What an Engagement Film Actually Does for Your Wedding Day

Most couples think of an engagement film as a save-the-date. Something short to share with family, or to post once the invitations go out. That's a good use for it, but the bigger payoff tends to show up months later, on the wedding day itself.

For most people, the wedding is the first time they've been filmed for hours at a stretch. That's a lot to get used to on a day that's already full. An engagement session takes care of it early. You find out what it's like to have a camera nearby, and that the person behind it isn't going to ask you to perform.

By the wedding, your filmmaker is a familiar face instead of a stranger with a camera. Couples who've done an engagement session usually settle in faster on the day, and it shows in the footage.

It's also the best preview you'll get. Instead of judging a filmmaker by someone else's highlight reel, you see how they film the two of you, and how they edit it.

Choose a place that already means something to you. The waterfront in Benicia, a quiet road in Napa, the neighborhood where you had your first date. Wear what you'd actually wear. And if your dog is part of the family, bring the dog.

If you're newly engaged in the Bay Area, an engagement video is worth adding to the list early.

Curious what a film could look like for the two of you? See our work 👉 https://www.featherstonefilms.com/examples