Weddings can no doubt be very expensive and we all know that every cost, no matter how small, adds up in the end, so this leads many brides, especially those on a budget, to ask whether they really need a wedding video. "Is it really that important?" they ask. We're here to tell you all about the importance of wedding videos and how this one decision should be pretty easy for you (Yes! Get one!). Because, while cost is a factor for some, sure, the real importance of wedding videos come from their ability to let you relive your big day. Unlike photographs, videos give you the voices, the noises, the sounds, the action of one of the most memorable days of your life and keeps it saved forever. But if you haven't quite made up your mind, here are some of the other reasons you need to really consider having a wedding video.

Regretting Not Having a Wedding Video

"...because after not having a videographer, I'm finding it's the ONLY big, giant, horrible wedding regret and mistake I have made." - Lauren10

"We just had a couple family members video our wedding. I do regret not having it professionally done. They can do all the editing and such." - Celebrations

While there may be quite a few reasons a bride looks back on her wedding day with regret, not having a wedding video is probably close to the top of that list for some, just like Lauren10 and Celebrations, above. Just think. You're enjoying one part of your wedding and in another room, possibly another area altogether, there is a really cute and important memory taking place that you aren't around to experience. Maybe you had to run to the restroom or maybe you were having to talk to the caterer or just can't be in two places at once. Whatever the reason, you simply weren't around and the whole room was able to enjoy the moment and talk about it for days, months, or even years later, but unfortunately, you don't get to enjoy in the fun of recounting it with them. This is just one example of why it is a great idea to have a wedding video taken of your ceremony (and reception, and toasts, and, and...). While you may not have been there, the videographer probably could have been, and could have captured all the cuteness for you and your family to all enjoy and relive for years to come. Together.

"I so wish I would have done a wedding video." - Alyssa

In fact, this survey from 2006 showed that 98% of all the newly wedded brides that were asked, recommended that others should get a wedding video. According to that survey, before getting married only about 50% of the brides considered wedding videography to be very important, but afterward, that number jumped up to 75%. Clearly, they were experiencing the regret of having missed that opportunity for their wedding days.

"I still regret not having a wedding video made." - Erin

"There's nothing more that I wish for than to have a video of our wedding." - Carmen Martinez

Wedding Day Memories on Video

Of course, you are going to have pictures from the wedding day. Everyone that you know will probably be taking photos and even video clips with their camera phones and other devices, and you most likely have hired or are considering hiring a wedding photographer. This is one of those seemingly "non-negotiables" to most brides because they want to remember their wedding day and they want it captured beautifully and professionally, while they enjoy the rest of their time with family and friends. So why not get those memories professionally and carefully curated, edited, and saved in a video format for you to share and enjoy later, too?

"The day goes so quickly and there are so many elements you don't get to see, it's lovely to be able to watch it all back." - CE26

Another thing to consider is that videos take up considerably less room than printed photos (do you remember your mother's or grandmother's wedding albums? Those white or pink ones with the beading and the frilly lace? We know you know the one) and they are more interactive because you are able to see people as they really were on your special day. Friends that have moved away and you don't get to see anymore or family that may not get to visit as often as everyone would like. Perhaps even people in your life that have passed away. Videos have a way of capturing those moments and can transport us back to that day like magic, unlike photographs. They can let you hear your grandmother's laughter again or listen to your little girl sing to you back when she was just knee high. Having these "living" memories are simply priceless.

"I love watching the speeches again especially, as well as all the little moments we didn't see!" - Sammykate

"It's nice to have those moving memories of lost loved ones." - Jessica

"I wish my mum and dad had a wedding video I could watch." - ssheenanigans

And what about for those family members that may not have been able to attend due to illness, the expense of traveling, or an unplanned emergency conflict at the last minute? Having a wedding video to share with them on Facebook or even to send in the mail is a gift that just keeps on giving! This way, they get to experience everything you shared on your big day and get to watch it as many times as they want!

"..watching my cousins wedding video snippets :( wish i could have been there!!" - Courtney

The Importance of Wedding Videos for Future Generations

Here's another really important reason to get that wedding video; your kids. Maybe right now they don't care (you have teenagers, don't you?), or maybe they are too young to really appreciate the whole thing (or maybe you don't have any, yet), but having a video of your wedding day to share with them when they are older is a special (and easy) way to preserve your history (did you know you were making history, too?) for them.

"We have fantastic photographs and sweet wedding memories, of course--but now I kind of wish we had video of my dad's speech so I could again hear exactly what he said, and of my husband playing violin during the reception. Because I think--someday--our kids would like to see it too." - Lexi

Think about all the times you have gone through your grandparents' things or your parents' things. Their pictures and old videos. You might think "Wow! Look at how young Mom or Dad looks!", "What are they wearing?", or "Look at that old car!" Having a wedding video is a fun and easy way for you to be able to pass on your personalities, voices, and even those Dad Jokes to your children and their children and maybe even their children's children. It's a file that someone can easily upload to the cloud and add to their genealogy program to share with family members in the future that you may not even get to meet or those that may never get to know you. These videos can bring you back to life for those that you leave one day, and that's a really powerful thought.

"I absolutely love our photos, but they are still images. We watch the video every year on our anniversary, and we get to see the family members who are no longer with us and hear their voices, see them dancing and enjoying themselves, etc. Every time we watch it we notice new things, too." - Nicole

That little piece of history can really mean something to your family down the road when they are collecting pictures and old collectibles out of the attic. Instead of just being a name and a picture on paper, you come to life for them. You become real again. Especially to those that may not have ever gotten to know you. They can add this video to your marriage certificate which allows them to put another piece of the puzzle to their family tree in its place. And if you've ever researched your own family tree, you probably know how exciting it can be to find little things from those family members that lived long before us! Why not leave a wedding video for your family to find one day?

Wedding Anniversary Memories

Think about your wedding anniversary 2 years from now. Think about it 5 years from now. 10 years. 50. How many things will you still remember about your wedding day after all of those years? (For example, how much do you remember about your graduation day?) How many small things that happened that day will you still be able to tell your kids and grandkids about when they ask? Unfortunately, one very real negative impact of time is that we lose our memory of even the most beautiful or perfect events, and a wedding day is one of those amazing days in our lives that will simply go by too fast (don't blink!). Some brides even say that they start seeing new things they didn't notice before when they watch their wedding videos or realize there are things they've already forgotten, even after just a few years. Sure, we still remember the big things, like the vows and the dance, but those smaller, intricate moments, like the poignant toast from your best man or the sweet moment between your grandparents, can get easily lost. Luckily, with your own wedding on video, you don't have to forget any of it because it will have been captured all in real time, in color, and in stereo. You can show the video to your family and friends, and relive the big day or just sit down on your anniversary with your spouse to watch it and fall in love all over again. Photographs just can't do all of that.

"My sister ... watches her video all the time, and rarely looks at the photos." - Adele

So, with so many brides that have already made the decision not to have a wedding video regretting their decisions to not hire that wedding videographer, why would you want to make the same mistake they did?

"I would have to say the most touching moment was watching the wedding video and hearing what my MIL said to my husband. His mic was left on while he danced with her and she said she knew her mother was looking down at them from heaven and how she loved us both so much, it made me burst into tears when I watched it!" - Artemis908

In the end, these videos are so much more than just a snapshot for you and your loved ones. The importance of wedding videos is the ability to time travel and relive one of the best days of your lives with friends and family that may never get together the same way again. Memories fade as people grow older and having those memories close at hand in full motion with sound and voices just like they were "yesterday" is a special experience that you never have to lose and will be able to share for years and years. It helps create a family history for future generations and loving memories for you and your spouse. So if you are wavering on which way to go on whether or not to get a wedding video for your big day, our advice to you is to go for it! Save yourself those painful regrets and just Get. The. Video! It's so much better to have something and not need it than to really want it and not have it! (Plus, it's not like Doc Brown can take you back in time in the DeLorean to change your mind in the past!)

If you've made your choice and are ready to talk to a professional wedding videographer about capturing all of your wedding day memories, get in touch with us today and let's talk about how we can protect and save all of your special moments in the perfect wedding video.