Trend tracking: your guide to same-day edit celebrations.
With elopements and micro-weddings becoming popular in the last five years, many couples are now choosing to combine the personal element and stylistic benefits of an intimate ceremony with a full-scale surprise celebration (a la MAF’s Ella Ding and Guy’s recent same-day edit).
A huge part of this plan is having a videography team who can create your same-day edit (hello, Hey Jack!). So, what does this look like, and what does it mean?
It’s all about the intimacy AND the epic celebration.
The idea is that you and your partner hold your ceremony earlier in the day – with a few of your loved ones present or just the two of you. Your videographer and photographer are present and capture the ceremony and beautiful moments around it.
They then edit up this footage with any other images or video footage you may have already (your engagement, a couple shoot, even family videos).
In the meantime, you, the newlyweds, get glammed up for your party that evening – where the big reveal will take place. Often, this will be in the place of or alongside speeches – your guests are gathered, drinks in hand, the music stops, and the screen goes blank, when images of your story together begin to appear on screen, spliced with glimpses of you in your ceremony outfits. The soundtrack is perfectly matched to your style, and the emotions begin to swell.
Queue confusion, excitement, and finally, the happiest tears and shrieks as your friends and family realise what took place earlier that day.
Video of Ella & Guy’s stunning reveal by Hey Jack
This is a stellar way to make an impact without the stresses of a traditional wedding party, but what do the logistics of a same-day edit actually involve? We spoke to an expert in same-day edits – Jordyn Wills, Director of Hey Jack, to get across the details.
What is the process you go through with couples who book you for a same-day edit?
Every couple is so different. We don’t have a set guideline or plan in the lead-up; it really depends on the couple and how much time we have to edit between the ceremony and the reveal.
If we don’t have much time at all (for example, maybe only five or six hours), we’ll need to storyboard the film and create a mock-up version of the film to then slot the “real” footage in from the day. This can take three or four weeks in the lead-up as it will include music selection and overall direction of the film.
We are BIG on telling a story. We’ll deep dive into you and the story of your relationship. We’ll talk about how you met and discuss any special trips and unique moments that can be woven into the film.
We also ask for personal footage, images and videos that might be relevant to the event your guests think they’re at (we don’t want to leak the surprise too early in the video, so having this footage is key).
What advice or tips would you give to couples considering this option?
Our advice is to not worry about what anyone else may think or whether people will feel left out because you didn’t tell them you’re getting married – that’s all part of the fun!
We have had many couples worry about not experiencing that typical wedding day: getting ready, having champagne with your closest friends, and arriving to guests at a venue.
The truth is, you can still have all of that.
We help curate the day to be exactly as you envision it, and we can include as many traditional or non-traditional formalities as possible. It may involve fewer guests and have a more intimate feel, but these are some of our favourite moments to capture. It’s truly so natural and organic, and then you get to party that evening – the best of both worlds, we say!
Another tip is to ensure your ceremony and reception venues are close together so you’re not travelling during the day.
Think about timing – ensure your ceremony is early enough to give the editing team a minimum of six hours between the end of ceremony photos and soundcheck at the venue that evening.
Think about how the video is going to be shown. This is something our couples tend to miss when planning. We recommend an experienced AV tech/team to provide a high-quality projector or TV and audio. This is vital when showing the video – audio and visual are everything, and you don’t want to lose the impact of your big reveal due to a tech fail. If you don’t know where to start, we have a few awesome AV techs that we work with regularly who can sort it all out for you.
Is there anything couples NEED to know before proceeding?
The Notice of Intended Marriage must be lodged with your celebrant a minimum of one month prior to the wedding ceremony date. This is an important one to remember and plan around! Legally, you can complete the Notice with your celebrant over zoom – the fab celebrants listed with Ivory Tribe will all be able to guide you through this process quickly and efficiently.
In your experience, in what situations does a same-day edit work really well?
Typically, the scenario that works best is to have a morning ceremony with your closest loved ones, flowing into a lunch or canape celebration with a little time spare to capture portraits (not long, 30 minutes max).
Then, invite guests to an “engagement party” or “birthday party” that evening, starting at about 6:30pm, with the video reveal showing at approximately 7pm.
You want to show the video early so you can kick off the party and celebrate your marriage with everyone.
The surprise ONLY works if you have done the hard yards and kept the wedding an absolute secret to EVERYONE. We have found some couples tell a few close friends, and the word spreads. You need to be super firm and aligned on who you tell – and ensure they are super trustworthy!
The reactions and looks on your guests’ faces are truly priceless and something we strive to capture and include in your highlight film – you will be watching this every day for months after!
Video by Hey Jack
Looking for more micro-wedding or elopement inspiration? Here’s a collection of some of our all time favourites – get dreaming!
