Pre-wedding photos are still frames, but the day itself is lively: hair blown everywhere, a pose that collapses into laughter, the photographer lying on the ground asking you to move closer. Only behind-the-scenes footage catches that. Many photo packages don't include video, and a friend with a phone can record material that turns out to be very useful.
What to film
- Getting ready: make-up, arranging the veil, shoes, the tie.
- Movement: walking hand in hand from behind, lifting the dress across grass.
- Small interactions: fixing each other's clothes, laughing, chatting in a break.
- Outtakes: the laughter, the wind, the near stumble. Friends love these most.
- The photographer at work: the couple and the photographer in one frame.
- Empty scenery: sea, trees, buildings, light. Ten seconds each, for linking shots.
Staying out of the photographer's way
- Tell the photographer beforehand and ask where to stand to stay out of frame.
- Stay behind and to the side. Don't block the light or step between the camera and the couple.
- Silence the phone while the photographer is directing, and keep the flash and light off.
- Some studios have rules about filming, or offer their own video add-on. Ask when booking.
Phone settings
Landscape, 1080p or 4K, 30 fps. For shots you want in slow motion (walking, spinning, the veil lifting), film at 60 fps; see what fps means. Hold each shot steady for 8 to 10 seconds. If iPhone footage looks odd on a computer, see why iPhone video looks washed out.
How the footage can be used
- Wedding opening video: moving footage mixed with the photos is far livelier than photos alone.
- Invitation video: three seconds of behind-the-scenes at the start sets the mood; see wedding invitation video.
- Social clip: a 20-to-30-second vertical cut for stories or reels.
- End of the growth video: from childhood photos through to the shoot, leading into the wedding day.
When you hand it to us
Put the clips and the photos you want to pair with them in one cloud folder, and tell us where the video will be used, the wedding date, and any favourite moments. See how to provide footage. Check your contract with the photo studio about how the photos may be used; using them in your own wedding video is normally fine, while commercial use needs separate confirmation.
FAQ
Nobody can come along. Can we prop up a phone ourselves?
Yes. A small tripod in a safe spot gives one fixed angle, and still catches the movement and interaction.
The footage is vertical. Can it go into a landscape wedding video?
Yes, with blurred sides or placed next to photos. If it's definitely for a projector screen, film sideways.
It was windy and the sound is all wind noise.
This kind of footage is usually set to music, so little of the original sound is used. To keep laughter or conversation, film close and between gusts.
