I'd ask for several things:
- A portfolio of work shot by that photographer (not the studio, as you've already noted)
- An example video of someone's wedding, as shot by that photographer
- A photograph of the photographer
- A list of churches where the photographer has worked and who officiated
- A list of typical equipment
The reason for the first and second items should be mostly obvious. You want to make sure that the photographer is competent, and make sure that the videography work matches the style that you expect. For example, some folks want a straight movie of the ceremony as-is, whereas others prefer more of a highly edited highlights reel with various musical additions in the background, ducked during the "I dos". Make sure you know what you'll be getting, and that it is what you're expecting.
The reason for the third and fourth items are so you can go talk to people at the church who were involved in previous weddings and ask them whether the photographer would be welcomed back, or whether the person was a nuisance.
The reason for the fifth item is so you can determine A. whether the photographer is likely just some kid with a rebel who got lucky with the photos on one shoot, and B. whether or not the photographer has the lenses needed to do an adequate job without getting in the way, based on the size of the church in question. If, for example, you're shooting in a cathedral, and the photographer shoots everything with a 50mm lens, you can safely assume that you won't get any usable shots during the ceremony unless the photographer
gets in the way of the ceremony.
I would ask if the photographer does video. If not, ask whether there are any video crews that he or she has worked with successfully in the past (and/or unsuccessfully, so you know who to avoid). It is far better to have people who know each other and know how to stay out of each other's way, which is why (IMO) if you can find a
good all-in-one shop, you're probably better off, even if that all-in-one shop subcontracts the video work to somebody else.
If you're trying to save money on the video work, you might ask if the photographer would be willing to provide you with the raw footage at a discount rather than editing it down into a final presentation. The ingestion and editing is a large chunk of the time invested in doing a wedding video, and if you're willing to do that hard work yourself, you could potentially save money that way, if the photographer is amenable to it. (Some do, some don't.)
And ask how many video cameras they use. Two is really the minimum, and I would recommend three, depending on location. Ask if they have remote control cameras or if they have to have a person physically manning each of them. This can impact where they can put cameras, and depending on the location, this can make a big difference in terms of what they can do without being disruptive. (With that said, you can often get away with static cameras, so lack of a RoboCam isn't necessarily a show-stopper.)
Another thing you might consider, if you're camera-savvy, is renting some decent video gear, setting it up ahead of time with fixed shots, starting it, and leaving it running. That won't give you quite as good a result as a professional videographer, but it would reduce the cost enormously. Remember to budget for a decent microphone, and be sure to check the levels during loud musical passages to ensure you aren't clipping. Or if you really don't care much about the video, you could do as some folks have occasionally suggested—mount a GoPro to the bride and groom and be done with it.
Finally, beware of videographers named
Sal DiPasquale.
