Being based in the UK, we’d never heard of the wedding day letter until we’d filmed one of our first weddings abroad in the States, and we were sold. When it comes to filming and editing your wedding film, one of the most time consuming pieces of the puzzle is the audio. Exchanging your vows in front of an audience can be daunting even for the most brave of us. Aaryn and I giggled through our vows and all we had to do was repeat the words the registrar gave us. Wedding ceremonies are pretty intense and packed with gigawatts of raw emotion and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Wedding letters offer the chance for us to capture crystal clear audio of what you love about your other half at your own pace with as many takes as you’d like. If you are considering writing a letter to be read out on the morning of your wedding and have no idea where to start, read on for a little inspiration.
Take Your Time
Before you start writing it’s important to position your perspective. No matter what your story is as a couple, this day is the culmination of so many memories and moments that have lead you to this point. It’s so easy to forget all that we’ve been through in a relationship with the wedding planning and even just life in general. So, if you have a journal, emails, letters or old photos stored on your phone or computer somewhere, find them. Go back to those old moments when you met for the first time or back to your first date. Refreshing your memory of all of those special moments that you share together will help you get into a great mindset when you start writing.
Write From the Heart
You don’t have to be super gifted with words to write a great wedding day note. You may feel like you have to be super romantic or eloquent. You don’t have to be. The best thing you can do is to be yourself. Use your own voice, share your own perspective, and make your soon-to-be spouse feel like they just opened up a book to your mind. Perfection isn’t the goal here. Tap into your true emotion, whatever that may be. For you it may look a little comedic, or tear-jerkingly emotional, or even super serious. As long as you’re using your own voice it will be perfect.
Make it Personal
Share your story through your note. Share the things that might make him laugh or her tear up. Talk about actual things from your relationship. Things that you like or appreciate about him or her. Memories that you both shared together. The moment when you knew she’d be your wife. Or the memory when he asked you out for the first time. Your wedding day letter is one of the sweetest keepsakes that you’ll treasure for years to come.
Practical Tips
1. Start thinking about what you would like to write ahead of time. Possibly before your wedding weekend even begins so that you don’t have to worry about it during all the craziness of the wedding morning.
2. Write out and edit what you want to say on your phone or laptop before you transfer it into your handwriting.
3. Take your time and make sure your handwriting is legible. It will make it much easier for the other person to read aloud! Alternatively on the day we film you could read out your own letters and we’ll piece your audio a little differently in edit.
4. Finally, if you feel like sharing something really personal or intimate in your note, please do. While almost all of our couples read their letters out loud for us to capture the audio, we only use a few sentences for your film. Private inside jokes are also welcome.
So there it is. Your letter doesn’t need to be long, it doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to read like you. Bonus points for neat handwriting or pretty stationary but ultimately it doesn’t matter. The fact that you took the time to put down how you feel in words will mean everything to the love of your life.