Shots you need to include in your wedding video

Ever wondered exactly what a wedding videographer needs to capture? Here’s a few shots you need to include in your wedding video

Modern wedding videos are fast-paced, easily shareable, and full of emotion.

There are many shots needed to capture the atmosphere and importance of the big day to create a successful wedding video.

I’ll always suggest and capture the most important shots for your wedding day. However, I’ll always be more than happy to accommodate any special requests you may have, and this is all part of why I get to know my couples before each wedding - to see who or/and what is important to them on their wedding day. Choosing the right wedding videographer can have an influence on the style of your wedding video.

When planning any unique element of your day that might differ from the majority of weddings, it's essential to communicate with your chosen team to ensure they can capture the beautiful wedding videography you dream of.

For more information, be sure to check out my post: An Essential Guide to Wedding Videographers.

The 20 shots your wedding videographer wants to capture

For the most part, your videographer will have a plan of the critical shots they need to include.

There is no need to provide them with a breakdown of every scene you can imagine - in fact, this can be counter-productive, as you chose your videographer based on their style, not yours. Take a look at this article here for more information on the changing styles of wedding videography.

Trust that they know what they are doing while you relax and enjoy your day.

As a professional videographer with experience filming across Northern Ireland and Ireland, it's my job to take charge of the creation of your wedding video.

I work unobtrusively and capture the day as it happens whilst also managing to capture all of the necessary shots that make a wedding video.

Here is a list of some of the typical shots that I, or any videographer, will want to capture for the wedding film:

Wedding day preparation (Morning)

The start of the day is the most frantic and action-packed, and there is a lot to capture. While I try and stay as unobtrusive as possible, here are some of the special memories I typically attempt to capture (some of the below assumes that both the bride and groom are getting ready at one location):

1. The bride and bridesmaids socialising, enjoying a cup of tea or a glass of champagne.

2. Beauty preparations, including hair, makeup and nails. This time is often full of smiles and laughter, and capturing these emotions on film is great.

3. For great B-roll material, I like to capture panning shots of the chosen perfume, shoes, jewellery etc, as well as the details of the dress before it is put on.

4. Putting on the dress. While I, of course, give you privacy as your team of bridesmaids helps you into the dress, it's always great to get some shots of the final moments, such as tightening the laces on the wedding dress and slipping the tiara into your hair - I find this is a real must for me for showing the viewer of your film that you are ready for your big ceremony.

5. The father-of-the-bride's reaction when he first sees his daughter in her wedding dress is always an emotional moment, and it's one of my favourite shots to capture.

6. If at the same location, shots of the groom and groomsmen getting ready. While the morning prep activities may differ slightly here, depending on the groom's group, there are always plenty of fun moments to capture. Sometimes I’ll use a second camera-person to head to the groom’s location and capture him getting ready for the day.

7. The completed look. Once you are prepped and ready to go, it's great to capture some small moments of contemplation as you prepare yourself for finally tying the knot.

The ceremony

The ceremony is the most important part of your wedding day; it can't be reshot, and as such, capturing it in as much detail as possible is vital.

Some venues in Northern Ireland lend themselves incredibly well to wedding videography, others…not so much. I’ve written here about my top 5 wedding venues in Northern Ireland for videography.

Here are some of the key moments that I'll capture for you:

1. The first shots taken at the ceremony are usually of the waiting groom and groomsmen, nervously chatting and laughing together.

2. The bride's arrival in her chosen transport if coming in from another location. This can be a big moment, and the emotions that follow are often palpable.

3. Shots of the aisle, with guests standing in anticipation as they wait for the bride to arrive and join her groom at the altar.

4. The walk down the aisle, capturing the bride being escorted by her father. This moment gets watched time and again.

5. The vows and exchange of rings.

6. The first kiss. Guests often break into spontaneous cheers after the couple has sealed their commitment to one another, and this is great to catch on film.

7. Finally, some mid-distance shots as they walk down the aisle as a married couple for the first time!

The reception

Finally, time to relax! I always try to capture some scenes of the venue before guests arrive, as this often helps provide context for your wedding film. As soon as the receiving line is complete, here are some key shots that I'll be capturing:

1. The couple's entrance into the reception hall, often accompanied by cheers from the guests.

2. The speeches are full of emotion and often laughter. I generally try to capture some shots of the couple during the speeches before cutting to their reaction shot afterwards.

3. The cake cutting, as this is a key moment in the wedding day timeline.

4. The first dance, with the guests watching on in admiration as the couple take their first steps as husband and wife.

5. The little moments, such as dances with family members, the bouquet throw, or even some shots of laughing friends on the dance floor.

6. During the reception, I will typically try to capture some exterior scenes of the venue and surrounding areas. As a local wedding videographer, Belfast and Northern Ireland has a lot of beautiful venues that I enjoy capturing, and the Northern Irish scenery as a whole is a fantastic backdrop to my wedding videos.

Throughout your day, there are plenty of clips that can be staged. However, I prefer filming the genuine interactions and emotions of the bride and groom, which are the most important for creating beautiful wedding videography. To make a genuinely engaging film full of treasured wedding day memories, I capture candid moments throughout your special day.

These are just some moments that I love to capture during a wedding day, but special requests are welcome. Video trends are constantly changing. Take a look at my article on wedding videography trends of 2023 for a better understanding.

Capturing these memories for you is my passion, but even better is when I get to show each couple just what I saw through my lens and what I made happen in a candid way.

Need more inspiration for shots to include in your wedding video? Check out www.weddingwire.ca for more information.

Thanks for reading!

For more information about my style of videography just check out my films here. 

I cover weddings across Northern Ireland, Ireland and destination weddings across the globe. For more information just get in touch today. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Thanks,

Adam White 

Wedding Cinematographer

Photo credits: Sam McDermott.