Wedding photographer vs videographer: do you need both?

Almost every couple hires a wedding photographer. Far fewer hire a videographer. According to The Knot’s 2026 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed more than 10,000 couples who married in 2025, 88 percent of couples hired a photographer and only about 37 percent hired a videographer. So if you’re wondering if you really need both, you’re asking the same thing most couples ask.

I’m a wedding filmmaker, so I’m a little biased. I also work next to photographers every weekend, and the two jobs are different enough that it’s worth knowing exactly what each one gives you before you decide.

What a photographer gives you

A great photographer gives you the moments you’ll print, frame and pass around. Portraits of the two of you, family photos with every side of the family, the details you spent months picking out and all the candid moments in between. Photos are easy to share and easy to hold, and they’re the ones that end up on the walls of your house.

A photo can also hold a moment still in a way video never does. You get to look at it for as long as you want.

What a videographer gives you

Video gives you the two things a photo can’t: sound and movement. You hear your vows in your own voices. You hear the toast your best friend worked on for weeks, the way your grandma laughs and the song you picked for your first dance. You see how your partner walked down the aisle, not only how they looked once they got there.

Vows are a big part of it. The Knot found that 61 percent of couples wrote their own vows in 2025, and video is the only way to hear them again exactly the way they were said.

What each one costs in Ohio

Here’s what couples spent on average, based on The Knot’s latest numbers:

• Photographer: about $3,000 nationally and about $2,900 in the Midwest.
• Videographer: about $2,300 nationally and about $2,200 in the Midwest.

So hiring both usually lands somewhere around $5,000 for the pair, give or take, depending on hours and what’s included. If you want to see where the money goes on the video side, I broke it down in what a wedding videographer costs in Ohio.

If you can only afford one

Here’s my honest answer, even as a videographer: for most couples, the photographer comes first. Photos are what you’ll share, print and hang on the wall, and you’ll use them for years in ways you won’t use a film.

There are a few cases where I’d lean the other way, or at least try hard to fit in both:

• Your vows or toasts are a big deal to you, and you want to hear them again.
• Grandparents or older relatives will be there, and you’d love to have their voices someday.
• Some people you love can’t make it, and you want to share the whole day with them.
• You’re the kind of people who rewatch things. If you still put on old home videos, you’ll watch this one too.

Ways to fit both into your budget

• Book fewer hours of video. Coverage from the ceremony through the toasts catches most of what you’ll want to hear again.
• Skip the extras you won’t watch. A long feature film is wonderful if you’ll put it on every anniversary, but a highlight film and a full ceremony film cover the basics.
• Look for a photographer and videographer who already work well together. The day runs smoother, and some studios offer a little off when you book both.
• Ask about Fridays, Sundays and winter dates. Some vendors charge less, though not all of them do.

Not sure which films you need? Here’s the difference between a highlight film and a feature film.

How photographers and videographers work together

If you hire both, they’ll be side by side all day, so it helps when they get along. Good teams share the timeline, talk before the wedding and take turns during portraits so neither one ends up in the other’s shot. Ask each of them how they usually work with the other, and if you can, introduce them before the big day.

A little extra time helps too. Portraits take a few more minutes when two people are capturing them, so leave five or ten extra minutes for family photos and for the two of you. My guide to planning your wedding day timeline shows where that time fits.

Quick answers

Do I need both a photographer and a videographer?

You don’t need both, but they do different jobs. Photos give you prints and portraits to share. Video gives you sound and movement, like your vows and toasts. If you can fit both, you end up with the full picture of your day.

Which is more important, a photographer or a videographer?

For most couples, the photographer. Photos are what you’ll print and share most. If your vows, toasts or family voices matter a lot to you, video is worth making room for.

How much do a wedding photographer and videographer cost together?

Based on The Knot’s latest averages, about $5,300 for both nationally, or about $5,100 in the Midwest.

Can my photographer shoot video too?

Some offer it, but one person can’t do both jobs well in the same moment. If you want both, hire two people, even if they work for the same studio.

If you’re leaning toward video, watch a few of my films or see my collections and pricing. And if you’re still on the fence, here’s my honest take on whether a wedding videographer is worth it.