For decades, wedding videography has been a highly specialized and a very expensive endeavor. Today, wedding videos are becoming a more collaborative effort among all types of couples as they can be a one-of-a-kind piece of art that captures the wedding day in a way traditional videos never could. Now, we are seeing a shift as videos have adapted to the world post Covid-19 pandemic. For example, many wedding videos are being created as a compilation of mobile phone videos, offering a unique opportunity to see a wedding from different vantage points, through the eyes of multiple guests. So if you’re a bride or groom looking to create a wedding video on a budget you should read this article!
High Demand for Videographers
The wedding video industry was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. For over a year, many videographers were out of work collecting unemployment or finding other work, however, wedding videographers have been in high demand as the world finds its new normal and postponed weddings are now back on the books. Couples are getting creative about all areas of wedding planning as many venues are booked with weddings that were scheduled in years past but delayed because of the pandemic. This also means there is a high demand and limited supply for all other wedding vendors such as photographers and videographers. It can be very difficult to find one available and if you can, the price is going to be much higher than it used to be.
The DIY Wedding Video Trend
One of the most popular wedding trends right now is to create your own wedding video with the help of your guests. This new wedding trend might not be for everyone and definitely takes a lot more time than you would imagine but it has become a popular way to get a unique video at the lowest possible cost! The great thing about doing this type of wedding video, which usually starts with encouraging guests to film on their phones, is that you can use editing software to create the story of your wedding day or wedding week in a way only possible with this type of footage.
Many wedding venues discourage guests from filming the special occasion as they want them to be fully engaged and focused on the nuptials themselves, however, many couples are pushing back and putting the memory of the occasion at the forefront of the event forcing venues to reconsider the policy.
Compiling Footage From Friends and Family
With the current quality of mobile phone video cameras catching up to more expensive cameras it is much easier to capture any event and compile a video. Most of the friends and family attending the wedding will be extremely adept at taking great video. Since you are compiling the footage that they capture, not everyone needs to be filming at the exact same time. All you’ll need is clips from as many guests as possible throughout the occasion. Depending on how long you would like the video to be you can edit together as much or as little footage as you would like. This is a great way to have even more personal wedding videos that feel like it’s just for you!
Creating the Video Narrative
Telling the story of your wedding day and what it was like being there has never been easier! Ideally, you will have many hours worth of guest footage for you to be able to create an authentic wedding video that feels real. Having different angles and points of view is important with this type of video. You can even compile footage leading up to the event including the wedding shower and the rehearsal dinner to add even more authenticity and to remember all aspects of the event.
Finding Affordable Video Editing Software
Many affordable options exist when it comes to editing your own video, whether it is an iPhone app or computer software. Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the most popular wedding video editing software programs. You will find it offers a range of features like sound design, color correction and more to create that perfect wedding film you are looking for with compiled footage. The software may take some time to learn, but makes it very easy to create seamless transitions with all of the scenes captured by your guests.
Selecting Background Music for the Video
Choosing the right wedding video music is a lot harder than it sounds and is very important as it sets the tone for the whole video. Often wedding videography companies will have limited sample playlists of songs that they think would be good choices that are low cost or copyright free. For this reason, it’s important to understand a little about music licensing and make sure any music used within the video is royalty free for commercial use. This also allows you to pick out music that will be unique and is not the same as what everyone else has in their videos.
One of the easiest options is to use a stock music service like Soundstripe to select the appropriate wedding video songs. You will have to pay a nominal fee, however, stock companies will have a large variety of music that you can choose for your wedding day categorized by genre. You will be able to very simply see what songs you like and add them directly into Adobe Premiere Pro or any chosen video editing software.
Conclusion
Finding an available wedding video company has never been more difficult as the pandemic has created a high demand for all wedding vendors. That aspect of the wedding planning process has driven couples looking to save money and create a unique video to go the “do it yourself” route compiling footage from guests to create their own video. Others looking to save money and avert some of the hassle of finding the right videographer can go a similar route if willing to put in the effort to compile the video using a variety of video editing tools. Once the video is collected and compiled into the appropriate narrative you just have to add a little music to set the tone. Using a stock video service can make that process very simple and will emulate the feelings behind the occasion. Overall, this process may not be for everyone but is a great option for those who want something very unique on a strict budget.
