10 Tips For Couples: How To Get The Most Out Of Your Wedding Film
Your wedding day is approaching. Everything is in place. You’ve hired an awesome videographer who will shoot an awesome wedding video. But what should you do to prepare to make sure you get the most out of your wedding film? During my time as a wedding videographer, I’ve collected essential tips on how to get the most out of your wedding film!
Here are my top 10 tips to capture the best wedding video:
1. Plan Your Wedding Speeches
Speeches can be a real highlight of your wedding day. They can be heartfelt, emotional, funny and all three at the same time! But wedding speeches aren’t easy, and they’re not something you can improvise. Here are some important things to consider when you’re planning the speeches at your wedding:
Location
Make sure you know where the wedding speeches are going to take place! Will they be outside the venue before the reception? In the main ballroom? Think about the atmosphere of your wedding and the layout of the venue and pick the spot that feels right for you!
Flow
Think about when in the night your speeches will happen and how you’re going to transition from one speech to the next.
Speakers
Make sure you know in advance who will be giving wedding speeches so you know how much time to set aside for the speeches and to plan out when everyone will be speaking.
Duration
Encourage everyone to keep their wedding speeches as short and sweet as possible. When the wedding speeches take up too much time, they can break up the flow of the wedding!
For a deeper dive into wedding speeches, check out my ultimate guide to wedding speeches.
2. Personalise Your Vows
What should a bride say in a video? What should a groom say? The answer is: Whatever is in your heart! Your wedding vows are a great opportunity to express your feelings about your spouse in your own words. One of the most important tips to get the most out of your wedding film is to personalise your vows. Say something that’s honest and unique to you!
3. Hire A Wedding Planner
To make the most of your wedding videographer, you’re going to want to have a wedding that flows smoothly. A wedding planner can be a great resource to help you achieve that. They take away the stress of planning and let you just enjoy your day. Plus, a well-planned wedding makes for a great wedding video!
4. Choose A Photographer With A Similar Style
When you’re selecting a photographer, picking one with a similar style to your videographer can save you a lot of time! It can also ensure that both your wedding photos and your wedding video turn out as great as possible.
When you’re looking for a wedding photographer, check out their online portfolio. That will give you a sense of their style, and you’ll be able to tell if it will mesh well with the style of your wedding videographer!
Some other advantages to picking a wedding photographer with a similar style to your wedding videographer are:
We’ll work seamlessly together.
We won’t be competing for time, and the work will also go faster since we’ll be looking for similar shots and looks!
It makes the process more enjoyable for you. When your wedding photographer and wedding videographer are working collaboratively, every step of the process is easier!
5. Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Don’t get preoccupied with small details! A great wedding video comes from the emotion and beauty of your wedding day. Stay focused on what matters most, relax and have a great time, and your wedding video will turn out awesome!
6. Have Fun With Your Guests
All your friends and family have come to your wedding to celebrate with you – get out there and have a great time with them! All great wedding videos are filled with shots of the couple celebrating with the people who mean the most to them. Go out and make some happy memories. I’ll be sure to get them all on film!
7. Be In The Moment
Don’t be afraid to show a little emotion and be present on your day! One of my most important tips to have the best cinematic wedding film possible is to just act naturally. Pretend the camera isn’t there! Your authentic joy and emotion will show up in your wedding video.
8. Show Up On The Dance Floor
A big, joyful party is the perfect crescendo for the end of a wedding video, and the dance floor is where the heart of the party is! Guests tend to gravitate to where the couple is, so if you’re on the dance floor, that’s where your guests will be, too!
A wedding party with a full dance floor for the entire night provides lots of great shots for a wedding videographer to capture. It provides better footage, and you’ll end up with a more memorable wedding video!
This is one of my most important tips for wedding videography. Get out on the dance floor and have a great time, and you’ll have an amazing party scene in your wedding video that you’ll be able to treasure forever!
9. Tell Us What The Super Important Moments Are To You
There are a few features that every great wedding video has in common – great cinematography, high-quality audio, awesome editing – but no two great wedding videos are identical! There are little details and small moments in every wedding video that makes them one-of-a-kind. A great wedding video should capture what’s unique and meaningful to you and your spouse!
I always encourage my couples to let me know about what small details and specific moments are the most meaningful to them so that I can be sure to capture them on film. Every part of your wedding with a special significance or hidden meaning will be built into the storytelling of your wedding video.
So if there are moments during the wedding with deep meaning behind them, let me know and I’ll be sure to capture them on video so that they are a part of your wedding memories forever!
10. Do A First Look
One of the most powerful moments of a wedding is when the couple sees each other for the first time. This “first look” moment is full of joy and emotion, and it can be one of the true highlights of your wedding video. It’s a moment between just the two of you, where you can share some quiet time just being alone together before the guests arrive and the ceremony and reception get underway.
On top of being an awesome and emotional moment, a first look is also an excellent addition to a wedding video for a whole bunch of reasons! Here are some of the best things about shooting a first look moment:
It Helps With The Timeline Of Your Day
A first look scene is a perfect way to start a wedding video. It’s a private moment shared between the two people whose love has made this entire day possible! When I’m using video to tell the story of your wedding, a first look scene is a great storytelling tool.
It Provides Some Natural, Candid Shots
First look scenes also provide an opportunity to get great natural shots of you both. Much of the wedding video will involve the two of you participating in the wedding ceremony or celebrating with your guests, but a first look shot is something a bit different! It’s a chance for me to capture some natural, candid footage of the two of you just acting like a loving couple.
It Provides An Intimate And Personal Moment For You Both
There really is a special magic that happens when a loving couple sees each other on their wedding day for the first time. There’s laughter and tears of joy. There’s a moment when you both realise that this is it – your wedding day has arrived and this is the person you’re going to be with for the rest of your life! Capturing that moment on film is one of my favourite parts of being a wedding videographer.
It Gives You An Opportunity To Get Some Of The Nerves Out
A first look moment is also a great opportunity to get some of the nerves out before the main event. Just taking a quiet moment to check in with each other before can be a great way to let go of some of the anxieties about your wedding day.
You can forget about all the usual stresses that come with a wedding. It’s a chance to remind yourself that what this day is really all about is being with this special person and declaring your love for them.
It’s A Brilliant Addition To Your Wedding Video!
First look moments are dramatic and beautiful – the perfect recipe for a great shot in a wedding video! First looks are really special moments, and they’re definitely worth preserving on film forever so that you can revisit them again and again.
Ready To Get Started? Let’s Talk!
If these wedding video tips have given you some inspiration and jump-started your imagination, then let’s talk! I’d love to get a chance to talk with you about your vision for an awesome wedding video.
Together we’ll make a stunning keepsake that you’ll be able to revisit for decades. Whenever you’re ready, let’s get in touch!