When you start looking at wedding videographers, you’ll see two words come up again and again: cinematic and traditional. They lead to quite different films, so it’s worth knowing what each one means before you book.
Here’s a plain guide to both styles, what you get from each and how we film weddings ourselves.
Key Highlights
- A cinematic wedding film is edited into a story, with music and your own words from the day.
- A traditional wedding video records the day as it happens, usually from fixed cameras.
- Cinematic films take longer to edit, which is why they usually cost more.
- Traditional videos give you more of the day, but they’re long and rarely rewatched in full.
- We film in a documentary way on the day and edit cinematically, with a longer film for couples who want more.
What Is a Cinematic Wedding Film?
A cinematic wedding film tells the story of your day. It’s built from short clips filmed from different angles, then edited together with music. We also weave in sound from the day, like your vows and speeches. The aim is a film that feels like your wedding did, rather than just a record of everything that happened.
How It’s Filmed
Cinematic videographers move around the day with quiet kit, using natural light. We look for good light, interesting angles and the small moments between the big ones. Some shots are filmed in slow motion, so a hug or a confetti throw can be seen properly.
What You Get
You get a film you’ll want to watch again: a highlight film of a few minutes, often with a longer edit alongside it. The trade-off is time. A cinematic film takes weeks of editing, so it usually costs more and takes longer to arrive.
What Is a Traditional Wedding Video?
A traditional wedding video is a record of the day. It’s usually filmed on one or two cameras on tripods, recording the ceremony and speeches from start to finish, with light editing afterwards.
How It’s Filmed
The cameras stay in fixed positions and keep rolling, so nothing is missed. There’s less moving around and less thought given to light or angles, which keeps it simple.
What You Get
You get more of the day, often for less money and with a quicker turnaround. The downside is that it can be several hours long, and most couples don’t watch it all the way through more than once.
Cinematic and Traditional at a Glance
| Cinematic | Traditional | |
|---|---|---|
| How it’s filmed | Moving cameras, short clips, natural light | Fixed cameras on tripods, recording continuously |
| What you get | An edited story with music and your own words | The day as it happened, mostly in order |
| Editing | Weeks of careful editing | Light editing |
| Cost | Usually more, because of the editing time | Usually less |
| Best for | Couples who want to feel the day again | Couples who want as much of the day on record as possible |
How We Film Your Wedding
Our style sits between the two. We’re documentary on the day, cinematically edited.
On the Day
It’s just the two of us, with discreet kit and no big lights. We work with natural light and let the day unfold, so what you see in your film really happened. We’ll never rearrange you or your guests. We always move around you instead. At Middleton Lodge that might mean sending the drone up for the sweep of the grounds. At Hazel Gap Barn it’s close, quiet shots in the candlelight.
In the Edit
We record the ceremony and speeches separately from the cameras, so every word is clear. Then we build your film around them, with instrumental music chosen to suit you. You can read more about this in our post on editing, sound and storytelling.
If You Want More of the Day
You can choose a short highlight film, a longer full-length film, or both. Reels and shorter trailers usually take 2–3 weeks, and our longer films take 12–20 weeks depending on the time of year. Our Deluxe and Ultimate packages also include your full ceremony and speeches, edited and with full audio.
Which Style Is Right for You?
If you want to feel your wedding again, with the music, the laughter and your vows, a cinematic film is the better fit. If having every minute on record matters more than how it feels to watch, a traditional video will suit you.
Plenty of couples want a bit of both, and that’s where a longer edited film helps.
Sophie & James weren’t sure they wanted a videographer at all. We travelled down to Shropshire for their wedding, and their film arrived in a wooden keepsake box with a few photos. A year later they watched it again and wrote to us:
“We were initially unsure about having a videographer for our Wedding but we are so glad we did… a year on from our wedding and we watched our Wedding video again and it made us both very emotional, it’s the smallest of details from your day which you forget.”
Sophie & James
Choosing Your Videographer
Whichever style you choose, a few checks will help:
- Watch full films, not just trailers. A highlight reel shows a videographer’s best minutes. A full film shows how they tell a whole day.
- Meet them. You’ll spend your whole wedding day with them, so make sure you get on.
- Ask how they work on the day. Find out how many people come, what kit they bring and how much they direct you.
- Be clear about what you want. Tell them the moments and people that matter most to you.
If you’re still wondering whether a film is worth it, our post on common wedding videography myths answers the questions couples ask most.
Planning Your Timeline
Whatever style you choose, a clear timeline makes for a better film. Good light, enough time for the getting-ready morning and a few quiet minutes together after the ceremony all show on screen. Our guide to planning your wedding day timeline walks you through it.
Still Deciding?
Have a look at what’s included in each of our packages, or see more of our work as a Yorkshire wedding videographer. If you’d like to talk it through, tell us about your plans.
Any questions, just shout.
Julia & Cal
