What is a Wedding Video Made Of

What goes into a good wedding video? We're glad you asked. We're going to break down the various bits and pieces that make up a good wedding video, and share a little of the secret formula we use here at Unnamed Films. For each item, we'll also throw out a "what to look for" section to help you as you search for the right videographer, and a couple of pro tips for describing your dream video if you've already hired someone.

Cinematography

As we mentioned in our article on how much a wedding video costs, one of the three services you're paying for when you pay for a wedding video is day-of videography. When we say "day-of videography," we're referring to the time spent on-site with you on your wedding day. For some folks this is 2 hours, for others, it's as much as 12!

Videographers And Gear

The differences between videos shot by one videographer versus two, or with a cinematic camera versus a DSLR, or shot with 3 cameras versus 4, will be subtle and hard to spot. In our opinion, an excellent wedding video is shot by two videographers with multiple cameras each. We shoot on cinematic, but that's just a preference. It can be subtle, but a video shot with more angles will sparkle just a bit more!

What to Look For

• Check that you can see both sides of the aisle (both reactions!) and any first look or first touch from both sides
• Watch to see how many angles of dances or entrances the videographer is getting. More angles = a better video
• Do you see other vendors, like a videographer or photographer, popping into a shot? If so, the videographer may not have had an angle to swap for it

When it comes to the videographers themselves, there are a few key things to look for. In our experience, having local staff videographers (not random contractors) on-site can make a big difference. Every videographer we hire is trained in our style of shooting, so you know exactly what  you're going to get. When a larger company uses contract videographers, you might get a mixed bag as far as shooting styles and gear.

What to Look For

• Watch a couple or few videos from their portfolio that were filmed in the past year. How different do they feel? Why do they feel different? What events are captured in one versus the other? While the editing and feel should match the wedding day, you should see the same quality of videography
• Are the shots in focus? Are they shaky? Do the angles they use vary wildly between videos?

Cringe-Proof Party Poses

When we are talking in-house about the photo sessions with the wedding party, family, and couple, we call these "formals." Wedding party formals can range from iconic to totally cringe, as can couple poses, on occasion. We don't want you to look like Zach Galifianakis and Kate McKinnon in that one scene from Masterminds.

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How to Spot Cringe-Proof Poses:

• Are there a variety of party and couple poses in each video?
• Do you feel excited and inspired by those poses?
• Are all party members captured? And are both partners' faces shown clearly in each formal shot?
• How are the formals used? Do they contribute to the story of the wedding day?
• Do they feel too "posed" or are they natural with plenty of movement?

Storyboarding

A lot like making a short film or a movie, great wedding videos begin with storyboarding. An editor will take the events of the day and create an ideal map for the video to tell the story of that couple's wedding in a way that matches their unique day's events.

Storyline (linear or nonlinear)

Video editors have a choice between linear and nonlinear storytelling. This can really affect the pace of the video, and if it feels more like a recap or more like a piece of art. It's up to you if you prefer to see the day in the exact order it occurred, or if you'd like to give your videographer some creative freedom to choose when to highlight which event.

What to Look For

• Is prep first, followed by first look, ceremony, formals, and then the reception? Is golden hour or sendoff featured at the end? How are formals used in-between?
• When you finish watching the video, do you feel like you've experienced their day? Do you understand the story and how it happened?

Voiceover or Music?

Some videographers choose to include voice-over from the big day, like the vows, toasts, or the officiant's speech. Whether or not you'd like to hear your voice tell the story of your day is up to you! We recommend watching at least one video with voice-over and one without from each videographer you consider.

What to Look For

• When voice-over is used, is it clear, crisp audio? Do you clearly understand what the person is saying?
• When voice-over is used, do I like the clips they pulled? Do people speak clearly, or say "um" during the video in a way you wish was omitted?
• When voice-over is not used, does the music help build to highlight the important events? Does it match the vibe? For example, is it sentimental during the ceremony and exciting during the reception? Is it mismatching during important moments, like carrying an upbeat feel while the couple on-screen is having an emotional moment?

Editing Magic

Again in our article on wedding video costs, we talk about how editing is a vital service you're paying for when you pay for a wedding video. It's through the editing and color-grading that the art and experience of your wedding day can really shine!... or not, in some cases.

Matching Your Vibe

When every wedding video in a wedding videographer's portfolio feels the same way, how will it take you back to your day? While a photographer's editing style and color choice may stay consistent, a videographer can have more freedom. Make sure that you're choosing a videographer that either has a style you like, or clearly makes choices with their editing to better reflect a couple's experience.

What to Look For: 

• Is every video the same? Is that a bad thing?
• Is every video a little bit different? In a good way?
• Can you tell through the editing (colors, clips, angles) the experience of a couple's day?

Length--Can a Wedding Video be Too Long?

In our experience, the longer the wedding video, the more sentimental. We have only seen one or two of our 8-minute films that is truly upbeat throughout. A good rule of thumb is that if you want a sentimental video, shoot for longer. If you want a more upbeat video, shorter is better.

What to Look For

• Does the videographer you're looking into offer videos of varying lengths? Watch a couple. How do they compare? Do you ever get bored in the middle of a longer video?
• Can you sense a difference between videos in fun vs. sentimental? Are some a good blend of both?

Effects and Magic

This one is going to be different between the videographers you're looking at! Editing magic is what sets us apart from our competitors, and at UNF, what helps us to make each film totally unique. It all starts with the color-grading. We shoot on cinematic cameras, which means the footage we capture is gray and intended to be brought to life through color-grading! We carefully select the colors to highlight in each wedding so that it has a lifelike feel with subtle differences. Your decorations, the lighting, the season of the wedding, your preference for a sentimental or upbeat vibe, the weather on the big day... all of it play into how we change the colors in your video! check out this example from Holly & Sterling's big day, where we wanted to make their yellows POP!

Drone Footage

When you book an FAA licensed drone pilot from UNF for your wedding day, you'll get some seriously cool shots. We use the drone to establish the location, capture a sendoff, or capture formals with a really incredible bird's eye view. When we edit, we carefully select when to incorporate drone footage so that it contributes to the story, rather than distracts.

Editing Magic: AI & Effects

One of the ways we can tailor our videos to suit each couple is by adding unique effects, like lens flares to transition or a vintage filter to give a couple a certain feel they are looking for. We also use AI sparingly and on occasion to remove someone from a shot, or something like a vehicle that was parked in the wrong spot! We challenge you to find a place we've used an AI tool to remove something critical from a wedding day--only a trained eye will catch it! And you'll be grateful your first look with your dad didn't have a photographer smack in the middle!

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What to Look For

• Watch for unique transitions, filters, or fills that make the video unique. Do you like them? Do they vary between videos?
• Watch the color--is it lifelike? Interesting? Favorable to the decorations and location?
• Was drone footage included? If so, how?

Delivery and Deliverables

The amount of time a video takes after your wedding depends on how long your video will be, and what other bells and whistles may have been added to your package. Each videography company has a unique way of structuring package, some with a little flexibility built in, some with none, to make sure their staff is paid fairly, and their clients get their best bang for their buck. At UNF, we try to deliver as much footage as possible as quickly as possible!

If you've found a videographer who hits all of these points and whose videos make you feel good, you might have found a winner! It might be worth reaching out and booking a call to learn more about how this videographer operates and what their packages look like. We'd love to chat with you, and maybe even watch a wedding video together to show you everything that goes into it! You can always set up a call with us to learn more.