However good the video is, if it doesn't play on the day it might as well not exist. This is a checklist for the couple or the host: ask the venue these questions before delivery, and there's one less thing to worry about.
Four things to ask the venue
- Screen ratio: most projectors and TVs are 16:9. Some banquet halls have LED walls in unusual ratios, very wide or nearly square. A wrong ratio means a stretched picture or black bars.
- Playback device: the venue's computer, your own laptop, or a USB stick plugged straight into a player? Different devices support different formats.
- How sound comes out: a laptop over HDMI usually carries picture and sound together; with a separate audio cable, the mixing desk needs to be on.
- Who presses play: venue staff, the planner or the best man. Someone specific has to own it.
Tell us the answers and we export to match the venue's ratio and format. See which delivery format to choose.
What we deliver
- An MP4 file, H.264, the most widely compatible format; nearly every device plays it directly.
- A version matching the venue's ratio. If unknown, 16:9 first.
- On request, a lower-resolution backup that older computers can play without stuttering.
Test runs: don't skip them
- When you receive the file, play it from start to finish on your computer and on your phone. Check picture and sound.
- One to two weeks before the wedding, take the file to the venue and play it on the actual equipment. This is the step that matters most; many problems only show up on site.
- On the day, arrive early and play the first thirty seconds again to confirm the sound.
Backups: at least three
- One USB stick with the person pressing play.
- A second USB stick or a laptop with someone else.
- One copy in the cloud, such as Google Drive, downloadable to a phone.
Format the USB stick as exFAT or NTFS; FAT32 can't hold files over 4 GB.
Common problems on the day
- Black bars: usually a ratio mismatch. The player's "fill" or "fit to screen" setting helps but crops part of the picture.
- No sound: check that the laptop's output is set to HDMI, then the mixing desk.
- Stuttering: the file is too big or the computer too old; switch to the low-resolution backup.
- File won't open: possibly the USB format or an unsupported player; try the backup. If the file itself is damaged, see the video repair site.
Frequently asked questions
The venue asked for a MOV file. Is that OK?
Yes, tell us and we export one. But check whether they mean the format or are just used to saying it; MP4 almost always plays.
The LED wall has an unusual ratio. Does the growth video need remaking?
No, but it needs reframing and re-exporting; photo positions will shift. Telling us the ratio when you commission it saves the most effort.
Can we play from a phone connected to the projector?
Possible, but adapters and compatibility add variables. Use a laptop, with the phone as the backup.
