Put the video recorder down and hit the dance floor because the fields of wedding videography, photography, and content creation are booming.
Hired to capture one of the biggest days of a person’s life, these professionals allow couples and attendees to simply enjoy their big day, feeling comforted that each special moment will be documented cinematically forever.
With a front row seat to the world of weddings, these documenters know a thing or two about what’s trending and the traditions that are changing.
Orcutt-based wedding photographer MacKenzie Rana said that as a photographer, she sees trends in what she photographs—and doesn’t photograph anymore—at wedding ceremonies.
“I’m seeing a lot less of some of the formalities happening, like in your reception, not seeing the garter toss so much,” she said. “Bouquet tosses are kind of on their way out too. A lot of couples are opting to honor their mother during that time and hand off the bouquet.”
Rana also said she’s seen traditions like having bridesmaids done away with, as well as vows and cake cutting ceremonies being more low-key.
“Just kind of bringing a few moments back privately, rather than having everything be so public with some of those things,” she said.
Overall, Rana said, couples are wanting more time to interact with their guests rather than pose for formal photos too.
“It’s allowing for more opportunities for couples to enjoy their day with all of their people,” she said, “and allowing for those candid moments to happen.”
According to San Luis Obispo-based wedding photographer and videographer Chris Tack, wedding videos are surpassing the popularity of still photography for some couples.
Since starting in 2021, Tack said he’s seen couples prioritize videography over photography.
“Sometimes couples will hire me as their videographer, and they haven’t even thought about a photographer yet,” Tack said. “Whereas I feel like in 2021 it was like videography was more if you have enough money left over, … but it feels like it’s really switched. I think I’m noticing a bigger trend of videography becoming more of an important thing, almost equal to photography—sometimes more important for certain people.”
That’s because couples want the memories of their wedding day to stay alive, and what better way than candid film and photography.
“People like a lot of movement-based things, like photos that feel alive and videos that feel alive and tell the story of not just how an event really looks, but how an event feels. … You’re reliving those moments and you’re remembering how those things felt,” Tack said.
Wedding videography requires a crew, Tack said, involving not only his Canon C-70 (a cinema specific camera), but B cameras, audio equipment for the happy couple and guests, and drones.
“We are making sure that we’re getting all those speeches recorded using little lab mics on the bride in the groom to make sure we’re capturing little sounds that they make throughout the day and little conversations that they have. So, we’re pretty thorough,” he said.
Tack creates a highlight film of special moments throughout the event that ranges from eight to 10 minutes long, and he also provides the couple with three hours of raw footage from the day. Then, couples can share and post the content how they’d like, to their hearts’ content.
Some couples are also hiring wedding content creators. Like a videographer, these professionals capture moments throughout the day, but in smaller, more social media-friendly bits. While a video could be 10 minutes long, SLO wedding content creator Adriana Wells, owner of Best Friend of the Bride, said she creates content ranging from 15 seconds to two minutes long.
Wells started her work in 2023 and said she was the first wedding content creator on the Central Coast among only four others in the country that she knew of.
“My favorite part, I think it’s just being able to relive your wedding day for years to come. It’s just like, when your one-year anniversary comes, it’s always so nice to reflect on it,” she said.
Her process is simple. Wells wants to become the bride’s best friend who captures her special moments, from bridal shower to wedding.
Booking starts with an initial call to get to know each other, then multiple calls to plan the social media trends couples want in their content and the songs they want to include, oftentimes from their wedding playlist. Depending on the package they book, Wells will post live to social media, or simply provide the content for the couples to share later.
“I had this bride message me, and she was, like, my grandpa just passed away and I have this video of us on our wedding day,” Wells said, “and it’s such a special moment, you know, to have captured it and to look back on it and have this memory for years to come.”
Reach Staff Writer Libbey Hanson at lhanson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 9, 2025.