A greetings video is one of the warmest moments at a reception: the classmate who lives abroad, the grandparent who can't travel, the boss nobody expected to be funny, each appearing on screen to say congratulations. The editing is rarely the hard part. The hard part comes earlier: someone forgets, someone films vertically, someone talks for three minutes. Set the rules for collecting first and the rest is straightforward.
Decide the length and the headcount first
Attention at a reception is limited, so two to three minutes works best. At 8 to 12 seconds per person, that's roughly 12 to 18 people. More people is possible, but each gets less time, or several friends share one frame. Counting before you invite is far less awkward than collecting forty clips and deciding who to leave out.
Send recording instructions as one message
"Record us a greeting" is not enough. The more specific the request, the more consistent the clips. Copy and adapt this:
Could you record a 10-second greeting for us? We'll play it at the wedding.
1. Hold the phone sideways, at about eye level.
2. Find somewhere quiet and bright, facing a window.
3. Start with "I'm ___, (how you know us)", then one wish.
4. Upload it to this folder (link). Please don't send it through a chat app, the quality drops.
5. By (date), please. Thank you!
Pick one orientation for everyone. Reception screens are landscape, so sideways is the usual choice; if the video is mainly for social media, ask for vertical instead.
Collecting the files
- Create a shared cloud folder that anyone with the link can upload to. For phone uploads, see uploading to Google Drive from a phone.
- Ask people to rename the file with their name, or at least tell you which clip is whose.
- Set the deadline five to six weeks before the wedding. Someone will be late; leave yourself two weeks to chase.
- For older relatives who can't upload, ask a family member to record and send it for them.
What happens in the edit
Each person keeps their liveliest line or two; the "is it recording?" at the start gets cut. Phones record at very different volumes, so levels are evened out first, and brightness and colour are brought closer together. The video usually opens and closes with a photo of the couple or a title, with one piece of music tying everyone together. A name card for each person helps older guests know who they are looking at.
Some clips really are too dark or too noisy. If there's time, ask for a retake. Sound is harder to rescue than picture, which is why the instructions ask for a quiet spot.
Before you hand it over
- The folder link, plus a list of who is who and the order you'd like.
- The feel of the music you want. For popular songs, see using popular music in a wedding video.
- The screen ratio at the venue and the wedding date. For timing, see how long wedding video editing takes.
FAQ
One person filmed vertically and everyone else filmed sideways. Now what?
It can be used; the sides are filled with a blurred background. One or two is fine. If there are many, the video starts to look patchy, so a retake is better when there's time.
Can the greetings be combined with the growth video?
Yes, but watch the length. Past six or seven minutes, guests drift. Two separate videos at different points in the evening usually work better. See preparing a wedding growth video.
I want it to be a surprise for my partner. Is that possible?
Yes. Tell contributors to keep it quiet, keep the folder link out of any group chat your partner is in, and let us know.
