiased opinion regarding the vendor’s work. While it might not be fun to call someone you don’t know, it is vital to the process. Remember that the success of your day hinges greatly on the competence and professionalism of your vendors. Going through a proper interview process can save you major headaches down the road.

How does the vendor respond to this request? If the vendor doesn’t typically provide references to potential clients, they will either act exasperated or be happy because they are confident that all of their previous customers will give positive reviews. Watch out for phrases like, “take my word for it, I do a great job” or “trust me, I’ve been doing this for years.” These are red flags which mean, "Please don't call my references." Also, be leery of venders who try to hook you with a “one time deal” or a “special offer?” Vendors who appear desperate probably have something to hide.

We will gladly provide you with as many references as you want. If you see a particular video on our website or set of pictures and want to talk to that specific bride, no problem. We will even contact them first to give them a heads up that you will be reaching out to them. Do you want an email address or phone number?

You get what you pay for, and the most valuable asset is experience. If you hire someone who has only filmed 10 or 15 weddings, or less, then you can expect them to bring uncertainty to your wedding day. You want a qualified professional to be the one entrusted to capture the one-time events of your special day because they will never happen again. Your videographer is the insurance policy for your wedding day. So hire someone you can trust.

Vendors who are new to the industry will tell you that you will save a lot of money by hiring them. While true, you will also get a product that reflects that level of experience. In reality, if the vendor could charge more for their work, they would. Once they gain the experience, their prices will increase. Be aware of vendors who claim that they have a ton of experience, but not with weddings. Filming interviews, scripted dialogue, or commercials where multiple takes is an option is a completely different world than filming a wedding where re-do’s are not an option.

After being in business for over 17 years and filming over 250 weddings, we have seen it all and done it all. We are prepared for everything and nothing surprises us. Furthermore, we work well with everyone. DJs love us, photographers love us, wedding planners love us. Why? Because we are calm and thoughtful of others, communicating and planning out everything. Leaving nothing up to chance is the secret to our success.

Why pay extra for your ceremony and reception formalities when you’re already paying thousands of dollars for your videographer to be there? If the videographer is there, they should be filming it! Vendors charge extra for these because they are not equipped to record for long periods. This means they have to rent extra equipment or hire a second videographer to come to your wedding. These are red flags. They might have amazing highlight videos, but you want to see the whole first dance, not just the five seconds that made it into the highlight video.

As mentioned, be aware of people who want to do the least amount of work for the highest price. If you’re paying someone thousands of dollars and all you have to show for it is a 4-5 minute highlight, that’s not good. While the highlight video is a romantic memory, it is not the only thing you want to have when the day is done. Consider the entire final project and the cumulative amount of edited footage that you receive for the price you are paying. Your highlight video will only have seconds of the first dance, seconds of the parent dances, and maybe a minute of the ceremony. When dealing with vendors where everything is an "add-on," the big question you need to consider is this: Do you want to do business with this company? What else will you discover later on, after signing a contract, that isn’t included? When you email to ask about including a one minute letter reading, do you really want the response to be “for a price?”

First, check out this actual final product to see everything you get from us.
We have always filmed the entire ceremony and reception formalities at every wedding. We have never charged extra for these. Why? Because YOU WANT THIS FOOTAGE. You might not realize it now, but in ten or twenty years, you will want to watch ALL of it again, and you’ll be so disappointed if you didn’t get it because your videographer wanted to charge you an extra $500 for the ceremony or the reception formalities. So, do you want us to record your letters or gift exchanges? Sure! Bottom line is this: If we are there and you do something important, we film it. If you want the full length edit of your first look with your bridesmaids and brothers and co-workers and distant cousins and...you get the picture...No problem! Just let us know and we will put it in the Extended Footage.

What is extended footage? The extended footage is the full length edit of all reception formalities, first looks, and everything else you request prior to the wedding day. It’s usually all filmed with two cameras and professional microphones.

(Or...What do you do if you get sick on the day of the wedding or get in a wreck on the way?)
These are questions that you MUST ask your videographer. It is the most sad and unfortunate thing when we get to a wedding and hear that the photographer who was contracted to come backed out the week before or the florist canceled on them or the DJ double booked. What a nightmare! You do NOT want to deal with this on your wedding day. How can you make sure this doesn’t happen? Ask them if they have a plan.

When asking these questions, take note of how long it takes them to come up with an answer. If they’ve thought about it, they’ll have an answer ready. If they’ve never thought about it, that’s a red flag. Contingency plans are a must because no one can be 100% certain that everything is going to go exactly as planned on any given day. Listen for comments like, “That’s a really great question,” or “I wish more brides would ask us about this.” This is a great sign that the vendor isn't intimidated by your questions.

In our entire history of doing business, we have NEVER been late or backed out on a bride. Never. What is our contingency plan if one of us is sick on your wedding day? (This also has never happened) Unless we are deathly ill, we will be there. If the worst case scenario happens and one of us is in the hospital, we have reputable videographers who we trust and will hire at no cost to you.

It should be obvious why this is an important question to ask. This is also the main reason why you ask for recent, completed references. The number one complaint we hear from people who were unhappy with their photographer or videographer is this — “It’s been six months and I still don’t have my video.” Having a reputation of delivering every product on time is a must. People who over-promise and under-deliver are the NORM in our field. Most vendors take on too many projects (because they are priced so cheaply that they have to in order to make a living) and get backlogged for weeks or months with all of the work they accepted. Then you suffer and are stuck waiting around for your wedding while your videographer edits every one who is in front of you.

What about failing to deliver a product? People who have had this happen may just lie to you because of how bad it looks. I honestly doubt anyone would actually admit to this, but I’m including it here because you might as well ask. I have heard from people specifically who have taken their photographers to court because they never received their pictures. How does this happen? Data loss. Corrupted memory cards or failed hard drives can result in your vendor losing your wedding. What do you do if this happens? Honestly, unless their contract has a stipulation for this kind of thing, there’s nothing you can do. Read on for how we would handle this horrific situation.

Pay very close attention to vendors who beat around the bush when asked if they have ever delivered a product late. Usually they will downplay the significance of it by saying “it was only one time,” or “there were crazy circumstances involved” or “they had Covid” or “I was in the hospital.” Are these things necessarily lies? Who knows? But are they valid excuses for not meeting a deadline? No way.

First, our answer is no, we have never delivered a single wedding project late in 15 years/200 couples; and we have never failed to deliver a product. We ensure this doesn’t happen because we set a limit to the number of weddings we take in a given year and month. We do not overbook ourselves. At any given time, the maximum number of weddings on our “active” list is three, but more typically we only have two in process at any time. This guarantees that you will get your product back within the two month timeframe that we state on our contract.

How do we protect against data loss? Being a full-time videographer means that we have systems in place to protect your data. The only time a single copy of your wedding exists is on the day of your wedding (and we have never lost data at a wedding, or any other time for that matter). Once we get home, a copy is made from the original to our server. Once the server copy is complete, we put an additional copy on a separate hard drive. We then keep all three copies until your edits are complete. Once your wedding is delivered, we will keep a copy of your final product forever. Yes, FOREVER.

You MUST know what the conditions of the contract are before signing any agreement. If they are not specifically written into the contract details, request it. Don't accept a verbal policy, ever. Post-Covid, we realize that anything is possible when it comes to our schedules. If your wedding gets postponed, what kind of refund should you expect, if any? Will the vendor charge you for a date change? Be aware that vendors who require upfront payment in full will many times ghost you if you message about cancellation. We have seen this happen too many times and it usually ends in a legal battle, if the vendor can be found.

Always get a receipt for every payment that you make, whether in cash, check, or electronically. If you use electronic payments like PayPal or Venmo, be aware that if you select “friends and family” or the “no fee” option, you are not protected if you fail to receive your product from the vendor. The business is not required to provide anything to you in exchange for the "friends" payment. Only use Venmo or PayPal if the vendor has a verified business account set up with the electronic payment service that deducts a fee for the transaction.

Concerning rescheduling your wedding, as long as we are not booked for the new date, we do not charge anything for uncontrollable reschedules. Our contract has an entire page dedicated to our cancellation policy and we have every client initial that they have read and agree to the terms. The only instance in which you will not get some kind of refund is with a cancellation within six months of the wedding date. But as mentioned in our booking question above, your final payment isn’t due until the month prior to your wedding, so this payment has not been made at the six month point. Also, we use a verified business account with both Square, our credit card processor, and Venmo. We provide emailed invoices that inform you of your payment due dates and amounts and send out receipts once a month when we have received all of our monthly payments.

This might be the first day of your search for a videographer or photographer. If you happen to email us or any vendor and find out your date is available, you might assume that you have plenty of time to make up your mind. A few weeks may pass and when you finally make a decision, your preferred vendor (hopefully us) might be booked. Unfortunately, this happens more than you realize. However, if you know the standard lead time (how far out dates are usually booked) and payment schedule, it will help you prepare your budget and know when to sign a contract.

Besides everything mentioned above with cancellation terms and receipts, you want to get a clear picture of when all of your payments are due. Be aware of vendors who do not have a standard payment schedule. You do not want to find out that you are not paid in full the week before your wedding. Be sure the vendor's contract clearly states payment amounts, deadlines, late fees, processing fees, and anything else that might come up regarding payment. Regarding your wedding date, unless you are hiring a franchise photographer or videographer, each vendor can only work one wedding on your date. If you want them to work yours, don't wait around for someone else to take your date. Find out how far out they book and what you need to do to secure your date.

Concerning our lead time, we typically book our entire year the year prior. It is always a good idea to contact us even if your wedding is next month, because we do take last minute weddings occasionally. However, if you know your wedding date for next year, don't wait for someone to steal it from you. On average, we receive 2-3 requests for every booked wedding date.

OUR BOOKING POLICY: We require a $500 non-refundable deposit to hold your wedding date with a signed contract. Once that is received, your remaining balance is divided into 2 equal payments, with one paymemt due 30 days later and the final payment due 30 days before your wedding date. If you book Film + Photo packages, there are 4 payments, spread out over time. We do not charge processing fees for credit cards or Venmo payments, giving you the freedom to pay however you wish. While we typically never have an issue with late payments, we do reserve the right to charge a late fee of $10 per day for payments more than 7 days late. All contracts must be PAID IN FULL prior to the wedding date.