What’s the Difference, and Do You Need Both?
If you’re planning your wedding in Ireland, you’ve probably noticed that more and more couples are booking a wedding content creator alongside, or instead of, a traditional videographer. Maybe you’ve seen them pop up on Instagram or TikTok — someone with a phone capturing bits of the day and sending over dozens of clips the next morning.
It sounds great in theory — but how does this compare to having a professional wedding videographer? And do you actually need both?
Let’s take a look at what each one offers so you can make the right call for your day.
What a wedding videographer offers
A wedding videographer’s job is to capture your day in a way that tells your story, with quality that’ll stand the test of time.
When I’m filming a wedding, I’m focused on creating something you’ll still want to watch in 5, 10, 20 years. I don’t want you to hit fast forward, or to feel like there wasn’t enough. It’s not just about what happened — it’s about how it felt. The nerves before the ceremony, the vows, the cheers during the speeches, the hugs on the dance floor.
A good wedding film isn’t just a video of the day — it’s a carefully put-together memory. You’ll get:
- A cinematic film that captures the atmosphere (varying lengths 4, 12, 30 minutes are popular)
- Full edits of the key moments — your ceremony, speeches and more
- Professional sound and visuals (so you can actually hear those vows and speeches clearly)
- Storytelling which will feel genuinely connected to your unique day
- Discreet filming so you can get on with enjoying the day
- Colour correction and grading to get that movie feel
- Here’s an example of a short wedding film
What a content creator does
A wedding content creator is focused on fast, convenient, upright clips that are ready for social media.
They’ll usually follow you around with a phone or small camera, filming the entire day as short moments throughout the day and delivering them very quickly — often within 24 hours.
These clips are:
- Shot vertically for Instagram or TikTok
- More raw and unpolished (that’s kind of the point)
- Designed for immediate sharing with friends and family online
It’s a great way to have something fun to post straight away — but it’s not really designed to replace a proper wedding film. Although some content creators now are turning up with pro cameras, drones and audio recording and the full gear – though maybe that’s a creator just disguised as a videographer 😉
Do you need both a wedding videographer and a content creator?
This comes down to what you want from your wedding video.
If you’re after something that tells the authentic story of the day — the moments you remember and the ones you missed — then a wedding videographer is the way to go.
Content creators offer something different. They’re great for that instant buzz in the days after the wedding. But most couples still want a professional wedding film to go with it — something that doesn’t just live on your phone for a few weeks before being forgotten. But for some couples a content creator on their own is fine and thats great if it works for you.
In fact, what I’m seeing more and more is couples booking both video and creator. That’s absolutely fine, but it’s really important that the content creator and the main videographer or photographer can all work together without stepping on each other’s toes. It’s something I always discuss with couples so that everything runs smoothly.
I’ve worked with some great content creators who were genuinely behind the scenes and discreet – but I’ve had some terrible experiences also where people were sticking iPhones in front of me all day and standing in my shots! Also there have been creators who have essentially just shot over my shoulder all day copying my video – that’s quite unfair and really a waste of your money as I’m giving you those shots already and shot better.
It’s worth keeping in mind that adding a content creator means having another person (and another set of cameras) alongside your photographer and videographer. This can make it harder for us to move freely, stay out of each other’s shots, and capture those natural moments without distraction.
Also it is another person looking for your time and attention on the day so please weigh up everything carefully.
There are great content creators out there, and all have been lovely people, however just think it over carefully if you need an extra body/camera there. It generally will impact your day.
Honestly I’d say pick one – either a videographer or a content creator – pick the one that suits your style the best as otherwise both need to be able to complement each other well to be effective.
What I offer
I know couples want something to share quickly. That’s why I offer optional contents add-on.
With this, I’ll create five one-minute reels filmed on my professional cameras — properly framed, properly edited, and delivered within a week of your wedding. You’ll have beautiful clips to share straight away, without sacrificing the quality you’ll want to keep forever.
But also I like to include a 60-90 second reel the week of the wedding too – this is idea for Instagram or TikTok and isn’t just a selection of random iPhone clips – it will flow, have nice audio and will have a mini-story. You can see some of these on my Instagram page.
Final thoughts
A wedding content creator and a wedding videographer do two very different jobs. One gives you fun, fast clips for social media. The other gives you a timeless wedding film you’ll want to come back to again and again – but can also give you short story films for social media too.
If you’re considering booking a videographer or a content creator for your wedding in Ireland, or you’re not sure what would suit you best, feel free to get in touch. I’m always happy to chat through the options and help you figure out what will work best for your day.
