The Best Free Wedding Video Resources

These are the best places to help you craft stunning cinematic wedding videos. These helpful guides and free assets are a must for anyone shooting wedding video.

All images via Shutterstock

When it comes to making wedding videos, there are a ton of resources out there, some far more helpful than others.  In an effort to better help those looking to shoot and edit wedding videos, here are some of the best and most helpful articles — and some exceptional free wedding video assets.

Running a Wedding Video Business

Before you even book a wedding, there are a few things you’ll want to have in place business-wise. Yes, marketing efforts should be a consideration — but if you’re still very early in your wedding video career, you may not have a lot to show off.

The first thing you should do is get your paperwork in order. You will want to have some type of brochure or packet that lists the services your offer, as well as the always necessary wedding video contract. If you don’t have any paperwork, you can download a free wedding contract template and free wedding packet template over on our Ultimate Guide to Producing Wedding Video.

Once you have your paperwork in order, it’s time to meet with the couple. A face-to-face meeting is always the best approach, giving you the ability to really get to know one another. You’ll want to discuss the wedding day, and get as many details that are already set in place.

Here’s a list of questions to ask couples before the wedding day. If you and the couple agree to move forward, be sure to start the paperwork at the meeting. This could be as simple as giving them the contract to take home or accepting a retainer fee.

Shooting Wedding Videos

Once the big day arrives, you’ve got to be prepared. Wedding shoots require a ton of gear, so be prepared to haul around a few bags. If you need some help deciding on the right gear, here are several helpful resources.

Stillmotion teamed up with Vimeo to create an excellent How to Shoot a Wedding Video page where you can learn all about gear and capturing the right shots. Take a look at the lenses Stillmotion recommends, and see how they use various lenses to capture different parts of the day.

Over on Cinema5D, there’s a helpful piece on shooting weddings with the Panasonic GH4. The 10 Tips to Shoot Cinematic Wedding Video (from brothers Teppo and Matti Haapoja) covers all the support gear the duo uses at Heart Visuals. They also have some great tips on keeping things light so you can move quickly.

Here is a look at one of their weddings shot on the GH4 in Normandy.

If you are most interested in finding audio and lighting gear, head on over the the B&H blog for The Fundamentals of Wedding Videography for Beginners. This article covers many of the things you need to consider when shooting a wedding, as well as some of the best audio loadout options for wedding videographers.

On PremiumBeat, we have also put together a list of All the Camera Gear You Need to Shoot Wedding Videos. The articles gives an overview of all the support gear you will find handy on the wedding day. From stabilization to audio and lighting, you’ll find something to point you in the right direction. If you are looking for some camera lenses, be sure to peruse The 4 Best Lenses for Shooting Wedding Videos.

With all this gear to keep track of, you’ll want to make sure to have a checklist to go over before the wedding day. (Also, make sure all of the your gear is cleaned, packed, and ready to go.)

If you don’t have a checklist, head over to the Ultimate Guide to Producing Wedding Video to download a free wedding gear checklist, as well as the free wedding day shot list. The shot list will make sure you capture all the shots the bride and groom want, as well as all the shots you’ll need when it comes time to edit. For some quick pointers and professional tips on capturing wedding footage, take a look at 7 Tips for Shooting Awesome Wedding Video.

Editing Wedding Videos

Up to this point, your main concerns were probably booking and shooting the wedding. I hate to be the bearer of bad news — but the edit can be the hardest part of the process. The edit can make or break any video. A bad edit can easily ruin stellar footage.  Here are a few resources for getting the most out of your edits.

If you’re looking to cut a feature-style wedding film, read over the 5 Tips for Editing Cinematic Wedding Highlight Videos. You’ll get some tips on transitioning between clips, color grading, and storytelling.

There’s also a great discussion over on No Film School’s board on What Makes a Good Wedding Video. Readers chime in with some suggestions on matching shots and keeping the video short.

Movement is a great way to transition between clips. If you have shots that just aren’t matching up, consider using overlays or an After Effects template to make a scene pop.

Over on RocketStock, they have a ton of great (and affordable!) templates to use. Be sure to take a glance at their stunning wedding video templates.

Speaking of RocketStock, we teamed up with them to give wedding videographers some great free assets as well. The Ultimate Guide to Producing Wedding Video has a collection of free wedding light leaks for you to overlay on your footage, as well as some free customizable name badges. If you fall in love with the five name badges, you can purchase an additional twenty wedding titles on RocketStock.

Another thing you have to remember is music licensing. There are tons of places for you to find affordable wedding music, including the wedding songs right here on PremiumBeat.

If you need help finding the right type of song, be sure to read How to Find the Right Music for Wedding Videos. It will help you decide on the right mood, style, and overall feel for your wedding video. Most importantly, it reminds you to keep the bride and groom’s musical tastes in mind. Take a listen to some of our latest and greatest royalty free Beautiful Wedding Tracks.

Sometimes, you may need imagery to use in your wedding video projects, check out the rich library of royalty free images by Shutterstock. Vectors, photos, icons – it’s all there!

Know of any other great wedding video resources? Share them in the comments below.