Photo vs Video
Do You Really Need Both?
Let’s Get Real with de Belle: What’s the Real Difference Between Photo and Video?
Alright, let’s talk. You’re planning your wedding, you’re booking vendors, and at some point, you’re going to ask yourself: Do I really need both photography and video? Or what’s the actual difference between the two?
So here’s the honest truth—from someone who’s been behind the lens for a long time.
Let’s start with photography. Photos are like little time capsules. They capture single moments—raw, emotional, candid—and preserve them forever. It’s that quiet tear your dad wiped away before walking you down the aisle. It’s the way your partner looked at you during the vows. It’s your best friends laughing mid-toast. Snap—and it’s frozen in time. That’s the beauty of photography. It’s storytelling through stillness, with echoes of heartfelt moments.
Photography is curating the best, most meaningful glimpses of the day—images that will end up on your walls, in your album, on your Instagram feed and in your memories forever. It’s about emotion, elegance, and honesty. You can relive those single moments with just a glance. That’s powerful.
Now let’s flip to video. Video is movement. It’s sound. It’s energy. You see the way your partner fidgets with their hands during the ceremony. You feel the energy of people dancing, the laughter, the nervous giggles, the shaky-voiced speeches.You hear grand-ma’s voice, which, let’s face it, won’t be around forever. Video captures everything in between the moments that photos might miss.
Cinematography is like making a mini movie where you’re the main characters. You get to see how you were—how you walked, how you danced, how you connected with the people around you. And years from now, watching your wedding video becomes this cinematic experience where the past feels alive again. You get to revisit your story, and not just remember it, but re-feel it.
Here’s another big difference: photos are instant and accessible. You can share them quickly, flip through them casually, frame them, post them. They give you that immediate rush of emotion. Video, on the other hand, is immersive. It takes a bit more time. You sit down. You press play. And you enter the memory. It’s a full experience.
So which one should you choose? Honestly—both. They complement each other in a beautiful way. Photos give you the polished gems. Video gives you the soul between the scenes. Together, they complete the story.
If it was a life and death scenario and I had to choose between one or the other….drum roll please. I would choose Photography. Keep in mind, this article is written from the heart of a photographer. You can make your photos a screensaver on your phone, print them up, make an album and even print up a full on Billboard if you wanted to.
The bottom line? Your wedding is full of once-in-a-lifetime moments. Photos freeze them. Videos bring them to life. And when you have both, you don’t just remember the day—you relive it, over and over again.
— de Belle Photography
