How to Edit a Wedding Slideshow

Creating a wedding slideshow is a fairly easy task if you have the right software. Practically anyone can piece together a passable slideshow. To make your slideshow stand out, however, you have to give it a little finesse. How you edit a wedding slideshow can make the difference between ordinary and extraordinary.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Photo slideshow software
• Photos
• Music
• Video

1. Choose the order of your photos carefully. By creatively ordering your photos, you can keep your audience engaged in the slideshow and provide humorous moments. Interspersing funny photos with endearing photos will have the audience laughing and saying, "Aww," throughout the slideshow.

2. Edit the photos to the music. If you are using a music montage, consider what the lyrics are saying, and match up appropriate photos. You can also use the rhythm of the music to cut to the next photo.

3. Use the "Ken Burns Effect" or something similar to add motion to your photos. This effect zooms in and out on a photo and allows you to rotate it. Adding motion makes your photos more dynamic and interesting, and it makes your slideshow look more professional.

4. Use transitions in between photos to make the change more fluid. There are dozens of photo transitions you can choose from, including fading, wiping and dissolving. It's best to choose one and keep it consistent through your slideshow or through one section of your slideshow so that the finished product looks polished and not jumbled.

5. Include funny captions on some of the photos or titles between photos to provide a running commentary. This can enhance a slideshow that has a lot of funny photos, but it's not always appropriate for photos that are meaningful.

6. Get the opinions of a few of your friends or your family before you decide that your editing is done. Sometimes the editing process can make you lose perspective.

Tips & Warnings

• Spend the money to get quality photo slideshow software. This will make editing your video exponentially easier.
• Add a 15 to 20 second video clip or two to your photo slideshow to break up the monotony of the photos and engage your audience.
• Consider the length of your wedding slideshow. If you are creating a slideshow that will run on a loop throughout your reception, the length can be as long as you want. If your slideshow will be played for a captive audience, however, you should edit it down to less than 10 minutes. That should be around 100 photos.
• Remember who is going to be watching your slideshow when you create it. You probably don't want to include photos of you or your fiancé in embarrassing or compromising positions if grandmas or children will be present.