Category: Filming Tips

Lights, camera, action! Welcome to the dazzling world of wedding videography, where you’re capturing moments and crafting cinematic treasures that couples will cherish for a lifetime. Whether you’re a budding videographer looking for wedding videography tips for beginners or an experienced pro aiming to polish your skills, this guide is your ticket to elevating your craft. We’ll explore how to build a thriving business and share insider tips for shooting a wedding to make your videos shine like a diamond. 

What to Do as You Build Your Wedding Videography Business

Before we zoom in on the technical aspects of filming a wedding, let’s focus on the bigger picture. Building a successful wedding videography business requires more than a steady hand and a good eye. It’s about crafting a brand that resonates with couples and stands out in a crowded market.

1. Define Your Signature Style

Every great artist has a unique signature. As a wedding videographer, your style is your calling card. Are you drawn to dreamy, romantic aesthetics, or do you prefer a more documentary-style approach? Whatever your preference, honing a distinctive style will help you attract the right clients and build a cohesive portfolio. Take the time to study different wedding video styles, experiment with various techniques, watch films and draw inspiration from diverse sources. Your unique style might combine elements to create something distinctive.

2. Invest in Quality Equipment

While it’s true that the artist, not the tools, makes the art, having reliable, high-quality equipment is worth its weight in gold in wedding videography. So, start with the basics and gradually build your kit. Invest in a high-quality camera, versatile lenses, stable tripods and professional-grade audio equipment. You can also consider renting equipment for specific shoots before making big purchases to test different gear and find what fits best with your style.

3. Master the Art of Networking

Connections are critical in the wedding industry. A strong network can provide support, inspiration and business opportunities, so aim to build relationships with wedding planners, photographers and venues. These connections can lead to referrals and collaborations that will help your business stand out and grow. We also recommend attending bridal shows and industry events to meet potential clients and fellow vendors or joining online groups to stay connected and learn from others in the field. 

4. Develop Clear Packages and Pricing

Transparency in your offerings and pricing will save you and your clients from headaches down the line. Create clear, comprehensive packages that outline exactly what clients can expect, and consider offering tiered options to cater to different budgets and preferences. When developing your packages, consider add-ons that can increase your revenue, such as same-day edits, extended coverage or drone footage.

5. Create a Stunning Online Presence

Your website and social media profiles are often the first impression potential clients will have of your work. Showcase your best videos, share behind-the-scenes content and tell your brand story. Remember, your online portfolio is your 24/7 sales pitch, so you should regularly update your online platforms with fresh content and engage with your followers and other wedding vendors. Consider starting a blog to share wedding videography tips for beginners to establish yourself as an expert in the field and improve your website’s search engine optimization. Use social media strategically to engage with your audience and showcase your personality alongside your work.

4 Tips to Level up Your Wedding Videography

Now that we’ve laid the foundation for your business, let’s cut to the chase and explore some game-changing wedding videography tips to elevate your videos from rough cuts to polished gems!

1. Plan Your Shots

One of the major tips for shooting a wedding is to plan your shots. Have a detailed consultation with the couple to discuss their expectations, must-have shots and any specific moments they want captured. 

Ask clarifying questions to ensure you can envision what they want. With permission, you can also take an audio recording of them describing their ideal wedding video for reference. Based on your discussion with the couple, create a shot list that includes crucial moments, significant family members and friends, and unique elements of their wedding. Reference this list throughout the day to ensure you do not miss any essential shots.

2. Master Multiple Camera Coverage and Composition

When figuring out how to film a wedding, remember that one camera cannot be everywhere at once. Static cameras can capture wide shots or specific moments like the ceremony while you move around with your primary camera. This approach will give you more editing options and ensure you don’t miss critical moments. 

If you’re working solo, consider investing in small, high-quality action cameras that you can discreetly place to capture additional angles. These can be particularly useful during the ceremony or for capturing guest reactions during speeches. As you film, use concepts like the rule of thirds, leading lines and framing to guide the viewer’s gaze toward the couple. 

3. Be Discrete and Capture Authentic Moments

The best wedding videographers are stealthy. So, use silent camera modes when possible, be mindful of your positioning during key moments like the first kiss and speeches and adhere to the wedding dress code to blend in with the guests. Also, avoid loud Velcro on your gear bags, and practice smooth, deliberate movements to minimize distractions while filming.

While posed shots have their place, the real magic of wedding videography lies in candid moments. Keep your camera ready to capture spontaneous laughter, tears of joy and intimate glances. Dressing like a guest and having quiet equipment also helps you blend in and capture genuine emotions. These unscripted moments often become the emotional heart of the wedding video.

4. Streamline Your Processes and Workflow

During peak wedding season, balancing multiple shoots while maintaining high-quality output can be challenging. Establishing a streamlined workflow and strategic partnerships ensures you deliver top-notch videos promptly and maintain a healthy work-life balance. You should create a system for organizing and backing up your footage. Keep a digital copy of your shot list and a video of the couple describing their wedding video vision to ensure you meet and exceed their expectations. 

You can also partner with professional editing services to handle time-consuming post-production tasks. This approach allows you to focus on shooting more weddings and grow your business, even if you don’t have an in-house editor. By outsourcing editing, you can maintain a consistent style across all your projects and deliver polished final products without burning out, even if your business is a one-person show.

Polish Your Craft With Uncut Gems

As we wrap up this cinematic journey, remember that becoming a top-tier wedding videographer is a process of continuous refinement. Each wedding you shoot is an opportunity to hone your craft and add another sparkling gem to your portfolio. Keep practicing these wedding videography tips, and experiment to develop your unique style.

And when the editing workload becomes overwhelming, Uncut Gems is here to help polish your raw footage into cinematic masterpieces. Our professional editing services can save you time and money while ensuring you deliver high-quality videos to your clients. Whether you prefer the flexibility of our pay-as-you-go option or the cost-efficiency of our annual pricing plans, Uncut Gems is here to help you shine in the competitive world of wedding videography.

Subscribe today to elevate your craft, delight your clients and grow your wedding videography business!

As a wedding videographer, the moments you capture last forever. But only if you remember to capture them. 

A wedding video shot list is your cheat sheet to track all the must-have shots the newlyweds expect to see in their video. Using a shot list ensures your video will meet the couple's expectations, freeing up your artistic mind to be present and create the magic that exceeds their highest hopes.

Wedding Day Video Shot List Essentials

Every wedding is unique, but there are some essential moments most couples will want you to capture. Use this list as your starting point, and rest assured you'll have all your bases covered. If the couple has special requests, or you have your own signature shots or ideas, adapt this list as necessary.

Pre-Ceremony Shots

Many of the most memorable wedding day moments happen before the ceremony even starts. The pre-ceremony portion of a wedding video captures moments like these as the anticipation builds:

• Each partner getting ready — hair, makeup and dressing
• Each partner's detail shots
• Each partner with their bridesmaids or groomsmen
• Each partner sharing what they love about the other
• Establishing shots of the ceremony venue
• The bride arriving in and getting out of the wedding car
• Inside shots of the ceremony area

Ceremony Shots

The wedding ceremony is all about the two people joining their lives together as everyone gathers to witness their commitment. Most of the fairytale moments they've dreamed about all their lives will happen during the ceremony, so be sure to catch these:

• Guests arriving and finding seats
• The groom walking in
• The groom waiting at the altar
• The bride walking down the aisle
• Everyone standing for the bride
• The groom reacting to the bride
• The rest of the bridal procession
• The father of the bride handing her over
• The bride and groom approaching the altar
• Both sets of parents watching from their seats
• Both sets of bridal party watching from their positions
• Exchanging vows 
• Putting on rings
• The officiant's speech
• Pronouncing the couple as officially married
• The first kiss
• The couple exiting down the aisle
• Leaving the ceremony venue, including confetti, doves or any other special gestures
• Any important cultural, religious or family traditions incorporated into the ceremony

Post-Ceremony Shots

At most weddings, the newlyweds and their wedding party head off for a photo shoot between the ceremony and the reception. Meanwhile, the guests mingle over cocktails, lawn games or other planned activities. Use this time to focus on the relationships between the glowing newlyweds and their loved ones and on the smiles of guests as they reflect on the ceremony and look forward to the reception. Look out for these shots:

• Establishing shots of the reception venue
• Inside shots of the reception venue
• The couple and wedding party's post-ceremony shoot
• Any staged portrait shots you have in mind
• The cocktail hour or any other activities between the ceremony and reception. Remember that the bride and groom don't just want to see themselves in the final product so be sure to get plenty of family and guest shots throughout the day!

Reception Shots

The reception is the culmination of the wedding festivities. Be sure to highlight the fun and joy as everyone celebrates, along with some more tender moments. Enjoy the party, but remember to grab these shots:

• Wedding party introductions
• Bride and groom introductions
• The first dance
• Toasts and speeches with reactions
• The bride and groom's dance with their mother or father
• Plenty of shots of the guests dancing
• Tender bride and groom moments during the reception
• Cake cutting
• The bouquet toss
• The last dance
• The bride and groom's exit

10 Wedding Videography Shot List Tips and Tricks

Now, you have the backbone of your wedding video shot list. Here are our top 10 tips for getting the most out of it:

• Ask for requested shots: Ask the bride and groom for their lists of requested shots. If any of these aren't already on your shot list for this wedding video, add them.
• Ask about traditions: Ask about any cultural, religious or family wedding traditions they want you to capture. Some of these may be so normal to the bride or groom that they forget to include them in their requested shots list. Asking specifically about traditions is a good way to remind them so you can look out for these moments.
• Get a timeline: Contact the wedding planner or maid of honor and request a detailed timeline of the day. They'll likely need this themselves anyway and won't mind sharing it. Once you know the shots you're looking for, recognizing when to expect them is the next most important way to ensure you capture those moments.
• Scout the venue: If you can arrange it, visit the venue beforehand and scout out the spaces you'll be shooting. Visualize the key moments and plan how to position yourself for clear shots of each.
• Acknowledge limitations: Look through your complete shot list carefully and confirm it's possible to get all those shots. If you're shooting alone, you can only be in one place at a time. If any shots make it practically impossible to get any of the others, flag this for the couple. Agree together on whether to leave a shot out or hire a second shooter. 
• Check what to exclude: Ask the couple if there's anything that will or might happen on the day that they don't want in their video. These could be moments they'd rather not remember or intimate ones to keep private. If you happen to catch any in your footage, take note of them to remove during editing.
• Prepare your equipment: Plan and prepare all your equipment early, including lenses and settings for each part of the day.
• Carry two copies: Always carry two copies of your shot list in case you lose one. Even if you prefer to have it in digital form, print a physical copy as your backup.
• Color code: Create your own system of symbols and color coding to mark up your list. You could use these markers to indicate close-ups, establishing shots and other types of shots or to group shots you'll take from the same position.
• Shoot more than you need: Snap key shots multiple times and get some b-roll beyond the items on your shot list. This helps ensure you have the quality and quantity of footage the couple expects for their video.

Outsource Editing With Uncut Gems

Congratulations! You've followed your shot list, captured the key moments several times over, and picked up some b-roll and a bunch of unusable shots of closed-eye smiles and awkward expressions along the way. 

Picture your raw footage as a field of uncut gems. The hours of editing between your raw footage and the glistening diamond of your final product are the most time-consuming part of your process. For many videographers, these are also the least fun and fulfilling hours. So, let Uncut Gems handle them for you.

The editing aficionados at Uncut Gems finesse what you've filmed to carve out the masterpiece we know is buried in that field of footage. We free you up to do more of what you do best and love most so you can scale your wedding videography business. 

Create a free Uncut Gems account to share your needs and editing style with us so we can take those editing hours off your plate. 

Get up to 40% off all your orders by joining our Carat Club.

Introduction

As a wedding videographer, your primary goal is to capture the magic and emotion of the day. However, it’s crucial to consider how your footage will translate in the editing process. Here are some practical tips to help you capture wedding footage that edits seamlessly and beautifully.

Understand the Wedding Schedule

Know the day’s flow: Understanding the wedding day’s schedule is key to capturing all essential moments. Coordinate with the wedding planner or the couple to ensure you know when and where each significant event will occur.

Use Manual Settings

Control over Auto: While automatic settings can be helpful, using manual camera settings gives you greater control over your footage’s look and feel.

Keep Lighting in Mind

Natural light is your best friend: Whenever possible, make use of natural light. Pay attention to the direction and quality of light at different times of the day.

Maintain Shot Variety

Mix it up: Be sure to capture a variety of shots – wide, medium, and close-ups. This gives your editor more options to work with during the editing process.

Capture Adequate B-Roll

Extra footage: Don’t underestimate the power of B-roll. These shots add texture to the narrative and can be useful during transitions.

Conclusion

Remember, the way you capture footage will significantly impact the final wedding video. By following these tips, you can ensure your professional editor has all they need to create a stunning, emotive wedding film that couples will cherish for years to come.