Which style of wedding film is right for you?
Over the years, many wedding videographers have come to develop their own personal style when it comes to wedding films. They have built their client base around this style to attract the right kind of brides.
Let’s go over some of the most common wedding film styles along with their advantages and disadvantages to see which will best suit your wedding.
Documentary
The first type of wedding films are what I would call documentary style. This type of wedding film takes more of a fly-on-the-wall approach and seeks to capture the wedding day pretty much as it happens. This kind of videographer might use longer lenses and stay further back in order to capture moments in their purest form.
Advantages:
Most “realistic” film, moments are captured as they are
Videographer won’t get in the way much
Audio is likely overlaid on top of the visuals
Disadvantages:
Lots of people doing this kind of style
Lack of creativity can make for a less interesting edit
Can feel low-budget
Montage
The second type of wedding films are montage style films. These types of wedding films usually include a collection of slow-motion shots with music. They are also more likely to include staged shots taken at a nearby location.
Advantages:
More creative than the documentary style
Less production means these kinds of films will likely be cheaper
Disadvantages:
Slower paced than other styles
Usually doesn’t include audio from the ceremony or toasts
Cinematic
The third type of wedding films, and what we focus on here at Storytellers, are cinematic wedding films. We seek to create films that feel like a Hollywood movie. These types of wedding films usually include a wide variety of shot types, more involvement with the couple, and audio from the ceremony and toasts played over the footage.
Advantages:
Most opportunities for creative storytelling
Provides a Hollywood-like experience
Audio overlaid on top of the visuals
Disadvantages:
Might not be for someone who just wants the day captured “as it happened”
Bigger production usually means these types of films will be more expensive
I hope this has given you some insight into the various styles of wedding videography and will help you choose a videographer for your wedding. None of these styles are necessarily better than one another, it all depends on you and how you are looking to have your wedding day captured!
Again, at Storytellers, we focus on the cinematic style of wedding filmmaking. If this style most resonates with you feel free to view our films by clicking the link below. If you are drawn to one of the other styles, feel free to email me at films@storytellers.video and I would be happy to point you to a videographer that will suit your needs.
