A Tale of Your Love

Video “love stories” are making their premieres at weddings all over. Not to be confused with the actual wedding video, this special film is created before the wedding and is shown during any one of numerous times over the wedding weekend, including the rehearsal dinner or during the reception.

The videographer or producer gets to know the soon-to-be newlyweds, sometimes spending a day with the couple before the ceremony, to put together a script for the film. They then videotape interviews with the couple and selected family and friends, sometimes going out on location to capture places special to the couple—perhaps the place they met for the first time.

The next step involves editing the new footage with old video clips and photography from the couple’s courtship or their childhood and creating a music or story video that showcases their special romance. The video can be simple or elaborate, depending on the budget and the desired quality of the final piece. Special technical effects can be used to enhance the video.

The more original footage that is shot will certainly increase the cost of this special film. Sometimes a family member or friend is asked to narrate the video as an added personal touch.

The video is a great icebreaker for large weddings where many guests may be friends of the parents, or when there are many out-of-town family members who have not had the opportunity to get to know their relative’s new spouse. This video “valentine” can also be a way for the couple to thank their parents or to acknowledge special family or friends that have played a special role in their romance or in making their wedding a reality.

The video is often shown at the beginning of the reception as a way of introducing the couple, or as a transition into the traditional cake-cutting portion of the evening, or before the first dance while guests are finishing their dinner. The video can be reused as an introduction to the couple’s actual wedding day video.