Concept Video｜Story Mode
In over 10 years in the wedding industry, we’ve seen wedding videography evolve from cheesy to artistic and cinematic, like the film below.
We had to make wedding cinematography available to everyone, so we adopted a new concept:
The best wedding video ideas combine filming style with unique moments and perspectives. Whether you plan on hiring a videographer or making your wedding video yourself, use one or more of the following ideas to capture your day the way you and your partner want to remember it.
1. Create a wedding trailer.
Use dialogue, music, and various clips throughout the day to create a story. Order the clips chronologically, but look for moments within sections (like the ceremony or the photo session after) that capture the emotions you felt during that period. Add music that emphasizes those feelings and include dialogue through voiceover if you’d like to add commentary, or through natural ceremony moments like the “I dos.”
2. Make a social media collage.
Use your wedding hashtag to identify videos of your ceremony and reception taken by your guests. Look for their videos on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Save and edit their videos in the order of events for the day. Use an app such as Animoto to add finishing touches like music.
3. Interview the exes.
This only works if you’re all on good terms and they’re already invited to the wedding, but a good-natured participant can really add some fun to the wedding video if you choose to include them. Ask them what it was like to date each other and what advice they would give to your future spouse. This could also be a hilarious option to show to your guests during the reception.
4. Make it funny.
Pick out your favorite moments from your wedding day and create a video around that. For example, we’ve heard of a bride who asked that all her brother’s “um’s” and “uh’s” during his reception speech be cut into one hilarious mega clip for her to torture him with. So the sky really is the limit.
5. Be sentimental by honoring loved ones.
Honor those you’ve lost by including clips of them at their own weddings alongside similar ones of yours. For example, if you have a clip of them making a silly face while getting ready for their big day, mimic that shot while you’re getting ready, too. If you don’t have their videos available, then add photos of them to your video slideshow.
6. Creatively save the date.
Reenact your proposal, add title cards that tell the story of your journey as a couple, or even hire an animator to create a beautiful cartoon version of the video like the unique storybook example below. Make sure you at least include large and legible text that clearly states your names, the wedding venue address, and the ceremony date and time. Cover all your bases by adding this information to the video description box if it’s uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo.
7. Capture the proposal.
There are two options for every proposal wedding video. You can either film the surprise by setting up cameras ahead of time and/or asking invited observers to assist using their own smartphone cameras. Or you can reenact the moment with enhancements that make it look extra beautiful on film. For example, filming at that same location during sunset hours will help you capture a magical glow, plus some gorgeous B roll footage of the sun going down.
8. Turn it into a music video.
Recreate your favorite music video or give your own unique spin on a song you absolutely love. One important thing to know: Copyright laws might prevent you from sharing this on social media and YouTube.
9. Tell your love story through interviews.
You and your partner can talk separately about the night you met, your first kiss, and the first time you said you love each other. The differences between your two stories may be heartfelt or hilarious depending on the outcome. You can also get the perspective of your family members and wedding party too if they were an integral part of your union.
10. Memory to your pet.
Have your dog be a ring bearer and capture the looming faces of your loved ones laughing and cheering with delight as he or she trots down the aisle. Also be sure to practice filming during the rehearsal so your pet can get used to the experience of wearing the gear with a lot of people around.
11. Film in a cinematic style.
Cinematic wedding videos are a little more elaborate than your average wedding video because they’re more like an artistic short film rather than a compilation of the day’s best moments. As professional wedding cinematographers White in Revery discuss in their vlog on filming cinematic weddings, they often go out of their way the days or hours before the wedding to create Hollywood-like scenes to elevate the piece. Natural landscapes such as beaches or forests look pleasantly dramatic, as do candles, hanging lights, and paper lanterns.