17 Dec What is a Wedding Documentary Edit
Oftentimes we receive very humbling feedback from couples who hired us for their big day. Many couples simply love our work and are amazed by our films. One thing we notice is that they always comment very positively about our creative short films. And that’s fair. Short films are epic. They highlight the greater, more dramatic events that occurred during the wedding. HOWEVER, we notice that many couples overlook a very important edit – the documentary edit.
The truth is, I get it. They aren’t as exciting as the creative and cinematic short films. A 1-2 hour documentary film isn’t as “shareable” on social media. A fun, short film seems like a simpler and more exciting alternative of reliving your wedding memories. It covers the main, sensational events that happened on your wedding day. So, some couples tend to think the creative film is good enough.
But, the bottom line is, for the couple, a documentary edit is just as important as, if not more important than a short film. Years down the line, the documentary film will still contain all the finer details of your special day.
While you did an incredible job and the feature film surpassed our expectations, the documentary edits gave us a chance to revisit our wedding weekend in its entirety
Such testimonies illustrate that documentary edits essentially serve as a historical archive of your wedding ceremony and reception.
An example of a Western Ceremony Documentary Edit
An example of an Indian Ceremony Documentary Edit
What is a Wedding Documentary Edit?
The Editing style in a documentary edit is traditional and clean. It follows a chronological order of your wedding ceremony and reception. It includes every moment from those two events.
The Audio includes unedited dialogue. So you can rewatch any speech from your wedding reception over and over again. And your wedding vows, well, you’ll have all of them too, the full thing.
The Music is the same music that was played at the events. Yes, you’ll have to live with those song selections forever.
The Length varies but is based on the length of the actual event. Ceremony documentary edits are typically 30 minutes to an hour and reception documentary edits run up to 90 minutes.
The documentary edit is everything important from your wedding day. It’s an edited recording of your wedding ceremony and/or reception in its’ entirety. This version cuts between all the camera angles and audio recordings. In the end, it creates a professional and chronological video of your wedding ceremony and/or reception. One important thing to note: the documentary edit does not include morning preparations, first look, decorations or any creative photo sessions. We save those artistic shots for the short films and feature films. Don’t worry about those awkward gaps and funky transitions. Even if they did happen, we make sure to edit each video professionally, assuring a pleasant viewing experience.
Personally, we highly recommend a documentary edit of both your wedding ceremony and your reception. That means you will have a complete video of your wedding ceremony – from beginning to end, and a complete video of your reception – all the speeches, toasts, and special dances in one long video. The documentary edits are really for the couple, closer family/friends, and essentially, anyone who didn’t make it to the festivities.
An example of a Western Reception Documentary Edit
An example of an Indian Reception Documentary Edit
It may not seem like an important add-on while booking us before the big day. But many couples told us how much they appreciate the full version because it contains so much more than just the highlights.
The short film is perfect for remembering all the highlights of the weekend and our favorite moments, but the full edits gave us a chance to listen to our family's speeches and our vows again.
The combo of planning for months, running on little sleep, and the emotional rollercoaster throughout the celebrations doesn’t allow the couple to really “be in the moment.” And the documentary edits allow you to experience all the beautiful moments again and again, whenever you want.
We watched our documentary edit on our three year anniversary and OMG!!! It was so sweet to be able to relive those memories. I completely forgot that so many of my friends and family members made toasts! And I got to listen to them all the way through, just soaking it all up.
Every couple puts in countless hours into their wedding day and it’s all over much too soon. The documentary videos allows those raw moments to be remembered many years down the line. And trust me, you will want something more than photos or a feature film to show to your grandchildren the day you married your soulmate.
We recommend adding on documentary edits to your wedding package. Take a look at our wedding videography packages. Each documentary edit is only $400, so they are quite affordable. You will never regret having more videos of your wedding. Especially ones that capture your wedding ceremony and reception in their entirety.
Are you getting married? YES!!!
Additional Information
- Other companies refer to documentary edits as Journalistic Videos, Spotlight Edits, Documentary Films, Multi-Cam Edit, Extended Edit and other different names. They are all practically the same but may have slightly different filming and editing approaches.
- Some companies will do rough editing on these edits, allowing you to see cameras move around, refocusing/reframing shots and other “mistakes” that are sometimes unavoidable. Our edits are always polished as we film with multiple cameras creating a seamless and enjoyable experience.
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