It is common for couples to ask how long their wedding video will be, but your wedding video can be as long or as short as you want. I offer two types of wedding videos. A highlight video or a documentary video. A highlight video uses licensed music as the background and shows short clips of highlights of the wedding day. A documentary video normally shows highlights of preparations with the entire ceremony, first dances and toasts. The rest of the day is shown in highlights.
My average length of the wedding video is between 5-7 minutes for a highlight video and 45 minutes or longer for a documentary style video. You can always choose both depending on what you want to use it for and what kind of wedding video packages are offered. As a full-service video and photo professional in Baltimore, Maryland, I’ve helped oversee countless styles of video productions big and small for weddings.
There are no strict rules on how long your video will be it is based mostly on the footage and events we covered. We charge by the number of hours coverage so its natural that more coverage equals a longer video for the documentary edit.
If you’re wondering how many hours of wedding video can be cut down to just a few minutes well that is the magic of our video editing. We take all the footage into account and start with licensed music. Then we add voice over from either the ceremony or toasts mixed with video clips. The end result is an overview of the day in just a few minutes. Its perfect for sharing with friends or on social media for others to get a feel for the day without having to invest a long time watching a video.
Since we do charge by the hour for coverage consider what you want to be included in your video(s). By prioritizing the elements of your wedding ceremony and reception that you absolutely must include, you make sure you have us capture the most important moments for you. The preparations are a great way to start the video, introduce the key people and build anticipation but if your budget doesn’t allow for us to spend the time filming we can skip it.
If the location and weather permit a drone I try and introduce the venue with an aerial shot or steady cam shot of the venue with slow motion features
Documentary wedding videos can include personal moments with family and close friends as well as other moments of you as a couple leading up and after to your vows.
The highlights video is special and captures the best moments of the wedding ceremony with filters, music, and other elements, such as voice-over narration. Not all videographers include these effects during the editing phase but we do.
What to include in your wedding video
Every moment of your wedding day will be spectacular, making it difficult to limit yourself to something that can fit in a few moments, especially as most weddings last several hours from start to finish. Key moments to capture are:
- Prepare yourself from the perspective of each individual
- The first look between bride and groom
- Ceremony
- Reception events: cake cutting, entrance, and first dances
For anything that cannot be missed, communicate it with your videographer so that the moment is fully documented. Although the above moments are included in all our wedding videos, it is worth discussing if you want something specific for a particular part of the celebration.
About Dave McIntosh Photographics
My talent helps you remember each moment fondly. This means not only gorgeous photos and video but also a positive experience. When you look at the photos, you recall how you felt. Capturing special moments is more than picking up a camera. Sometimes is it creating a safe space for you to relax and be yourself. Sometimes it is creating a moment. Once you relax and be in the moment, the magic begins. I will guide you to create memories perfectly suited to you based on over 10 years of photographing and filming weddings.