Whether you’re hiring a professional wedding videographer or you’re taking your own video with the help of family and friends, it’s important to find someone who understands what you want from your big day. You’ll want to look at their website and social media for examples of their work, as well as talk to them on the phone to get a feel for their personality and expertise. When meeting with potential videographers, it’s also important to find out how they handle unexpected occurrences on the wedding day, how long they expect to take to produce the final product and how they’ll deliver it to you (i.e. email, flash drive, Blu-ray or hard drive).

Getting to know the style of each videographer will give you an idea of what type of wedding film they can create for you. A cinematic style of video is filmed and edited more like a movie, emphasizing emotions and drama with montages, music and special effects. They may also use camera stabilisation systems such as a Steadicam to capture smooth movements, and colors and contrast are often enhanced during post-production to add a cinematic flair.

A traditional wedding video is a more narrative style, typically incorporating footage from the pre-ceremony (getting ready), ceremony, photoshoot and reception entrance. They’re usually shown near the end of the reception, prior to the bride and groom speeches as a recap of the day’s highlights and can be a beautiful way to share your story with those who couldn’t attend.

If you’re looking for something unique, consider a stop motion save the date or a witty wedding announcement video that will have your friends and family in stitches. Or, have your bridal party lip sync to a catchy song or reenact your favorite romantic moment from a classic movie for a truly memorable touch.

Another great way to make your wedding stand out is by including short clips of your loved ones in your video. This will give the impression that your video is more than just a highlight reel of you and your partner, and it’s a fun way to showcase your relationships with your wedding guests.

You can also make your wedding video more interactive by adding a voiceover or captions that tell the story of how you and your significant other met, what brought you together and how you got to your big day. This can be an especially meaningful element if you’ve been through a tough time in your relationship, or if one of you has special needs that need to be taken into account.

While many couples choose to record their own wedding day through photos, a video is an excellent way to capture and remember all the small moments that made your day so magical. Creating a shot list will help you and your videographer keep track of all the special touches that you’ll want to include in your wedding film, such as the emotional reactions of your parents to your walk down the aisle or the celebratory clinks of your champagne glasses during your toasts.