So… What Is A Highlight Video?

In this post I’m going to talk to you about why I decided to shoot highlight videos as well as photography for my couples, how I do it and why it may be something you would like to consider.

First thing is first, though: 

What even is a highlight video?
A highlight video is a 4-6 minute cinematic video set to background music. It tells the story of a wedding day in a beautiful, romantic way. It’s long enough to capture all of the special moments but short enough that you (and you friends and family) can watch it again and again without getting bored. It’s a modern alternative to the old fashioned 2 hours+ wedding videos and it accompanies the wedding photographs wonderfully. To see a few examples of a highlight video, click here.

Why I decided to offer highlight videos to my wedding couples
Time and again I was finding myself in meetings with engaged couples, talking about their wedding plans and how I could photograph it perfectly for them. Time and again I would ask them whether they were planning on hiring a videographer and time and again I was hearing variations of the following answers:

  • We would really like one but we just don’t have the budget for it.

  • We like the idea but we’ve been to so many weddings where the video guy is in people’s faces all day or has loads of equipment in everyone’s way.

  • We don’t want a 2 hour long video, we’d maybe only watch it one time ever.

After hearing these same points raised again and again, I couldn’t help but think there was an obvious solution here. I was already going to be photographing the wedding anyway, using cameras that are capable of recording HD video, I already had video editing software and so it just became clear to me that I needed to offer an alternative to the many couples that wanted a video to remember their special day but found themselves unable to have one.

How I shoot both photo and video at the same time 
A question I frequently get asked when talking about my unique highlight video solution is ‘how can you do photo and video on your own?’
It is true that while I do offer packages that include a second photographer to work with me for the day, you can still get a highlight video even if you book a package with just me. How can I shoot photo and video coverage alone? Simply put, I know my cameras inside out. On a wedding day I have two cameras on me all day plus a spare in the car - all three are exactly the same make and model and I’m so familiar with them by now that I can switch settings and modes without looking. I can therefore be taking photos, quickly switch to video mode and record 4 or 5 seconds of video, switch back and start taking photos again, all without removing my eye from the view finder. It’s quite likely that you won’t even be able to tell if I’m taking photos or video. I do this throughout the entire day and so by the end of the evening, as well as all of the photos, I have around 300 little video clips. I load all of those clips into my software and make your highlight video from them.

Is a highlight video for you?
If you are looking for a traditional long-form video of your wedding, then a highlight video probably isn’t for you. You’d be better served hiring a dedicated videographer.
However, if you don’t want a full two hours+ video of your wedding but still want the story of your big day on video, then a highlight video may well be exactly what you are looking for. If you really want a video but don’t have the budget for (or don’t want the inconvenience of) a video team at your wedding, then a highlight video is a great solution for you.


To learn more about highlight videos or to talk to me about anything else at all, you can contact me here. I’d be happy to chat.

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