What a wedding film actually costs

Chromata Films collections start at 15,000 USD.

That is the honest floor, not a teaser figure. Most of the weddings we film sit above it, because most of them run across several days and need more than one camera team. We would rather tell you the number now than have you spend twenty minutes on a contact form to find out.

For context, because almost nobody in this industry will give it to you: across the luxury destination market, wedding films generally start around 10,000 USD at the entry of the category and run well past 50,000 USD for multi-day international productions with large crews, aerial teams and fast-turnaround edits.

Below roughly 10,000 USD you are usually buying coverage rather than a film ... one or two operators, a fast edit, a highlight reel set to a licensed track. That is a legitimate product and plenty of couples are happy with it. It is simply not what this studio makes.

If your budget is not there yet, we would genuinely rather tell you than take the booking and under-crew your wedding. Ask us and we will be straight with you.

Why don't you publish a full price list?

Because it would be wrong for almost everyone. A single-venue Saturday and a five-day celebration across two countries are different productions. Quoting both from one table means somebody overpays and somebody else gets a crew that is too small for their day.

What do we actually receive?

A feature-length film of the wedding, a shorter highlight film, and a teaser you can share within days of the celebration. Multi-day weddings usually receive a film per major event as well. Everything is colour-graded the way a feature would be.

Do you charge extra for travel?

Travel and accommodation are a separate, visible line rather than something folded into a headline number. From our base between the French Riviera and Geneva, most of Europe is inexpensive to reach; the United States and long-haul destinations are not, and we say so up front.

How do we hold our date?

A signed agreement and a retainer. The balance is scheduled across the run-up to the wedding rather than landing in one payment. The most requested European dates ... June to September on the Riviera and Lake Como ... are typically taken a year or more ahead.

How long until we see our film?

The first films arrive from around four weeks after the wedding. A short highlight reel cut for Instagram can be turned around within a couple of days when the schedule allows it. Multi-day weddings with several films take longer than a single-day celebration. Whatever the schedule, you get a delivery date in writing rather than a vague promise.

Is it worth it?

The film is the only thing from the day that moves and makes sound. The flowers last an evening; photographs freeze a moment. A film keeps your father's voice during the speech and the way your partner actually laughed. That is the whole case for it.