Instagram Reels vs. Films for Wedding Videography
For wedding videographers, the opportunities for content creation have become endless these days. The choices for capturing, and more importantly, for presenting the magical moments of a couple’s special day have expanded significantly.
Over the past 5 years, social media has taken such a huge part in our lives, that new formats like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels have emerged as additional formats to consider, alongside your typical wedding film.
When considering what platform and format to use, I always ask myself: what story am I trying to tell. These are some of my findings and learnings.
Instagram Reels: The Essence of Brevity
For an Instagram Reel to be effective, it needs to be under 1 minute. That is, by and large, the amount of time Instagram’s algorithm gives you, as a content creator, to deliver an engaging video to your audience. A single minute goes really quickly, so it’s hard to fully visualise the experience you had on a wedding day in less than 60 seconds.
My work is all about sequencing. I setup a shot, as a way to lead the audience into the next frame, which works really well in a wedding film, but I don’t have that luxury on Instagram, as it needs to be a lot more fast paced.
Reels are awesome to present the best clips of the day. With their concise format, Reels excel at delivering bite-sized snippets that encapsulate the most significant moments in a visually appealing way. Think of it as a portfolio: you’re showing the 20-25 best clips that you’ve recorded of your couple, their venue, and their guests. But it’s also harder to convey emotions, because a Reel mainly uses music, and there’s little to no sound design (which, as I’ve discussed on my cinematic wedding videography page, is a key element to a good wedding film).
And finally, Reels are hard to put together because, as a wedding videographer, we shoot landscape mode all day. The Instagram Reel format works really well in a portrait mode, so some of the shots you’ve framed nicely to work in your final edit, might not land themselves well to being cropped.
Here are 4 reasons I use Instagram Reels (or YouTube Shorts):
Quick and Shareable: Their short duration makes them easy to watch, and quickly put together. You can share some of the best clips from the day with your couples the day after their wedding.
Experiment to find your nice: To me, Reels allow videographers to experiment with new video editing techniques, or music that you may not want to use ina film. This can result in captivating and attention-grabbing content that resonates with younger audiences.
Emphasis on your best work: Reels are ideal for showcasing the best part of the wedding. You can create a Reel from any wedding, because you don’t need the speeches or ceremony to support the narrative. The main ambition is to create something engaging, without investing too much time.
Interaction and Engagement: Social media platforms foster interaction through likes, comments, and shares. Reels generate engagement, and engagement generate exposure. Reels are a great way to increase your profile online.
Wedding films: Unfolding the epic narrative
On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have your wedding film (whether highlight or feature). That’s really where the magic happens. The actual length of your wedding film is something you’ll want to experiment with, and I find that what works for other videographers might not necessarily be a good fit for me. I like to tell a story, and I find that a highlight film of around 5mn is perfect. It’s the ultimate blend of perfect shots, captivating story-telling, and a good length to keep the audience engaged.
With a wedding film, you’ll focus a lot more on the story of the day, than you will on selecting on the best clips. This may mean, sometimes, that you will include particular frames that are there to setup a part of the story, even if it’s not a shot that you’re in love with. It needs to work as part of a whole sequence.
The great thing about using Instagram Reels is that you already have a series of shots you can use in your wedding film. Think of your Reel as the early stages of culling your footage. It allows you to quickly remember what clips you have to play with, and elevate the emotion by building a strong narrative around it.
Choosing the right format
I think both Instagram Reels (or YouTube Shorts) and your wedding film compliment each other. I don’t think you need to pick one over the other. You just need to be mindful of your primary audience, and what aspects of the wedding are most important to you and the couple.
If you’re looking at your Instagram account as a portfolio, then Reels are perfect as you only select the best bits. If you’re active on social media, and enjoy sharing content online, then Reels are the best way to engage with couples.
If you focus on the story-telling, however, the format is likely too short. And I also believe that Instagram may become intimidating to couples. They might think you’re “out of their league”, because the way you portray yourself on social media is not attainable, or not something they can afford (just a thought!).
Whichever platform you choose, both formats have the power to immortalise the couple’s special day, and I think they complement each other when used well.
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