5 Game-Changing Wedding Video Ideas That’ll Stun You
You have to read this article, because it will change the way you think of wedding videos. It’s easy to overlook investing in a good wedding videographer. Why? Because:
It’s too expensive
I prefer photos
My <insert family member> can do record for us
I’m only going to watch it once
It’s long and boring. I don’t see the big deal.
I hear these people give these reasons and my literally heart hurts because couples are leaving so many memories and experiences on the table. In Miami, the average cost of a wedding is over $30,000 with the most expensive items being the venue and the catering. Paying that much money means, the average couple isn’t concerned too much about cost as they will spend the money to get the experience they envisioned. The problem is most couples don’t see how videos factor into that experience. For them wedding videos are still a nice-to-have where as photos are essential. Well, here are 5 game-changing uses for wedding videos that will enhance your wedding experience far beyond what photos could ever do.
1. Family Archive
We store much of our lives on social media and in a way these social platforms have become our personal archive. How many of you would still like to have a copy for yourself that isn’t stuck on Instagram. You can create DVDs or physical copies of the event and place it with your wedding album. You can also make copies and send it to family and friends as a gift or part of your thank you notes after the wedding. It will bring a wealth of nostalgia when you open up the album decades later and play a professionally made video for your children or descendants.
2. Invitations (Novice)
Depending on the videographer they can create an engagement video for you. These videos are often fun and light-hearted and where you can strike an epic slow-motion pose worthy of the red carpet. You can use the video exactly like you would your engagement photo and use it to create a digital save the date. It’s also just a fun way to announce to everyone that you’re getting married!
3. Invitations (Advance)
Videos make for really engaging content. You can leverage the full potential by adding the video to your wedding website (if you have one). These sites are versatile and can be a central place for your guests to find information. You can use your engagement video as a way to spice up your site and after the wedding use the site to hold your pictures and wedding video.
4. Social Media (Beginner)
This one is obvious low. You can share your wedding video online on your favorite social platform. Of course you can do this for photos too but as we all know, and statistics are proving, videos are far more engaging than photos. Followers will spend a longer time interacting and commenting on videos than they would a photo. But don’t just look at this from your perspective, look at this from your guest’s perspective. If your photos were to remind you of the moment, what will the photos do for everyone else who couldn’t make it? They can’t experience how fun, or emotional, or exciting the wedding was with a photo. Those who were at your wedding can reminisce and see a different perspective of the day while those who missed it can feel a part of the moment.
5. Social Media (Advance)
This tip works really well when you have a wedding video that’s story-driven. You can supercharge your social media experience by taking advantage of facebook’s watch parties or YouTube’s premiers. My documentary-style videography lends itself well to this experience, so I recently suggested creating a watch party to one of my clients. Since Covid makes gathering difficult, the client loved the idea and invited me to the premier on YouTube. It was amazing how many people showed up online to watch the video together as though it were a movie. All the people invited to the watch party were able to experience the wedding and it didn’t matter whether or not they were physically there.
A STRONG Word of Advice
All of this means nothing if your video is basic (click here to learn what I mean). You’ll want to make sure the videographer creates a video that will help you and your family relive the moments that make your event special. Not gloss over it with “cinematic movements and sequences”. The video style I think works best is a documentary-style or storytelling-style wedding video. These videos should include the perspective of people other than the bride and groom. This gives you added dimension and dramatically increases its watchability because your guests feel like they made your day special (which they did!). These videos don’t have to be an hour long but they shouldn’t be short either. It should be about 15 - 25 minutes long. I find 20 minutes to be the sweet spot.
Example
You can see how much fun my client and their friends had at their wedding film premier. Many of my client’s friends didn’t realize how critical they were in making the video special which made the premier even more engaging and exciting. The premier was emotional, hilarious and captivating but it was only possible with this unique documentary-style approach and the openness of my clients.