Show WeddingEditor the kind of wedding film you love
Give WeddingEditor style direction and examples of the wedding films you like, and it uses that direction on your own footage: pacing, emotional feel, energy and how much the speeches carry the story. A reference is guidance, not a request to copy another filmmaker shot for shot.
References are optional; the four style preferences work without one.
Last updated October 2026
How to give a style reference
- 1
Start from the closest style
Pick the style preference nearest the film you have in mind: Emotional & Cinematic, Fun & Energetic, Romantic & Elegant, or Natural & Documentary-style.
- 2
Pick the matching audio balance
Decide whether the reference is voice-led or music-led, and choose the audio preference that matches it.
- 3
Describe the reference in your brief
Before processing, use "Anything you want us to avoid, use less of, or otherwise know before we start?" to describe the film you love and what you love about it.
- 4
Start processing
The direction is saved with the project and guides the edit of your own wedding footage.
What a reference helps WeddingEditor understand
Pacing
How quickly the film moves, how long shots hold and where it slows down. "Slow, patient opening, then it builds into the reception" says more than any single word.
Emotional feel and energy
Whether the film should leave the viewer moved, delighted or calm, and how much energy runs through it from start to finish. A quiet, tender reference and a high-energy party film can share the same wedding footage and still feel nothing alike.
How much the speeches carry
Music-led versus voice-led storytelling: whether lines from vows and toasts drive the film or appear only at the key moments.
Cinematic or documentary
Whether the reference feels composed and stylized, or observational and true to the day as it happened.
Room to breathe
How long moments are given before the film moves on: a held look after the vows, a pause before the kiss, a laugh allowed to finish.
Guidance, not imitation
A reference shapes the direction of your edit. WeddingEditor does not copy another filmmaker shot for shot, and your film is still built from your own footage, your couple and your day.
No reference? The styles still work
Most edits do not need a reference. The four style preferences and the audio preference already set the feel; a reference is for when you want to be more specific.
What a reference can and cannot do
| Aspect | Guided by a reference? |
|---|---|
| Pacing and rhythm | Yes |
| Emotional feel and energy | Yes |
| Voice-led or music-led storytelling | Yes |
| Cinematic or documentary feel | Yes |
| How long moments breathe | Yes |
| Copying another film shot for shot | No |
| Required for an edit | No |
Questions about style references
Can I give WeddingEditor a style reference film?
Yes. Describe the kind of wedding film you love, and WeddingEditor uses that direction on your footage. See Can I give WeddingEditor a style reference film?.
Will WeddingEditor copy the reference exactly?
No. A reference is guidance for pacing, feel and energy, not a request to recreate another filmmaker's film shot for shot.
Can I use one of my own past films as a reference?
Yes. Describing a film of yours that you are proud of is often the clearest way to say what you want, especially if you want new edits to match your portfolio.
What should I write about the reference?
What you love about it, in concrete terms: how it opens, how fast it moves, how much of the speeches you hear, and how it ends.
Do I need a reference?
No. Most videographers choose a style and an audio balance and leave it there. References are for when you want to be more specific.
Does a reference replace the other preferences?
No. Name the important people, must-have moments and things to avoid as usual; the reference only covers style.
Does a reference work for a Social Teaser?
Yes. A teaser of about one minute is faster and more compressed than a Highlight Reel, so describe how the reference opens, how it builds momentum and how it pays off, rather than how it tells the whole day.
Point the edit at the film you love
Upload the wedding, describe the style you are after, and start your edit.
Start your first wedding