Whether it’s a full video of the ceremony or a quick, Instagram-able vignette, there are many styles to choose from when it comes to wedding videography.
With the advent of the modern wedding comes a break in tradition. Wedding videos used to be your Uncle Chuck pitching his camcorder on a tripod, then walking around interviewing guests about their relation to the bride and groom — then recording their best wishes for the newlyweds. If you have ever seen your parents’ wedding video, it’s probably a little something like that.
As times have changed, so have weddings. They have become more modern, more bespoke, and more tailored for a design-driven crowd.
Social media has also been a huge influence on how wedding videos are shot. Some couples are looking for a cinematic recording of the ceremony, while others prefer a single-camera shot of the entire process. In this write-up, we’re going to look at the different video styles to choose from when presenting a couple with options for their special day.
The Classic Style
If you’re working with a couple that would like something more traditional, then this is the style they may be referring to. Some couples prefer to have the entire ceremony captured in a continuous video.
With this style comes challenges in both shooting and editing. If they’d like their entire ceremony captured, that means you’ll have to set up a multi-cam system. This’ll require multiple cameras and multiple camera operators to get the shots you need. You’ll also need to mic up the room and place lav mics on the emcee and the couple — if you can. So, if you’re looking to give the couple a price quote, make sure to include these extra additions to your final total.
When it comes to editing, you’ll be editing in either a multi-cam format or a multiple-track format. Either way, it’s going to take you longer to edit this style of video than to edit a small, five-minute highlight reel. While this type of wedding video is a great memento to have (to show the folks unable to attend), it comes at a cost.
The Cinematic Style
The “cinematic” style has become the new norm in wedding videography. Most couples want a highly stylized “highlight reel” of the entire day’s process: getting ready, the ceremony, the bridal party photos, and the reception. It’s kind of like you’re creating a video that captures the “feeling” of the day, compared to capturing the reality. This type of video is highly popular among social media users, as well. It’s the perfect package to pitch to a couple who want to share their story with the world.
You can easily shoot this style of video by yourself. All you need is a good run-and-gun set-up — a high-quality DSLR or mirrorless camera, a good gimbal, and some strong arms. You’re looking to capture the highlights, which means you can stage things a little bit. Have the couple run through a wheat field. Ask them to stare longingly into each other’s eyes. Capture all of these highlights in 60-120 frames per second so that you can slow them down in post. This is my favorite style of wedding video to shoot since you get to add more of your own creative vision — bringing the wedding to life through a lens.
Editing-wise, it’ll almost play out like any other highlight reel you might see on YouTube for an event — attractive visuals, emotional music, and sweeping drone shots. You also get the opportunity to color grade in interesting ways, which can really capture the feeling of their big day.
The “Blended Package”
This is the package I usually recommend to clients for their wedding video. It’s a blend of both the traditional and cinematic styles of wedding videos — capture the entirety of the ceremony (albeit on just one camera), and use another camera on a gimbal to capture cinematic shots. When you shoot in a blended style, you’re basically giving yourself a safety net in the edit. If some of your highlight shots don’t pan out, you still have the full video of the ceremony to use in a pinch. This is especially important when you need to capture an important part of the ceremony, like the kiss. Say one of your cameras stopped working a second before the kiss — you’ve got a backup you can use.
Editing in the blended style can also make things easier for you. Since you have so much footage from a dual-camera set-up, piecing together an edit is much easier than pulling from just one. As an added bonus, you can also sell the raw video of the ceremony to the couple for a small fee.
Since there are all different kinds of ways to portray a couple’s biggest day, it’s important to keep in mind that you’re working to give the couple their favorite video, not yours. Sure, you can add your own flavor to the pot, but since your client is the one paying the bill, their vision comes first. Always have a pre-wedding meeting to discuss their preferences and expectations. Once you get their input (after showing them all their options), you’ll be ready to get out there and shoot some killer video.
Cover image via Shunevych Serhii.
Looking for more videography tips and tricks? Check these out.
- What You Need to Know Before Shooting Wedding Videography
- Shooting Underwater Photos and Videos for the First Time
- Why You Need More Video Content In Your Social Media Strategy
- Tips for Recording ADR on Your Own — on a Budget
- How to Build a Visual Story in Your Film or Video Project