If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times so far: your wedding day will absolutely fly by. How do you remember it? Five, ten, twenty years down the line, how do you feel what you felt on that day? Aside from hiring a videographer, of course, there is one small thing you can do to fully encapsulate your wedding day.
Write. it. down. Let me explain.
Exchange letters on your wedding day
If you have seen any of my wedding films (check out my Youtube channel here!) you may notice that I am a big, big fan of having my clients write to their significant others, which are then read aloud as part of the wedding film. I absolutely love incorporating this element into the wedding film because it adds yet another layer of authenticity — something unique to the couple themselves. During the editing process, I will often find common threads or storylines that are included in the letters, speeches and toasts before weaving them into the final film. Truthfully, this part of the editing journey is my absolute favorite part. Emilee and Logan’s wedding film is a great example of this.
Not only is this an awesome and welcome addition to the film, it also serves another purpose.
By going through the process of thinking of the words to say and, later, putting pen to paper, you are encapsulating what was going through your mind in the days leading up to — and including — your wedding day. Speaking from personal experience, this is what my wife and I did at our wedding. I later took the letters we wrote and our personal vows and built a shadowbox to house them all. It sits prominently in our dining room. If I’m ever feeling nostalgic (which happens often) or if I’m ever reminded of how much I love my wife (which also happens often), I will open the box up and I’ll be taken back to that perfect day in 2019. It jogs my memory of that day and, most importantly, how I felt.
How long does this take? What should I write? What if I cry?
Woah, woah, woah! Settle down. You’re overthinking this.
The best part about writing and reading letters to and from your significant other is the simple fact that it requires very, very little time on the wedding day itself. At the most, it requires about five minutes, typically during the prep part of the day and prior to the ceremony. The return on investment is HUGE.
As for what you should write, don’t overthink it. You don’t have to channel your inner author or poet, all that is required of you is to speak from the heart. Seriously, it’s that simple. The letter itself doesn’t have to be a college essay either. To the point and from the heart: that’s what makes a great wedding letter.
What is also great about writing letters for the two of you to read on the wedding day is the flexibility that it offers. For the highlight film, you can read the letter that you wrote or you can read the letter that your spouse wrote (my personal favorite). You can also flip the script and read your letters to one another right after a first look!
You’ve already made a great choice in hiring a videographer. Make that choice even BETTER by putting pen to paper.
