I recently asked my best friend to watch a 10-minute winter wedding film I had created in St. Jacobs, Ontario.
“Aouch! Isn’t that too personal and private?” she evaded.
That’s when it hit me—how anxious it must feel for fiancés to watch full wedding films of strangers on the internet while planning their own.
And yet, wedding inspiration should go beyond the flashy, algorithm-curated 10-second reels we videographers use to tease and attract bookings.
This article is inspired by a conversation with Megan and Justin, one of our 2026 couples.
“Is there any particular wedding film you liked on our website?” I asked. “None… none in particular,” Megan replied. “When I watch other videographers’ wedding films, it feels like I’m rewatching the same wedding over and over again. But your portfolio is different—each wedding film is unique. You have a way of bringing out the couple’s individuality.”
That’s exactly the approach I take when making wedding films. My curiosity about people, their love stories, and the emotions of the day is what makes wedding filmmaking far more compelling to me than the art-house films I’ve directed.
With permission from Katherine and Jim—whose wedding will serve as an example—I’m going to help you navigate the overwhelming world of wedding film “inspiration” and ensure your videography package is truly worth it.
Here are the only three wedding videos you actually need. Everything else? A rip-off.
1. The Highlight Film: Ignore the Fancy Jargon
A trailer, a reel, a teaser, a highlight—anything under or around a minute, flashy, fast-paced, packed with transitions and trendy music—is not your wedding film.
It’s marketing.
For the videographer.
Think about it: When you watch a movie trailer, you might love it, but does that mean you’ve actually seen the movie?
If a videographer offers you only a highlight video as the main deliverable after you’ve spent thousands on your wedding film—it’s a rip-off. Run. At best, it’s worth $300.
With today’s technology, AI and plug-and-play templates can generate these highlight reels in minutes. If this is all you’re getting, you’ve been shortchanged.
Pro Tip:
Your wedding highlight video should come after your full short film is received. That way, you control how you share it with family and friends.
Katherine’s email after receiving her short film says it all:
The highlight video is an add-on, not the main event.
It’s there for social media. Not as your wedding’s legacy.
2. The Short Film: Your Love Story, Cinematic & Timeless
This is the core of your wedding videography package.
It might never make it to your Instagram grid, but this is what you will cherish for a lifetime.
A well-crafted short film is:
✔️ Carefully structured with strong storytelling
✔️ Infused with high-quality sound design and poetic undertones
✔️ A narrative that captures who you are as a couple
Most Canadian wedding short films range from 8 to 24 minutes. Each sequence contributes to the story—no fluff, no filler, no rushed edits.
The short film alone can justify your entire videography investment. Many couples choose to receive only this, and when done right, it’s more than worth it.
Pro Tip:
Think of your short film as a festival-worthy independent documentary starring you and your fiancé. Don’t get caught up in table settings and floral arrangements—focus on your story.Will this film still make you fall in love 20 years down the line?
Katherine’s father sent me this text days after receiving their short film:
This is the power of a wedding short film. It isn’t just a recap—it’s art.
To see what couples actually receive as a wedding film, Watch Katherine & Jim’s short film.
Yes, it’s longer than a social media post, but it helps to know what to expect from your own wedding videographer.
3. The Raw Footage Cut: Your Birthright. The Foundation. Your Truthful Keepsake.
100 weddings later, I still don’t understand why some videographers refuse to provide raw footage.
Your wedding day is your story. Not mine.
Sure, raw footage is unpolished. You might see:
🎥 A shaky camera here and there
🎤 A slight mic glitch when your best friend cracks a joke
🎬 A random cutaway that didn’t make it into the final film
But that’s exactly the point—it’s real.
Decades down the line, the fancy editing of your short film won’t matter as much as the “boring” unedited footage of your vows, speeches, and that impromptu dance move you completely forgot about.
That’s why I always provide a high-resolution, fully synced, color-graded raw footage cut—typically 2+ hours long. Some videographers charge extra for ceremony, speeches, and first dance edits. I still call that a rip-off. If they filmed it, it should already be yours.
Pro Tip:
Treat your raw footage cut as your wedding’s historical archive. Want to extract a specific moment later? You’ll have everything at your fingertips.
For Katherine and Jim’s wedding, we created a 5-hour raw footage cut. Since this material is ultra-private, Get in touch, here, and I’ll send you a link to see what a complete, well-documented wedding day looks like.
Katherine watched all five hours. Every minute. Not only did she relive her wedding, but she even provided feedback to refine her short film further.
Final Thoughts: What This Means for Your Wedding Video.
At Briday, we receive over 545 wedding video inquiries each year.
The first call is always about your vision. And surprisingly, most fiancés who book us care more about raw footage and the short film than the teaser.
So here’s the bottom line:
✅ Don’t let videographers make your wedding about them.
✅ Your wedding film is your legacy. Let that shine through your short film.
✅ Always demand everything that was captured.
All weddings follow the same three chapters—getting ready, ceremony, and reception—yet each wedding film should be as unique as the couple at its heart. Your story, your personalities, and your love deserve to be captured in a way that’s truly your own.
Choose a videographer who’s in this with you, all the way.
Choose Briday. Choose Me.
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