wedding filmmaking

The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Cinematic Wedding Film

Creating the perfect wedding film goes beyond simply recording moments; it’s about telling a story that captures the heart of your day. At Move Mountains Co., we understand that a wedding film is a lifelong keepsake, meant to preserve not only the events but also the emotions, atmosphere, and essence of your celebration. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite recent wedding videos as well as our top 10 tips for making your wedding film a cinematic masterpiece you'll treasure forever:

 
 

1. Communicate Your Vision

Start by sharing your vision with your videographer. Talk about your preferred style—whether it's classic, cinematic, documentary, or something uniquely you. Discuss must-have shots, like the first look or that magical sunset kiss, and any specific details or moments that are especially meaningful. By being clear on your vision, your videographer can tailor their approach to reflect your personal story, creating a film that feels authentic to who you are as a couple.

2. Choose the Right Videographer

Take time to find a videographer whose style aligns with your vision. Review their portfolio, watch full wedding films (not just highlight reels), and make sure their previous work matches what you envision. A good match will bring a seamless creative connection, making the filming process enjoyable and ensuring you’ll love the final product. An aligned vision and communication style are key to building trust, which is essential for a stress-free experience.

3. Plan a Detailed Timeline

A well-structured timeline is crucial to capturing every important moment without rushing. Collaborate with your videographer on this timeline, allocating extra time for essential shots, including prep, the ceremony, and those intimate sunset shots. This careful planning ensures your videographer has time to set up, get the best angles, and capture each moment thoughtfully—leaving you free to enjoy the day.

 
 

4. Scout the Venue

Take your videographer to the venue before the wedding day. This allows them to identify the best shooting spots, assess lighting conditions, and find unique angles that highlight your setting. A venue walkthrough also gives them a chance to get creative with how they’ll approach each part of the day, maximizing the venue’s beauty and ensuring a seamless shooting experience.

5. Consider Audio Quality

High-quality audio is essential for a great wedding film. Clear recordings of vows, speeches, and toasts bring the emotions of the day to life in a way visuals alone can’t capture. Ask your videographer about audio equipment, and make sure they use quality microphones. Good audio setup is crucial for avoiding any technical mishaps and ensuring every spoken word is beautifully preserved.

6. Incorporate Personal Elements

Adding personal touches makes your wedding film feel more intimate and unique. Whether it’s exchanging handwritten vows, including special decor, or filming at meaningful locations, these elements deepen the narrative and make the video more special. Encourage your videographer to capture the details that mean the most to you—each one will help tell your love story in an authentic, personal way.

 
 

7. Stay Natural & Candid

The best wedding films capture the genuine joy of the day. Try to stay present and focus on each other, letting your emotions show naturally. Don’t worry about the camera; instead, embrace the spontaneity of the day, from quiet glances to bursts of laughter. These candid, unscripted moments make your film feel authentic and give it a heartfelt, relatable charm.

8. Use Natural Light

Natural light is incredibly flattering and gives your film a warm, organic quality. Work with your videographer to plan key moments—like couple’s portraits—around "golden hour" (just after sunrise or before sunset) for that soft, glowing light. Indoors, consider window lighting, as it adds depth and brightness to your film. Great lighting brings a cinematic quality that makes every moment shine.

9. Trust Your Videographer

Once you’ve chosen a videographer whose style you love, let them work their magic. Trusting their expertise allows them the creative freedom to experiment with angles, perspectives, and techniques that will enhance your film. They have a trained eye for capturing the little moments you might miss, and giving them space to do so results in a more artful, professional film.

 
 

10. Enjoy the Process

Remember to savor your wedding day and let your happiness shine! The more you relax and embrace the day, the more that genuine joy will come through on camera. Your wedding film is a reflection of the love and excitement you feel, so let go, enjoy each moment, and allow yourself to truly be present—those emotions are what make your film timeless.

At Move Mountains Co., we are committed to capturing your story in a way that reflects the genuine magic of your day. Reach out to us to learn how we can turn your wedding moments into a cinematic memory that lasts a lifetime!

Kevin + Jordan

Spring House Hotel

New Shoreham, RI

Kevin and Jordan’s Block Island destination wedding was a beachy, boho masterpiece! This was an emotional, meaningful weekend for Jordan’s family, as they have vacationed on Block Island for generations prior. Our wedding photography and videography team had the best time getting to know the bride and groom over the long weekend they spent together. Creativity ran wild as we explored all the island had to offer through drone coverage and renting some mopeds prior to the day of the wedding! This fun loving, down to earth couple made the weekend unforgettable.

Vendors:

Venue: Spring House Hotel
Florist: Painted Rock Designs
Catering: Aldo's Bakery
Hair/Makeup: Koru Eco Day Spa
Music: Jon O'Neill
Invites: Minted


I can’t help but smile and tear up as I write this review for Move Mountains. We partnered with them for our wedding in September on Block Island, Rhode Island and we could not have worked with a more perfect team to capture our special wedding weekend. From our initial conversations a year before through the final logistics of the big day, it felt like we were working with a group of our best friends. It was easy, natural and amazing. We had the awesome opportunity to work with 5 amazing MM team members. They were so incredibly helpful when organizing the weekend with us. I haven’t even gotten to the final product - our pictures and videos! We received our AMAZING pictures so quickly and I was at a loss for words when looking through them. All the emotions came flooding back and I couldn’t believe how beautiful they were. We’re so excited to receive our videos soon and I know they will be absolutely breathtaking. Thank you MM for being so incredibly wonderful during the best weekend of our lives! We love you guys!
— Jordan

Mike + Mel

Mad River Barn

Waitsfield, VT

Mike and Mel’s destination wedding at Mad River Barn in Waitsfield, Vermont was a dream come true! Our wedding photographers and videographers teamed up with an all-star vendor crew to make this New England Wedding one of our favorites from the season. Having a wedding planner made a world of difference for this Boston Couple, they could simply celebrate and let their upbeat and genuine love flourish. Thanks to Cristen & Co. the day went by seamlessly and allowed our team to get some incredible wedding photos and wedding video at this up and coming barn venue. We can’t wait to do it all again soon!

Vendors:

Venue: Mad River Barn
Planning: Cristen & Co.⁣
Flowers: Conroy’s Florist
Hair/Makeup: Pretty Wife Beauty
Music: Speechless
Invitations: The Paper Perfectionist


Thank you so much for this! We could not be more thrilled, what a beautiful job you all did!
— Mel

Mike + Becky

Castle Hill Inn

Newport, RI

Mike and Becky’s sunny, bright, romantic mansion wedding at Castle Hill Inn in Newport, Rhode Island was filled with so many sweet candid moments that our wedding photography and wedding videography team had so much fun getting to capture. Our wedding photographer and wedding videographer’s photojournalistic approach to the wedding day allowed the wedding team to stick to the background and let the bride and groom really enjoy their day while still capturing all of the heartfelt, beautiful moments in photos and in video. If this laid back photography style fits what you’d like for your wedding photos and wedding film, reach out to us today before our season books up!


So excited about our wedding photos! We are beyond happy with them.
— Becky

The RAW Truth

So What is RAW Footage?

We get it all the time. In fact, it’s one of our most frequently asked questions! We include RAW footage in all of our wedding videography packages, but what is it anyways?

Simply put, RAW footage is a digital copy of every file our video team has captured from the day! No color correcting, no trimming or editing, just straight out of the camera! These files can range from a 10 second shot of your invitations to a 20 minute angle from your wedding ceremony! It’s a great way to have an archive of your big day, and preserve candid moments with loved ones! If a family member passes or there are a few shots that didn’t make the cut for the highlight film, you will still have these clips preserved for you to enjoy! The amount of files you receive depends on the length of the day and the number of videographers that were filming that day!

Now it is important to note: having all of your RAW footage does NOT necessarily equate to having a full-length version of your ceremony! Typically when we shoot our wedding ceremonies we keep one camera in the back with a wide angle to catch all of the action, but unfortunately we aren’t able to control guests blocking the angle or bumping into the tripod legs! Additionally, since the RAW footage is delivered in additional clips, any other angles of the ceremony would have to be watched separately!

To resolve this, we offer edited ceremony and speech films for our couples as an add on to their package! In doing this, we intercut all of camera angles together so you can see the best angles at the best times, synchronize the film with our HD audio recordings, and color correct the film to match the look of your highlight film, creating a seamless viewing experience that you can share with loved ones! To see the difference it makes, check out this video below!