What is a 'Ceremony Only' Wedding?
To put it simply, a ceremony-only wedding is straightforward, yet very intentional—no dinners, no afterparties, no trendy gimmicks during receptions. This intimate wedding highlights the couple’s vows and the sanctity of the ceremony itself, instead of focusing on the glitz and glamour of big weddings. Sure, big weddings make your special day memorable for you and for your guests, but some couples prefer the simplicity of a ceremony-only wedding.
Why Couples Choose It
More and more couples prefer ceremony-only, budget weddings to splurging on extravagant weddings. No stress over planning and coordinating with multiple vendors. No pressure on making sure the entirety of your celebration is postcard-perfect and worth every penny. And, definitely no drama over ensuring your guests and entourage enjoy every minute of your wedding reception.
Don’t get us wrong—we’re all for a fun and whimsical wedding celebration. But, we also love a short, yet intimate wedding ceremony. At Portland Event Films, we’re committed to ensuring your special day, whether big or small, is captured with intention and care.
Roll Tape: Why Videographers Aren’t Just for Big Weddings
Ceremony-only weddings may be short, but they carry the same meaning. Some may feel tempted to skip the wedding video coverage to cut costs, but this type of wedding is still a celebration of love and deserves to be captured and preserved, so you can re-live your special day whenever you need to.
In ceremony-only weddings, the ceremony itself is the story, and vows become the lifeline that breathes emotion into those videos. Every detail of an intimate wedding is intentional–from guest lists to the words spoken at the altar, and so shall every second of your wedding footage be, too. We’re talking about less footage, but more intentional shots. Every word, fleeting touches, smiles shared by the couple, and the quiet moments in between are captured.
The Budget Factor: Affording the Lens in Smaller Settings
Pricing and Packages
Even for smaller, budget weddings, a wedding film is still an investment. But it doesn’t have to break the bank. When looking for your wedding videographer, ask about their ceremony-only wedding packages and what’s included. Ask about their add-ons, too. Understanding wedding packages and pricing way ahead of your special day will help you find a vendor that fits your budget and vision for your wedding film.
Where to Save and Where to Splurge on
As you decide on hiring a team to capture your special day, here are some things you should consider splurging on:
- Skilled videographer. A good videographer isn’t just equipped with the skills to navigate their cameras and take good shots. Above all, they know how to capture special moments and create timeless stories from them.
- Audio quality. In ceremony-only weddings, your vows and speeches drive your wedding video. Ensure that your chosen team is ready to capture those special words with proper equipment. At Portland Event Films, we use professional audio equipment to record your vows clearly. When possible, we also grab those snippets directly from the sound system.
- Editing and storytelling. This is where your wedding video finally comes to life. A good editor knows how to weave and stitch together candid and planned footage to come up with a cohesive, emotional story. A well-edited video allows you to relive your special day over and over again without that overwhelming feeling.
Wedding videos are a great way to capture your special day, but some packages might include additional services that are not necessary for your ceremony-only wedding. Consider passing on these things.
- Trendy gimmicks. Trends are fun and cute in the moment, but they date your wedding film just after a few years. This also includes fast-paced transitions meant for parties and using trend-driven audio and text overlays. If you want a neat, simple, and timeless wedding video, ask your videographer to focus on emotions, not just what’s trendy.
- Multiple cameras, multiple videographers. Ceremony-only weddings are usually short and intimate, so two or more camera angles would be unnecessary. Working solo also helps your videographer stay present without being intrusive.
- Other add-ons. These may include extra footage, drone shots, and extra offline storage options. While these can be appealing, they’re not really vital to your ceremony-only wedding. Instead, we encourage couples to splurge on a thoughtfully pieced wedding film.
The Pro's POV: Videographers Weigh In
Videography Styles Suitable for Small Weddings
Ceremony-only weddings may be short in length, but they are rich in meaning and intention. Choosing a suitable event videography style ensures that every word, glance, and touch is captured without distraction. Below are some videography styles that work best with ceremony-only weddings.
- Documentary-style. This approach focuses on how your wedding day unfolds without staged moments. It’s all about emotion, candidness, and authenticity–which we know will be present in your ceremony-only wedding. A documentary-style film focuses on reactions and real moments that you’d want to preserve in your wedding video.
- Vow-focused. Your vows are the backbone of your wedding film. This approach captures speeches and sweet messages and centers your wedding film around them. It prioritizes clean and crisp audio and emotional storytelling rather than stunning visuals and the lavish details of your wedding venue.
- Minimalist style. This approach removes distracting transitions and excessive effects to focus on the ceremony itself. It provides you with clean cuts, soft background music, and natural light over trendy transitions and flashy visuals. A minimalist wedding video is perfect for couples who prefer subtlety over spectacle.
Choosing a videography style that suits your style and needs ensures that your ceremony-only wedding is captured in a way that preserves emotions, moments, and memories that matter the most to you.
Cut! How to Choose the Right Videographer
Now that you have an idea which event videography style is perfect for your ceremony-only wedding, it’s time to look for the right person to execute your vision. You and your videographer must be on the same page so they can carry out a wedding film you would love watching over and over again.
Here are a few questions you might consider asking your potential vendor:
- What is your filming style and storytelling approach? Every videographer has their own style and approach when it comes to storytelling. Ask how they will approach ceremony-only weddings. Do they prefer a documentary-style coverage? How will they make the most out of a short 30-minute ceremony? Understanding their approach will help you see if your vision for your wedding aligns with their artistic style.
- What wedding packages do you offer? Wedding packages provide you with a clear rundown of what services and deliverables you can expect from your videography team. However, some event videography teams only provide service fit for bigger and longer ceremonies. Make sure to ask what packages are available for your ceremony-only wedding that fit your budget, style, and needs.
- Will you be filming our own wedding? Some filming companies hire freelance and newbie videographers to capture your special day. Make sure to ask if the one you’re meeting with is the one behind the cameras on your wedding. If not, you may ask how their team is being trained to film events like yours.
- How do you capture and record audio? For ceremony-only weddings, your vows and speeches are the lifeline of your wedding film. Your special words provide the emotional climax your wedding video needs, so it needs to be captured with care and intention. Ask if your ceremony only wedding videographer has professional equipment and audio sources they will use for your day.
- How long will it take for us to receive our wedding film? Depending on your team’s skill and capacity, your wedding film can be delivered to you within weeks or months. You wouldn’t want your first anniversary to roll by, and your wedding film is still in the works. It’s important that they present to you a clear timeline of deliverables to manage your expectations.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Even with the right questions, it’s important to still watch out for potential red flags before you hire your ceremony only wedding videographer. Looking for these things saves you stress and a lot of follow-ups with your team.
- Unclear timelines. A professional videographer should be able to give you a realistic timeline of when you’ll receive your wedding film instead of vague answers like “soon” or “when it’s ready”. Clear timelines help you manage your expectations and prevent frustrating follow-ups.
- No backup plans. Let’s face it, even in magical moments like weddings, tragic things can happen—like dead batteries, failed equipment, or even lost footage. It’s important to ask them about these unforeseen circumstances and what they will do when these things do arise. If all they can provide you with is a nervous chuckle, perhaps it’s time to look for a new videographer.
Check out our article on what to do when wedding footage is lost—and ask if your prospective videographer knows how to handle these situations.
- Only highlight reels, no full wedding films. Highlight reels can be beautiful and showcase a videographer's filming and editing skills. But, wedding films are more than just stunning shots–it’s about telling the story of your special day. If a videographer fails to show you a full wedding film, you might want to think again.
Hiring the right videographer will make or break your wedding film. You can check our previous blog for other questions you must ask before hiring your wedding videographer.
The Final Cut: Making the Most of Your Wedding Video
When the sun sets on your wedding day, all that’s left is for you to relax and wait for your wedding film to arrive. The post-production process is where the magic happens, and the importance of hiring a videographer with strong editing skills cannot be overstated.
Post-Wedding Editing
During post-production, the most important details are considered. Clips, sound bytes, and montage shots are reviewed carefully to ensure that your wedding film tells your story cohesively.
Sharing and Preserving
Once your wedding film is ready, you’ll want to relive it. Share it, too, probably. If your package includes a highlight reel, you may show that to your friends and upload it to your social media, if you wish to. On the other hand, longer wedding films that include vows and speeches are perfect for families and for the couple to watch during special occasions.
Regardless of how you choose to share and preserve your wedding film, we at Portland Event Films ensure that your wedding video is delivered on time through storage options that suit you best—whether it’s a physical keepsake or a digital storage link.
Your wedding day may be over in just an hour or two, but those memories will and should last you a lifetime. The right videographer will make sure they’re preserved beautifully. From choosing the perfect film style to capturing the candid, special moments of your wedding, we’re here to ensure that you want to press play on your wedding film again and again.
Reach out to Portland Event Films today. We’d love to make your love story last a lifetime.
