I am going to be honest: I was on a serious budget for my wedding. (My mom is pretty strict.) But a budget is a relative thing, depending on what you and your family consider to be expensive. Jennifer Thompson, the US headquarters manager of NST Pictures, gave me some guidelines for how much you're going to spend.
"A good rule of thumb is to plan to budget the same amount for cinematography as you would for your photographer," she said. "You've probably chosen a photographer based on experience and creative expertise shooting weddings. And your cinematographer should be based on the same set of standards to ensure a like-minded final product."
I recommend seeing what video and photo teams in your area cost. For me in NYC, it's usually around $5,000 for each (yes, I know — steep! — but that's Manhattan). Then, interview three to five people like you would for an actual job. See how they answer the same questions (like the ones in this article!) to determine who you want to work with.
