Teaser, Highlight, Feature, Raw: Your No-Nonsense Wedding Film Glossary

Your videographer just said "teaser," "highlight film" and "feature edit" in the same sentence, and you nodded like you knew exactly what that meant.

No judgment. Wedding video has its own vocabulary, and nobody hands you a dictionary along with the ring. So here it is: the terms you're most likely to hear, in plain English, with zero fluff.

Quick note before we start: names, lengths and what's included vary from team to team, so always ask exactly what you're getting.

The Teaser (a.k.a. the Trailer)

What it is: A short, punchy edit, often around a minute long, built for social media.

Why you want it: It's the hype reel. It's what you post while everyone is still asking "when are the photos coming?" Think of it as the movie trailer for your wedding.

The Highlight Film

What it is: A few minutes of the best moments of your wedding, edited to music, usually with real audio from your vows and speeches woven in.

Why you want it: This is the one you'll rewatch on every anniversary and make every relative watch at every holiday dinner for the rest of time. It tells the story of the day in a way that's emotional, fast and easy to share.

The Feature Film (or Documentary Edit)

What it is: A longer, fuller film. More of the rituals, more of the speeches, more of the people.

Why you want it: If the highlight film is the trailer, this is the movie. For a multi-day South Asian wedding with a lot going on, a feature film gives the moments that don't fit in a three-minute edit somewhere to live.

Full Ceremony and Full Speech Edits

What it is: Your ceremony or speeches from start to finish, typically cut together from multiple camera angles with clean audio.

Why you want it: Ceremonies like the pheras, the Anand Karaj and the nikkah are full of meaning, and your family will want every minute, not a 20-second montage. Same goes for your dad's speech. All twelve minutes of it.

The Same-Day Edit

What it is: A short film edited during your wedding and played for your guests at the reception.

Why you want it: Watching your ceremony on the big screen a few hours after it happened, surrounded by everyone you love, is a genuine goosebumps moment. It requires an editor working on-site during the event, so ask whether it's offered and what's involved.

Raw Footage

What it is: The unedited files, straight off the cameras.

Why you might (or might not) want it: Getting "everything" sounds tempting. But raw footage really is everything: the shaky bits, the blurry bits and forty minutes of the DJ setting up. It can be useful as an archive, just don't expect to curl up and watch it. Not every team provides it, so ask.

Drone (Aerial) Footage

What it is: Shots from above: your venue, the baraat making its way in, the full scale of that outdoor setup you spent months perfecting.

What to know: Not every venue allows drones, and wind or rain can ground them. In the US, anyone flying a drone commercially needs an FAA Part 107 certificate, so make sure whoever is flying is properly licensed.

Audio: the unsung hero

Here's the thing about wedding films: people will forgive slightly imperfect footage. Nobody forgives bad audio. Ask how your vows and speeches will be recorded. Lapel mics, recorders at the podium and a feed from the DJ's soundboard are all part of how a great team makes sure you can actually hear what was said.

Questions to ask before you book

• Which films are included, and roughly how long is each one?

• How is the music in our films licensed?

• When can we expect each film to be delivered?

• How will we receive our films, and in what format?

• Can we request changes after we see the first cut?

Not sure which films you actually need? Tell us how you picture watching your wedding ten years from now, and we'll work backwards from there. Browse our packages or say hello.