Not for: Not a price list, and not a promise about how quickly any editor works. Lengths here are the ones couples and studios commonly agree on; your contract decides yours.
Agree the films before the day
Most disputes about a wedding film are about what was promised, not how it was cut. Write down which films the couple gets, roughly how long each is, who chooses the songs, how many rounds of changes are included, and in which shapes each film is delivered. Then plan the shoot around that list: a same-day edit changes how you work at the venue, and a vertical reel changes how you frame the key moments.
The traditional film
The long film of record, common in Indian weddings: every ceremony in order, speeches kept, often running for hours across several events. It is cut by hand against the run-of-show, and its length is set by the day itself rather than by a song. Families watch it for completeness, so a missing ritual matters more here than a slow stretch.
The highlight film
The film couples share and rewatch: a few minutes of the best of the day, cut to one song or a few joined together. Its length is the music’s length, so choosing and trimming the song is choosing the length. Cinematic Story suits a highlight watched sitting down; Documentary suits a couple who want the rituals in order. In Vantacut the reel is exactly as long as the song you load.
The teaser
Thirty to ninety seconds, made from the same footage as the highlight to a shorter song, to tell the couple and their families that the film is coming. It shows the start of the best moments and stops before they land. In Vantacut it is a second Auto-Edit run on the shorter song: it opens on its own timeline, and because each clip is only watched once, it pays for its own minutes only.
Same-day edits and vertical reels
A same-day edit is a short film played on the reception screen, cut from what was filmed before you sat down to edit; it needs its own plan, covered in the same-day guide. A vertical reel is a version for phones, in 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1. Decide which shapes the package includes before the day, because footage shot wide is cropped to fill a vertical frame, and moments framed tight at the edge of a wide shot may not survive the crop.
What decides when you can deliver
How much footage there is, how many films the package holds, how many rounds of changes are included, and the first cut of each film, which is the part that eats the most evenings. An editor that makes the first cut changes where your time goes, not what the couple is owed: you still walk every beat, fix what it missed and grade the result. Promise a delivery date you can keep with the slowest wedding of your season, not the easiest.
The usual package
What each film is for, and what sets its length. Change the lengths to whatever you and the couple agree.
| Film | What it is for | What sets its length |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional film | The complete record of every ceremony, in order | The day itself, often hours across several events |
| Highlight film | The film the couple shares and rewatches | The song or songs, usually a few minutes |
| Teaser | A first look, before the film is ready | A short song, usually thirty to ninety seconds |
| Same-day edit | Played on the reception screen | A short song, and what was filmed before you started cutting |
| Vertical reel | A version for phones, in 9:16, 4:5 or 1:1 | A short song, cut from the same footage |
Your footage stays on your computer
Editing, playback and export run on your computer, and your original footage and songs never leave it. To find moments, Auto-Edit shares low-quality copies of your clips, still frames and the speech, and the app asks once before anything is sent. The editor works worldwide, in English; credit packs are priced in Indian rupees.
Questions
How long should a wedding highlight video be?
As long as the song or songs you cut it to, and that is agreed with the couple. A highlight is usually a few minutes: long enough to tell the day, short enough to watch again. A teaser is usually thirty to ninety seconds.
Is a highlight the same as a same-day edit?
No. A same-day edit is cut during the wedding and shown at the reception, so it can only hold what was filmed before you started cutting. A highlight is cut afterwards from the whole day’s footage.
What sets the length of a reel in Vantacut?
The song. The reel is as long as the song you load, so trim it first, or join songs with a cut, crossfade or gap.
Get the editor
Windows and Linux now; macOS is coming. The editor is free; create your account when it first opens.