Can your friends film it? How to Shoot a Wedding on a Tiny Budget.
Save Money on Your Wedding Video – Let Your Friends Film It
Wedding videos are often one of the biggest expenses in a wedding budget. If you're looking to cut costs, one creative and affordable option is to have your friends film it for you.
How Can Friends Film a Wedding?
The simplest approach is for your friends to use their smartphones. Almost everyone already has one, and most phones released since 2015 can shoot in 4K at 60fps—that’s more than enough quality for a beautiful video.
Once you've decided to go this route, the next step is choosing who will do the filming.
Who Should You Choose to Film Your Wedding?
Instead of relying on just one person, we recommend choosing a few trusted friends. It’s a lot of pressure for one guest, and several things could go wrong:
They miss a moment while grabbing a drink.
Their phone battery dies right before your first dance.
They run out of storage halfway through a speech.
They… get a little too into the party.
Spread the responsibility across two or more people, especially for the key moments.
What Are the Key Moments?
Every wedding is different, but here are some highlights you’ll likely want on video:
Arriving at the venue
Walking down the aisle
The vows and first kiss
Confetti exit
Speeches
Cake cutting
First dance
The party
Assign two people to each major event where possible. You can group some of these (e.g., all ceremony moments) to keep it simple.
What Makes a Good Phone Videographer?
Pick friends who:
Have a phone made in the last five years (iPhones, Pixels, and Samsungs are usually great)
Know how to use it well
Are likely to stay relatively sober and focused
Come from different friend groups/family sides to avoid footage bias
How Do You Collect Everyone’s Footage?
Gathering videos from multiple guests can be a challenge. Here are some options:
Avoid:
WhatsApp – It compresses video, drastically reducing quality. If you must use it, have people send videos as Documents, not media files.
Better options:
Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive – Reliable, high-quality file sharing with no compression.
Our solution at FIY Wedding – Keep reading!
What About Editing the Video?
Filming is easy. Editing? Not so much.
If you're okay with having the raw video clips, you’re all set. But if you want a polished edit with music and transitions, you’ll need to either:
Do it yourself using tools like CapCut (mobile), or Adobe Premiere Pro (desktop)
Ask a tech-savvy friend to help out for a ‘mates rate’
Hire a pro to handle editing using your collected footage
Or... Use Proper Cameras
If someone you know has a DSLR or camcorder, that’s another option. It may simplify file sharing, but with just one or two cameras, you lose out on having multiple angles and candid moments from different areas.
For example, imagine your first dance filmed from 4–5 perspectives. That’s only possible if multiple people are filming at once—something phones are perfect for.
Or... Find a Budget Videographer
Another route is hiring a videographer on a budget. Newcomers often offer lower prices or even free sessions to build a portfolio. Just know that:
You’ll have to move fast—these offers disappear quickly
You may not see previous work, so there’s a bit of risk
Other Ways to Save on Your Wedding
Looking for more ways to save? Check out our guide on budget-friendly wedding tips—it’s packed with ideas to help you cut costs without compromising your dream day.
How FIY Wedding Makes DIY Wedding Videos Easy
This is our thing. At Love Reels, we make it easy to have your friends film your wedding—without the stress of organizing and editing everything yourself.
Here’s how it works:
We give you custom QR cards your guests can scan to upload footage directly to us.
You get all the raw footage back—nothing is lost.
We take care of the professional editing, stitching together a polished video from all the best clips.
Plus, we provide helpful filming tips and guidance to make sure your friends know exactly what to capture.
Have questions? We’d love to help. Just reach out!
