In short
- A lower headline total does not show whether the two options cover the same things.
- One supplier means one point of contact. Two suppliers mean more control over each craft, and more to coordinate.
- Check who stands where, who owns the schedule and how files from both are handed over.
- Combined coverage suits compact programmes; separate suppliers suit larger or busier events.
A combined package is worth choosing when one team can cover both photos and video well, and when having one contact for the whole day matters to you. Separate suppliers are worth choosing when you want a specialist for each craft or already have a photographer. Either can work, so compare what each option covers before you compare what it costs.
Why the totals do not decide it
A combined quote and two separate quotes rarely describe the same job. One may include a full-day photographer and a half-day video crew. Another may include equal hours for both but fewer finished films. If you only compare the bottom line, you are comparing different amounts of work.
First put every option on the same list: hours of coverage, number of people on site, finished photos, finished films, files delivered and travel. Our guide on comparing two quotations fairly explains the method. The videography quote comparison worksheet lets you fill the same rows for each supplier.
What changes between one supplier and two
| Point | Combined package | Separate suppliers |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | One person to brief and to call | Two briefings, two sets of messages |
| Schedule | One plan for the day | Two plans that must fit together |
| Positions | Planned by one team | Agreed between two teams, ideally before the day |
| Specialism | Depends on who is assigned to each part | You can choose each for their strength |
| Files | One handover, one delivery plan | Two deliveries, possibly at different times |
| If someone is unavailable | One supplier finds a solution | Each supplier handles their own side |
| Flexibility | Scope changes go through one quote | You can change one without touching the other |
Neither column is better by default. The right one depends on how complicated your day is and how much coordination you want to take on.
When one team is a good fit
A combined option tends to suit a compact programme where photos and video need the same moments, such as a single-room ceremony or a short dinner. It also helps when you do not have time to manage two suppliers. Ask the supplier how many people will be on site, because one person cannot give full attention to both at the same moment.
Our combined photography and videography service describes what that involves.
When separate suppliers make sense
Separate suppliers suit larger or busier events, a programme with several rooms, or a case where you already trust a photographer. They also suit organisers who want to change one part later without reopening the whole booking.
If you go this way, plan the overlap. Share one run sheet with both, agree who has priority at key moments, and make sure neither blocks the other’s view. The run-sheet coverage planner is a simple way to mark which moments both teams need.
A worked example, clearly illustrative
Take a 200-guest annual dinner with a one-hour programme of speeches and an awards segment. This is an illustration, not a real booking.
Option 1 is a combined team of two people for four hours. Option 2 is a photographer for four hours and a videographer for four hours, from different companies. Before comparing prices, check these points for both:
- Hours of coverage and when they start.
- Number of people on site for the speeches and awards.
- Finished photos and finished films, and the delivery dates.
- Who handles the brief and approval for each.
- Whether overtime is defined the same way. See how overtime is defined.
Only when these match is the price comparison fair.
Responsibilities and limits
With a combined package, the supplier is responsible for the schedule between photos and video. With separate suppliers, you or your event manager is. Decide who will brief both teams, who is told if the programme runs late, and who approves the final files.
Shared files also need a plan. Ask where the photos and films will be stored, who gets access, and whether either supplier uses the other’s material. Neither is a reason to avoid separate suppliers, but both are easier to settle before the day.
What to ask your supplier
- How many people will cover my event, and which of them handle photos and which handle video?
- Are the hours the same for both, and who decides if one is extended?
- What do I receive from each side, and when?
- Who is my single point of contact on the day?
- If I use a photographer elsewhere, how will you plan around them?
Photos and video from us
Combined photo and video coverage can be arranged, and we check it against your date and venue. Tell us the date and what you need from event videography and we will say what is possible.
If you are still deciding between one team and two, send us the date, venue and what you want from both photos and video. We will say whether combined coverage is possible for your event and what it would involve.
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