Can You Film Your Own Wedding?
Getting friends and family on-board to help you shoot your own wedding video is easier than you think and can save you £££s
Perhaps you think hiring a wedding videographer is out of your budget? You may have found yourself wondering: can you film your own wedding? Well, we’re glad to tell you that yes, with a bit of help, you can.
Capturing your wedding day is an absolute essential, whether that be through photographs, a wedding video or both. Photos and videos will provide you with lasting memories of the day, and will give you and your loved ones the chance to relive the fun time and time again.
If you're keen to capture your day with a wedding video but the cost of hiring a professional wedding videographer doesn't fit within your budget, there is a smart solution!
Filming your own wedding has so many benefits beyond saving money. If you don’t quite consider yourself to be an amateur Steven Spielberg, there’s no need to panic! Shooting your own video is surprisingly easy, plus it can save plenty of money for your wedding budget.
Keep reading to discover expert advice on how to film the wedding video of your dreams - along with dos, don'ts and expert tricks!
- Why Film Your Own Wedding?
- Film Your Own Wedding: Expert Tips
- How to Film Your Own Wedding
- How Much Does Filming Your Own Wedding Cost?
- How Does Filming Your Own Wedding Work?
- How to Film Your Wedding: Dos & Dont's According to an Expert
Why Film Your Own Wedding?
We've spoken to industry expert Darren from Vlog My Wedding to find out all the benefits of filming your own wedding as well as top tips for creating your dream wedding video.
See Your Wedding Through the Eyes of Your Loved Ones
Did you know that guests can use services like Vlog My Wedding to capture all the moments they want you to see?
Your loved ones can capture every moment of your wedding journey and the team at Vlog My Wedding can edit them all together to create a unique wedding video:
It also makes your wedding video totally personal. This unique wedding videography service means that you can create the wedding video you want and not a video that depends on a set timeframe or package.
Darren says, “For me the biggest advantage which I get told about is how real the videos are. I think it feels extra special knowing your guests have created your day how they see it.”
Nerves Be Gone!
If you’re the type of person that doesn’t feel completely at ease with being in front of a camera, having your friends and family capture your wedding is a great way to banish your nerves.
Darren puts it best: “It removes the fear of being filmed. If your friend holds a camera in your face it's like it's invisible, you have no fear and the footage is so much more relaxed.
“You get clips that only someone super close to you could achieve.”
Capture the Fun from Every Angle
Having you and your guests film your wedding means that you’ll get to watch your wedding day play out from multiple perspectives and even capture moments you may miss on the day.
Darren agrees, and highlights this as one of the biggest benefits of filming your own wedding: “It allows people to remember things they would not necessarily see as being important or actually it brings back the real memory of a part of the day.
“So many couples email saying they thought they remembered the wedding ceremony; then the video brings back so many things they totally forgot, like how it felt to walk down the aisle, or sharing that first look, or even getting some words wrong. It's amazing how we recreate or don't remember exactly that happens, and this lets you have that.
“The outtakes are also hilarious, genuine, funny moments which are not suitable for a wedding video but are great to remember and laugh at.”
Save Money
The most obvious advantage of shooting your own wedding video is that you’ll save money, as you only have to pay for the hire of the cameras, rather than camera costs and an on-site videographer.
Saving money on videography means you'll have that little extra to spend on something you've got your eye on, whether that's a vintage wedding car, unique wedding entertainment, or you could even treat your guests to a free bar - something they’ll be happy to trade for shooting the highlights of your wedding!
Filming Your Own Wedding: Expert Tips
Whether you’re a wannabe Scorsese or a complete photography novice, everyone could benefit from a few tips when it comes to photographing your own wedding.
Firstly, the most important thing to keep in mind is that while filming your own wedding is an exciting and fulfilling experience, remember to be present in the moment and fully enjoy your day.
Darren recommends putting a member of your wedding party in charge in the morning, saying, “That’s when things can seem a little hectic. For the rest of the day I would get someone to do an announcement about the cameras, letting the guests know the cameras are being passed around so everyone can have a turn at filming how they see the day.”
Throughout the day, he recommends trusting the artistic vision of your guests: “I would try to keep it unscripted, let the guests film what they want to and what they see. The idea behind this is to capture really great natural footage.”
Whether you want to have a go yourself or are completely happy to give your guests free reign you’re sure to end up with plenty of memorable and heart-warming content at the end of the day. Darren says, “Don't stress if you don't see the cameras being used, they always get used loads more than you think.”
How to Film Your Own Wedding
We also spoke to Ollie Barnard from Filmed on Phones to share his advice on how to film your own wedding, and capture the wedding video of your dreams.
"Filming your own wedding is super easy these days", says Ollie. "Every guest is walking around with a video camera in their pocket, capable of filming in up to 4K at 30 frames per second... their phone!
"The key is preparation. We recommend choosing several trusted guests, and giving them each a small task to video. This means no individual is overwhelmed with responsibility, and also allows you to capture a variety of perspectives.
"The best piece of advice for those guests is keep it simple. They don't need to worry about capturing fancy, cinematic shots - instead focus on capturing the genuine emotion of the day."
Can You Film Your Own Wedding Ceremony?
"Absolutely, you can film your own wedding ceremony! You can easily ask a guest to do this for you, using their own phone, or perhaps a dedicated video camera.
"Either way, a tripod will be a very handy piece of kit for capturing some long, steady clips of the ceremony. Ensure the couple and the officiant can be seen clearly in the main shot. If possible, have a second camera videoing an alternative angle - perhaps from the back of the ceremony.
"Ensure whoever you ask to film knows the key shots you want captured. These are likely to be: the couple entering the venue, readings, the vows, exchanging the rings, the first kiss, exiting the ceremony, and of course the confetti throw afterwards!"
How Much Does Filming Your Own Wedding Cost?
If you're working to a tight budget, then choosing to film your wedding is a great place to start. While more and more couples have been opting to hire a wedding videographer, the cost of wedding videography typically lies somewhere between £1,500 and £3,000, which could be a large portion of the average wedding budget, but it's an investment worth making if you want the expertise of a professional.
When it comes to filming your own wedding, Darren gives an estimation of the costs at Vlog My Wedding: “We charge on average £695, and that gives you a 3 minute highlight of the day, a more feature type length one which is about 18 minutes, then the ceremony in full, speeches in full and first dance in full (all from two different angles as during these parts we supply tripods)."
Bear in mind that different companies will vary on the prices and packages they offer.
Check out some other suppliers that can help stitch together your perfect wedding video:
Filmed On Phones - Greater Manchester
This unique DIY wedding videography service works nationwide. You have your friends and family film your wedding on their phone - as they would anyway - and then the team at Filmed on Phones edit the footage.
- Pricing: From £299
- Deals: Two deals, including a 10% discount for Hitched couples!
You Do The Shoot - London
Take back control of the camera with You Do The Shoot, a videography company based in London that specialises in providing support and coverage throughout your special day. You can even add a professional wedding videographer to your package to enjoy the best of both worlds!
- Pricing: From £250
Friends Film It - Surrey
For a DIY approach to capturing your wedding content, Friends Film It has you covered. Before the wedding, the team will send out two Sony cameras for the guests to use as they please, capturing all the funny moments and candid BTS footage you'll enjoy looking back on in years to come.
Afterwards, they'll stitch the video together for you until it becomes a professionally-edited highlight reel of your special day. Easy!
- Pricing: From £300
Shoot It Your Way - West Sussex
Let your guests become filmmakers with Shoot It Your Way, the company that puts the wedding party behind and in front of the camera. Everyone gets involved in making the wedding video, from the happy couple to the youngest bridesmaid, and thanks to the two high-quality, easy to use cameras sent out for the big day, it's never been easier to capture unforgettable memories.
Once your wedding video is ready, you'll receive a DVD version and a memory stick copy, with the option of adding a musical soundtrack.
- Pricing: From £595
Vlog My Wedding - Warwickshire
According to Vlog My Wedding, three quarters of couples regret not having a wedding video - so they've come up with a fun way for you to do it for less. They provide your guests with the cameras, and they edit the footage when you return it. It couldn't be more simple!
- Pricing: From £595
- Deals: One deal is currently available - an amazing 20% discount for Hitched couples!
How Does Filming Your Own Wedding Work?
DIY wedding videography companies such as Vlog My Wedding and London-based You Do The Shoot supply hand-held video cameras to your wedding, allowing guests to capture the moments that matter most to them.
After your celebration, the cameras and their footage will be returned to the professionals, who will edit the clips together to create a beautiful wedding video that perfectly captures your day.
Vlog My Wedding gives couples a three minute highlight video as well as a 15 minute wedding video, and ceremony, speeches and first dance in full.
You Do The Shoot offers couples a range of packages to best suit their videography needs, one of which includes a professional videographer to offer guidance to guests and couples on the day.
How to Film Your Wedding: Dos & Don'ts According to an Expert
If you take just one thing away from this article, make it these top tips on what to do and what to avoid when filming your own wedding video.
Filmed on Phones is a professional at stitching together candid guest video content into a seamless video that you'll treasure for years to come, so here are Ollie's key takeaways on how to walk away with the perfect film of your wedding.
Dos:
- Capture all the key moments from throughout the day
- Entrust a handful of guests with a small number of responsibilities each
- Ensures devices are charged and have spare memory ahead of the day
Don'ts:
- Worry about it yourself on the day - leave it to those you've entrusted
- Get in the way of the photographer
- Overcomplicate it - keep things simple
Still considering hiring a wedding videographer? Check out our list of questions to ask your wedding videographer before you make up your mind.
