Different Wedding Film Styles. - What makes a great film and which one to choose?

Your wedding film is one of the most important things to capture on your big day. After all, it's a day you'll want to remember forever! But with so many different types and styles of wedding films out there, how do you know which one to choose?

Here's a quick rundown of the different types of wedding films available, to help you make a decision that's right for you.

Traditional wedding films: This style of film captures the traditional aspects of your wedding, such as the exchange of rings and vows. Typically a video camera is usually shot continuously . There's less creativity involved besides documenting everything that's being done. There's no storytelling involved and it doesn't give you those emotions you would get from a Cinematic Wedding.

Documentary Wedding Films: Documentaries focus on telling a story about your wedding day, chronological timeline. It is essentially a play-by-play film of your wedding day's events from start to finish, professionally edited in a way to engage the audience.

Cinematic Wedding Films: This style uses creative techniques such as slow motion and camera movements to give a Hollywood feel to your wedding film. It also often includes stylised music and sound effects.

Same Day Edit Wedding Films: These films are put together on the day of your wedding and are shown to the guests at the reception. They usually include footage taken during the ceremony and highlights from earlier in the day, as well as interviews with family members or friends.

No matter what style you choose, it's important to remember that your wedding film should be a reflection of you and your partner. Talk to potential videographers to find out their approach and get an idea of how they can best bring your story to life on screen.

The Structure

A typical approach to creating a wedding film involves capturing a fly on the wall perspective - following the order of the day and providing an honest and realistic reflection of the ceremony, reception and all the special moments throughout. Cinematic techniques can be added to enhance the mood, set up scenes and add texture but at its heart, a well-structured wedding film will beautifully capture those priceless memories for years to come.

The Mood

Creative wedding films are a way to capture your special day and all the emotions that come with it, whether that's joy and love or even tears of happiness. They blend together fun, laughter and romantic moments to create an amazing piece of art that you can look back on time after time. Every wedding is unique, so having your film reflect those extra special moments will mean so much in years to come; something that goes beyond a set of posed photos. Get creative with your film and let the emotions of the day fill it - showcasing all the happiest times, along with all its beautiful details.

The Edit

Editing a wedding film can be a challenging but rewarding task. Fast paced edits move events along, while slow and romantic shots add to the drama of the day. Keeping your attention with the right timing is key to creating an engaging wedding film which captures all the emotions of the day. Thankfully, there are many techniques available to editing professionals to give that story-like appeal while portraying real life moments. Telling the story of a couple’s special day is exceptionally rewarding -with timeless results.

The Soundscape

The soundscape of a wedding film is an essential element that should not be overlooked! Capturing the audio of the special day is very important to recreate emotion; from the joyful and tear-jerking speeches, readings, sound effects and ambience, to your chosen musical pieces - everything plays an integral part in setting the tone and mood. A good soundtrack can make a huge difference when editing a wedding film, giving it a unique charm that will last you forever. The right mix of these audio elements gives you the opportunity to evoke deeper emotions and ensure your film shines through with clarity and purpose.

The Colour Grade of a wedding film

Achieving the right colour grading for a wedding film is an essential part of the editing process. Using vibrant colours can help to draw out the fun and emotion of the day giving a more authentic feel. Alternatively, taking a muted and de-saturated approach creates a cinematic/moody look with warm tones, while opting for dark or light palettes produces fantastic results as well. The choice of colour grading will depend on the overall feel and vision of the couple's wedding film.

All in all, making a wedding film is an incredibly artistic undertaking. It is both a narrative and a visual reflection of each couple’s special day. Careful consideration must be taken when making the structure, mood, editing, soundscape and color grade of a wedding film – one needs to split the timeline carefully between sequences and make sure to capture any moment that packs with emotion. Choosing the right angle, lens, and equipment will also contribute to how viewers feel when engaging with your piece of art.

If you're looking for an experienced vendor who understands your event goals and specialises in telling cinematic stories, get in touch with Studio Westlake. We would like to think that our portfolio showcases a style of artistry and dedication to our craft. Email them at info@studiowestlake.co.uk and see how they can help make your wedding day one to remember!