Upbeat. Candid. Wedding Films
$3,000 starting price
Michigan
Travels up to 2000 miles See details
Chad Whelan
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (2X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Upbeat. Candid. Wedding films. Hi I'm Chad Whelan. I have 20+ years of full-time experience in the wedding industry. I am always the primary shooter on your wedding day, do all of the editing + handle every element of my business.
I have a journalistic shooting style which means I will never be staging shots or posing you. I want you to be as natural as possible around me and want that to reflect in the final video. Packaging is all inclusive + priced at 3K. This includes a 10-15 min short film, full length documentary essentials video of the major events in their entirety, 1 min teaser provided within 1 week the wedding, drone footage, a 2nd shooter, etc.
If you are intrigued send me a message. I can send full details along with sample links + much more info about myself. Thank you!
Kindly,
Chad
Prices & packages
Couples usually spend $3,000
Looking for more pricing details?
Reach out to get a customized quote from this videographer.
Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo & Video
Digital Files
Drone
Online Proofing
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Video
Full-Length Video
Highlight Video
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic
Classic
Documentary
Lifestyle
Modern
Vintage
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Chad Whelan
Owner
The company consists of myself and my wife Samantha. When you hire us you are only hiring us, no freelance shooters or employees here. We are a small personalized company and have been since day one. Call, text or email us anytime. You will find that we are relatively affordable, fully customizable and will give you 100% of our attention 100% of the time!
Availability
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.039 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Chad Whelan of Digital Waves is highly recommended by multiple reviewers for wedding videography services. Clients praise his professionalism, creativity, and ability to capture special moments seamlessly. Chad's wife, Samantha, also receives positive feedback for her contribution to the videos. Reviewers appreciate Chad's responsiveness, calming presence, and exceptional editing skills. The couple's ability to deliver high-quality videos that capture the essence of the wedding day is commended, making them a top choice for capturing precious memories.- Top reviews
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Valerie B
5.0
2/08/2025
If you have any questions about whether it’s worth getting a video of your wedding, DO IT!!!! Make sure to reach out to Chad Whelan of Digital Waves and check out his amazing work! His wife Samantha works as his second camera woman and the two of them work seamlessly together to ensure every moment of your special day is captured! My husband and I got married in November of 2024 in Simsbury, CT, Chad has worked at the Riverview venue multiple times and knows exactly where to get the best shots. We wanted every moment captured from getting ready, to the ceremony to speeches and cake cutting and of course, dancing! It felt like we were at the wedding all over again while watching the video! It was exactly what we visioned! The package we paid for was very well priced! We highly recommend Chad and hope to be able to work with him again some day for another event.
Monica S
5.0
1/25/2025
Chad and his wife were very personable and very dedicated to making our wedding day very special. They were both always willing to answer any questions, requests and concerns we had. The video created by Chad was awesome and beautiful. From day one, Chad was very professional and easy to communicate with. His creativity was top notch. Wedding days can be very hectic and stressful. However, Chad helped to create a calm environment by granting the requests we had in mind with the little time we had allotted. All of this, while advising us how things would look better for our wedding video. You can tell he has been doing this for a long time. His experience shows! We would recommend Chad for any functions requiring professional videography without hesitation.
Thank you again from O'Neill and Monica.
Any questions?
Emily M
5.0
12/26/2024
Working with Chad was an absolute pleasure! During the preparation process, he was incredibly responsive, professional, and answered all of our questions thoroughly. On the day of the wedding, Chad did an amazing job filming not only the “big” moments (ceremony, speeches, first dance), but also capturing other special moments between our guests throughout the night. We recently got our videos back and were blown away! The recap and documentary videos’ visual and sound quality were great, and Chad did an amazing job of piecing the whole day together! Highly recommend having a wedding video as a memento and would recommend working with Chad any day!
response 12/27/2024
Thanks so much Emily!
Brooke C
5.0
9/08/2024
Chad filmed our 7/21/24 wedding. He was very responsive to our inquiries and very easy to work with. Super friendly, down to earth, kind person. We ordered a trailer, highlights film, and a longer version with dances, entrances, speeches, etc. We are blown away with the videos we received. We would definitely recommend Chad as a wedding videographer. We don’t have a single negative thing to say.
Jeannette K
5.0
5/28/2024
Chad and his wife were great. Non invasive and captured all the highlights that we wanted and then some! Very easy going and laid back, did not add any stress. Would recommend to a friend and to you!
Krystal S
5.0
1/25/2024
We loved working with Chad and Samantha. They captured all the special moments of the day and were professional. The video and audio quality were amazing in both the short vignette and long vignette videos! We requested a full video of the church ceremony and we had both Chad and Samantha to capture different angles - the editing of the different angles and shots were excellent quality. Chad was a nice calming presence throughout the day and was very easy going, which is what we needed! It was also a pleasure corresponding with Chad prior to and after our wedding. He was very quick to respond. Thank you, Chad!
response 01/25/2024
Thank you very much Krystal and all the best!
Lauren H
5.0
1/06/2024
Chad was excellent to work with - we wanted a video that felt authentic, candid, and beautiful, and that is exactly what we got! Chad captured all the important parts of our wedding day, all while letting us live in the moment. We often forgot we were being filmed, which really made the video a genuine reflection of our day. Thank you so much for everything!
response 01/06/2024
Thanks so much Lauren!
Tori H
5.0
6/22/2023
You are so freaking fun and amazing at what you do. We are so lucky to have found you and book you as our videographer! I am so so thankful for the time and energy you put into our big day, and capturing all of the best moments! We appreciate you and THANK YOU for all you’ve done!
Lisa D
5.0
12/07/2022
We used Chad Whelan for our wedding teaser video/full wedding video in April 2022. Chad was an absolute blast to work with. He made the process seamless from the time we booked him, all the way up through our wedding day. His laid back, yet professional way of going about his process makes him a wonderful wedding videographer. The quality of his work is absolutely outstanding and he truly captured every important detail of our special day. He is extremely flexible and an overall pleasure to work with. As a side note, I, the bride, lost my voice on my wedding day. This made for very interesting vows during our wedding ceremony where I basically had no voice at all. Chad offered his creative and skilled experience in the field and had me record a voice over following the wedding which he seamlessly edited into the film to make it appear that I actually had a voice that day. I go so far as to share this because it truly shows how he was willing to go the extra mile to ensure we were happy with the final result. I highly recommend Chad and his company for all of your videography needs, you will truly cherish all of the time and effort that he is willing to put into your special day and memories you will cherish for a lifetime.
Christie C
5.0
10/19/2022
CHAD! We are so lucky to have had you as our videographer - fun and chill to be around, professional, and our teaser was delivered to us so quickly. We love that Chad's style is organic and natural and not of the "posing" nature - he truly captures moments without stopping what you're doing and that is what us two brides were looking for. Thank you, Chad for coming to our rescue when we needed you most, great communication, prompt responses, just overall gave us the attention and professionalism we were looking for. Looking forward to our short film delivery soon! K + C
Katie M
5.0
8/23/2022
Chad was extremely easy to work with and super responsive during the planning process! I wasn't looking for every single part of the day to be recorded, and he was super willing to accommodate to what I wanted. My husband talked to Chad a lot during our wedding and kept saying how kind he was! Would highly recommend!
Janeene L
5.0
8/19/2022
I cannot thank Chad enough! He and his wife were so personable and great to work with leading up to the event and day of. I knew from the start of being engaged that I wanted to have a video and he did not disappoint! The video is gorgeous, shows off so many amazing memories of the day, and is something I will treasure forever. I think within the 24 hours I've had the video, I've watched it 10-20 times, it's so beautiful. I'm so thankful that I chose to work with Chad, and would do it 10x over!
Taylor Z
5.0
8/02/2022
Chad did an amazing job on our wedding video! Nothing beats being able to look back on our wedding day whenever we want and see all of the details of the beautiful day again! The way the video was shot and edited is beautiful and we love it! We can’t thank Chad enough & highly recommend booking him for your wedding video!
response 08/08/2022
Thanks so much Taylor! Hope to see you and Ryan again real soon.
Sarah K
5.0
3/13/2022
Chad did an incredible job with our videos! He captured the small, candid, moments of the day and turned it into incredible videos that we will cherish forever! I hardly noticed him all day - he was very behind the scenes yet upon receiving the videos we saw how he captured every beautiful moment of the day in such a wonderful light! His artistry, attention to detail, kindness, professionalism, and videographer skills are incredible! We are forever grateful for sharing his craft with us! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a fantastic videographer!!
Samantha D
5.0
1/17/2022
Chad was absolutely amazing!! Not only was he extremely responsive and adorable, but his work is incredible. My husband and I cried so many happy tears relieving the memories he capture for us! Book him!!
Andrea C
5.0
12/21/2021
We were so glad we got a video! I’d say it’s definitely worth it to have as a memento given how much planning goes into the big day. We got drone footage which was just beautiful. Chad was super responsive throughout the entire process. Video was provided slightly earlier than the 12 weeks expected. The quality of the disc was excellent and looks great on a large-screen TV. Thanks Chad and team!
response 01/12/2022
Thank you Andrea! The carnival vibe was definitely one I will never forget. I really wante...
d to put down my camera and dance:)
Ruth P
5.0
9/09/2021
Search no further! Chad Whelan is the best!
From the beginning and throughout Chad was extremely responsive, professional, organized, prompt and so talented. We got our short and long videos yesterday. They were both amazing! We can’t wait to share these with our family and friends! Thank you Chad!
response 01/12/2022
Thanks Ruth! It was a pleasure to meet you and be a part of your son's wedding, hurricane ...
and all:)
Matt O
5.0
8/23/2021
When it comes to picking videographers we must have spoken to over 10 vendors. Our first one was supposed to do both video and photo, but they ended up cancelling on us do to a double booking. It’s a good thing that they did, because we were beyond fortunate to work with Chad to capture the video for our wedding day.
Chad was organized, friendly, and easily amenable to our suggestions and direction for the day. The drone videos were important to us, and Chad used them to great effect alongside the rest of the footage he captured of the day. Not only was Chad great at capturing everything as we had asked, he was also extremely professional and punctual. I actually felt bad because he was so much more responsive than we were, even following up after submitting the final video to ensure we were happy.
Do not hesitate to work with Chad. He is fair, eager to please, and extremely easy to work with. Thank you, Chad!
response 08/23/2021
Thanks so much Matt!
Sarah R
5.0
6/30/2021
Chad was great to work with and very responsive to email. Our wedding coordinator spoke highly of him and that is how we got connected. We absolutely love our wedding video and are extremely impressed with the quality. Chad did a wonderful job capturing our wedding ceremony and was able to add an additional camera to get two different angles of coverage which we appreciate SO much! The price we paid was very reasonable. Chad edited the video nicely and sent it to us super quickly; I was amazed how fast we got it! I am really happy with the whole experience working with Chad and the quality of our wedding video. I highly recommend him!
response 06/30/2021
Thanks so much Sarah. It's not everyday a bear shows up at your wedding:)
Marissa B
5.0
6/03/2021
Chad was such a pleasure to work with! Easy preparation steps, very responsive and he got us our video back 5 days after our wedding. The entire day he was extremely easy and most of our guests didn't even realize he was there! I shared our video with friends and family and they are so impressed. Would highly recommend to anyone!
Haley P
5.0
11/12/2020
We recently used Chad for our 10/24 wedding, and through the whole process chad was great!
We got our teaser video back in the time promised, and it was amazing!
We cannot wait to see the rest!!!!
Julie F
5.0
2/18/2020
Chad was great to work with! He was able to perfectly capture our day. My husband and I are so happy with how our video came out. We would highly recommend Chad to our family and friends!
Erin J
5.0
2/07/2020
Chad was the videographer for my sister's wedding over 5 years ago. When it was time to book videographers for our wedding, this decision was a no-brainer. His work is amazing and he is very professional, responsive, and easy to work with. We're thrilled with our video!
Kerri G
5.0
1/24/2020
Chad and his wife do amazing work. Our wedding video is so special to us. They offer a number of different packages that cater to exactly what you want for your wedding day. Chad and his wife are super professional, easy to be around, capture all of the important moments and the extra special ones too! You won’t be disappointed choosing them for your wedding day.
Lindsey C
5.0
11/14/2019
Chad was fantastic!!!! He was so easy to work with and very responsive to emails which is so helpful when planning a wedding! The packages he offers were exactly what my husband and I were looking for, I am so happy we found him! Highly recommend!!!
Ela S
5.0
8/15/2019
Your wedding day is a day you want to remember for the rest of your life and relive over and over again after spending months planning your perfect day. We are so happy that we decided to work with Chad as he provided us with a video that we could not be happier with capturing every detail!
Chad and Samantha arrived at the church early to set up and hook up the groom with a wireless mic which captured every word during the ceremony. Throughout the day, we felt like we were always on the move and Chad and Samantha were always in the best spot to capture all our moments and details.
When we received our teaser trailer (like 2 days after our wedding!) we noticed so many candid moments that were captured, such as the groom casually playing with the wedding ring. And when we reviewed our final video we were so impressed with how Chad cut together the moments of our day, timed the transitions to the music perfectly, and even adjusted the speed of some moments to create artful transitions between a fast-passed song and our first slower dance. We trusted Chad to capture our special day and he did not disappoint. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and was even able to incorporate some of our wedding photos into the video and it came out amazing!
Throughout the process, Chad always responded quickly via e-mail and kept us updated on his progress. He was so patient in working with us and is all about making his customers happy. Before finalizing our video, he sent us a copy of it and asked for our feedback. The video was amazing, and we couldn’t stop watching it on repeat. After taking in all the special moments, admiring Chad’s attention to detail, and enjoying how the video paired with the audio and music so perfectly and creatively, we had a few requests. We noticed that a few special moments to us were missing from the first cut, so we asked Chad if he could add it in. He responded right away and was able to update the video with no issues quickly. It’s nice to work with someone who is a true professional and has an eye for detail. We are so lucky to be able to relive our perfect day for the rest of our life with a huge smile on our faces and a happy tear once in while 😊! Thank you, Chad!!
Ashley O
5.0
1/03/2019
Chad and his wife, Samantha did such an amazing job shooting our wedding video. The video was one of the most important parts to my husband and I and we knew we needed to find the right videographer. He offers a high quality documentary style video for a good price while other videographers may not. Chad was so easy to work with from day 1. He followed up after the wedding and set expectations of when we would receive our video. We just got our recap yesterday and we are blown away. Our family and friends cannot get enough. We cannot wait to get our full length video. Thank you Chad & Samantha for capturing our big day so beautifully.
Kalee B
5.0
6/21/2018
Chad and his wife Samantha did such a phenomenal job at our wedding! They were so easy to work with and we could not have been happier with our final product. I know that most couples are hesitant to include video for their wedding. My advice would be that it is so worth it, and that Chad is the best of the best! We cannot thank him enough for his talent and vision!
Shannon C
5.0
5/20/2018
Chad was a pleasure to work with. Having a videographer at our wedding was decided late in the planning stages for us. We emailed him on a Friday night around 9:30, he immediately emailed us back and we ended up calling him and having a long discussion with him on the phone. We easily decided to use him as our videographer. Other videographers in this price point are larger companies who send a person to your wedding without you really knowing who they are. After speaking with Chad it was clear that he was the perfect person for us. If you haven't visited his personal website, we highly recommend doing so and watching the videos that he has posted.
Initially, we chose the cheapest option which I believe was one videographer for 6 hours. After meeting with Chad personally, we decided to upgrade to a package with 2 videographers for 8 hours and 4K video. This was another easy decision for us. The 2nd videographer was Chad's wife, Samantha. Once you book with Chad, he will ask you to send him a list of songs that you would like included in your videos. It was amazing to us how important the music is to your feeling of the videos that he has posted on his website. So chosing music that fits your style will make your video so much more personal.
Both Chad and Samantha were amazing to work with. There was never a moment that was staged. They came in and just told us to be natural, it was very easy. To be honest, we never really noticed them taping during the wedding. They were able to get their shots without us even knowing.
Chad came along with the wedding party to the porait part right after the ceremony. Samantha stayed behind to get some shots of our guests enjoying the cocktail hour. It was really fun having Chad with us during the portraits, he was able to catch some moments of fun that would have been otherwise missed by photography.
We haven't seen the finished product yet, but we are confident that we will be very pleased with it. Chad and Samantha were a pleasure to work with and we would highly recommend them for anyone looking for a videographer. It was comforting that they were a family business in CT and that we knew exactly who would be working with us on our wedding day.
Nisha G
5.0
11/08/2017
Wonderful videographer, always in the action and great communication before/after the wedding.
Sylvia E
5.0
10/30/2017
Chad was helpful and professional from the beginning. Our wedding recap and video turned out beautiful and the price was very reasonable. We would recommend Chad to capture any occasion!
Alexa L
5.0
1/03/2017
Chad and Samantha do a very nice job! Our video was so fun to watch and it was at an affordable price. They listen to your suggestions and make the changes that you want to see. Chad and Samantha were both able to catch our ceremony even though it rained (it was outdoors). It wasn't the most convenient thing to happen during your own ceremony but we still have the video to look back on and the cameras kept rolling regardless of the downpour. Chad was timely with the delivery of the video and he was easy to get in contact with. Definitely a great option if you choose to have a videographer at your wedding! Thank you Chad and Samantha!
Beth L
5.0
8/21/2014
Our wedding video was extremely important to us, even more so than pictures. Don’t get me wrong, I put a lot of research into choosing our photographer, but I knew lots of people would capture photographs that day. A quality video that would allow us to relive that day for years to come, however, was invaluable. To be able to continuously rewind those fantastic, fleeting moments was all I wanted. Those spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime moments I daydreamed about for so long would come and go so quickly, but a video would preserve those moments for always. And not only would it allow us to relive the moments we loved … we’d actually be able to see those moments from our guests’ perspective, and we could experience some of the moments we missed by virtue of being the bride and groom.
I spent hours researching and watching the work products of many skilled videographers. And Chad was the one I kept going back to. His video montages online were moving and beautiful. He has an eye for detail, and he strives for perfection. The fact that he also happened to be very reasonably priced was an extra bonus.
From the very start, Chad demonstrated great character. He was always so easy to work with and reliable. However, the true test of his character resulted from a disappointment I experienced. He worked with me until I was happy, never losing patience or making me feel like I was too picky. Even just based on that experience alone, I would recommend Chad Whelan. That was priceless, and I am sincerely grateful. I have never understood why more couples don’t consider videographers to be a necessity among the many vendors they hire for their wedding day. But Chad and his wife make a great professional team, and I would recommend them to any bride and groom looking for that ultimate keepsake.
Jessica D
5.0
9/19/2013
Chad and his wife were absolutely amazing very timely and reliable. Despite the fact I never meet them in person they provided use with wonderful service. He was so good i didn't even notice he was there resulting us to act more natural and care free. They stayed till nearly the end and my wedding preparation started at 8am and ended at midnight. I would highly recommend Chad Whelan
Janelle J
5.0
7/26/2011
At first, my husband and I weren't considering having a videographer. I am so happy we changed our mind!! Chad Whelan of Digital Wave Productions was awesome. He was easy to work with, professional and attentive. He captured the essence of our wedding on camera and enhanced it with his creativity. He always responded to any communication in a timely manner. I would highly recommend Digital Wave Productions, chadwhelan.com
Jamie D
5.0
7/17/2011
He was awesome!
Kristin C
5.0
4/26/2011
Chad, did such an amazing job on our video. He captured every special moment and really made my video amazing. He used the songs I wanted and fit them into the video so nicely. He is very professional and his work is high quality. He also incorporated our vows and everyone's speeches. He did it so nicely. I love our video! I am so lucky to have had Chad do our video!
Laura F
5.0
9/14/2010
Chad was great! He was very friendly, unobtrusive, and felt like a friend by the end of the night. I haven't seen the video yet, but he seemed to be getting some really great shots, and knew how to bring the personality out of people. He was professional, affordable, and creative!
sara c
5.0
8/09/2010
We haven't actually received the video, but I am sure it will be great. Chad is great to work with. Very personable, and prices are great!
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Travels up to 2000 miles
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Chad Whelan
Chad Whelan
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Owner
Typically responds within 24h
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