Is a Wedding Video Worth it?

As I sat down editing the testimonials for our testimonials page, I listened intently to one of our past wedding cinema clients that we interviewed on her take on the choice of having a wedding film for their special day. This particular client is a high school teacher and because of that she speaks very eloquently in my opinion and as she worked through her process and why she was so very glad that she booked us for wedding video, I thought that it would make a great topic as I am sure that there are many people out there wondering that same question during their planning process:

Is a Wedding Film worth it?

So how do you define worth? Is it just a mere expense? Can we boil down worth to something more than an expense? In looking up what the dictionary defines as worth, I think it speaks it rather well stating, “the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated.” The worth of a product or service goes well beyond just a price. Each couple is going to value a wedding film differently depending on their circumstances and personal feelings toward the medium as well as perhaps an upbringing and those things that they were exposed to. Perhaps that is getting a bit to deep in the matter, so I came up with 3 reasons with the help of our clients that let us know why a wedding film is “Worth It.”

The Visuals

While photography is amazing at capturing the essence of the day and freezing a moment in time, there are so many reactions and strings of moments that are lost. Film is really simply moving pictures shot in sequence. This way of storytelling is so wildly different and unique when captured appropriately that it would be silly to lump it in with simple photography. This brings us to our next point.

The Story

The whole purpose of a Film is to tell a compelling story. As cinema artists, we are able to do this in a way that photos can’t. With the use of moving imagery, we get an even greater sense of body language, character, and personality above and beyond what photography provides. There is also a very unique element to a wedding film – Audio.

The Audio

Do your married friends and family recall what they said on their wedding day? Most likely not, or they can only recall bits and pieces. Did their voice crack when saying their vows? Was a baby crying during the procession? These are all elements that when remembering your wedding day, you just don’t get with photography. Audio can bring about far greater emotion than a still photography can ever share. We find that most of our clients are absolutely floored by their photography, but they never get as emotional as they do when they watch their wedding film.

Does this mean that photography is dead? Absolutely not! You absolutely should never forsake the photography for your wedding. But in a world that has dramatically changed with the perception of what a “wedding video” can be with the right artist, you definitely want to rethink whether or not you add a wedding film into your budget.

Is a wedding film worth the investment? That is up for you to decide. For the couples that we have worked with though, the answer has been a resounding YES! If you are interested in capturing your wedding as its own, unique, cinematic masterpiece, contact your team at Shed Light Cinema today!