Why Virtual Reality Wedding Videos Are The Next Big Thing

What if you could go back and replay your wedding day, reliving the moments you didn't see, like your maid of honour tearing up as you read your vows or your new mother-in-law breaking out impressive moves on the dance floor?

Sounds out-of-this-world impossible, right?

Not anymore, thanks to a cutting edge videography style called virtual reality (VR).

We asked two pioneers of VR video – Chris Sharpe of Spotlight 360 and Jan Ostrovsky of Virtually Memorable – to break down the concept.

"A VR video is a 180 or 360 degree video with a field-of-view that centres around a main subject and allows a viewer to freely look around the video to see the full scope of the environment surrounding that subject," explains Ostrovsky. Achieving the 360 effect takes plenty of coordination. "Using a selection of cameras pointing in different directions, the footage from the cameras are synchronized and then stitched together to create one high definition spherical video," adds Sharpe.

To get the ultimate 360 experience, the viewer should wear a VR headset (Google Cardboard headsets start at $15 and attach to your smartphone). A headset makes the viewer feel as if they are virtually inside the video, experiencing the visuals as if they are happening right in front of them at that very moment, notes Ostrovsky.

The immersive aspect of VR video is but one of it's many advantages:

It's a unique video experience that won't make a dent in your wallet. "360 virtual reality wedding videos are now affordable for most budgets and are the perfect accompaniment to traditional video and photography packages," states Sharpe.

It's not restricted to a certain viewing platform. "A VR video can be viewed anywhere from a computer screen or on a smartphone," notes Ostrovsky.

It gives the viewer complete control over what they look at. "This ensures that they never miss any of the action, regardless of whether it's happening in front, above, behind or to the side of them," says Sharpe.

It lets the couple experience their wedding as if they were a guest. "They can look into the crowd and notice loved ones' reactions or they can look upward and around to notice the details of their beautiful venue and decor," explains Ostrovsky.

The ability to travel back and relive the day all over again is VR video's major selling point. "For a bride and groom to be able to return to the middle of the most important day of their lives is a truly amazing experience and one that should not be missed," adds Sharpe.

Four tips to help you decide if a virtual reality wedding video is for you:

1. Do you have loved ones who are unable to attend your wedding? "A 360 wedding video is a great way to help them feel like a part of your celebration," says Sharpe.
2. Would you like to share your wedding video on social media? It's become easier than ever to share and view 360 videos over platforms like Facebook and Youtube, adds Ostrovsky.
3. Are you interested in the latest wedding tech? These videos capture your wedding in an exciting new way that most people have yet to experience, notes Sharpe.
4. Do you want your wedding captured in a realistic way? "A 360 video captures the event as it happens," says Sharpe. Instead of a highly polished and edited montage of your day, it's a realistic and immersive wedding experience, he adds.

Check out these virtual reality videos from Spotlight 360 and Virtually Memorable: