Wedding Content Creators Are the Next Big Thing—Here’s Why You Should Book One

Digital creators capture raw content for posting, sharing, and reliving the most special parts of your big day—long before your wedding photos are in.

Brooke Wilson got married in 2021; seven months later, her bestie, Lexie Heil, said "I do." They were each other’s maid of honor, and every time, there was that post-wedding feeling. "We both thoroughly enjoyed the planning process and had a bit of the wedding blues when it was over," Heil says. They longed for the instant gratification of reliving the most memorable moments on their phones in the days that followed.

As it turns out, couples across the country—inundated with pressure to post on social media and share content with loved ones—were facing the same problem. So, in 2022, Heil and Wilson launched Follow The Bride, an on-site wedding content creation service that provides couples with raw, unedited iPhone photos and videos in real time. It filled a void and caught on like wildfire.

"We started by tapping our local network in Denver, then things started spreading by word of mouth," the duo says. In just over two years, they’ve added 20 content creators across the country to their team and captured content at more than 160 weddings, including high-profile affairs like the recently viral wedding of influencer Bridget Bahl. Heil and Wilson were among the first into the marketplace with the concept; since then, a wave of wedding content creators has emerged.

"The value of raw content has skyrocketed since the popularization of more authentic content on social media," says San Francisco-based destination wedding planner Laurie Arons, who orchestrated Bahl’s multiday celebration and worked with Heil and Wilson on-site. "A wedding is a beautiful opportunity to document a milestone in a family’s history; photo and video content that helps someone relive such a happy occasion is priceless."

Meet Our Expert

• Brooke Wilson and Lexie Heil, founders of Follow The Bride, an on-site wedding content creation service

• Laurie Arons, San Francisco-based destination wedding planner

Related: Our Wedding Planning Timeline and Checklist Will Guide You Through Planning Your Big Day

What Is a Wedding Content Creator?

Think of it like this: A wedding content creator is your digital day-of bestie, capturing the raw content you want to post right away or even in real time so you and your bridesmaids don’t have to. "We’re not there to compete with the photographer," Wilson says. "We’re there to be your ultimate hype girl, the photographer’s shadow, to capture unique and different angles." Heil and Wilson provide couples with raw, un-edited iPhone photos and videos (unlike many other creators, they also use a point-and-shoot camera in addition to their phones). "Our business was created so the couple could receive unedited raw content by the night of their wedding," Heil says.

But it’s not all for social media; in fact, most of Follow The Bride’s brides are not influencers or social media mavens—many just want the content to relive for themselves and share with loved ones. "Whether the couple is active on Instagram and TikTok or not, our content is extremely special because we capture every moment of the day, and it truly showcases the love and emotion felt in the purest form," they say.

Arons expands on this. "Content creators are hired with the hope of documenting the realistic viewpoint," she says. "If you’re someone who appreciates that unfiltered vantage point, it may be a nice addition to [your vendor team]."

Related: Is There a Specific Order I Should Follow When Hiring My Wedding Vendors?

How It Works

Follow the Bride works like this: First, brides fill out a detailed questionnaire leading up to the wedding. "We discuss everything from important moments of the day down to specific examples of reels or TikToks they love," Wilson says. "This helps us identify what is important to the bride and what to focus on when capturing her content on the wedding day." Brides can book packages of varying time frames (six, eight, or 10 hours on-site) and add services like real-time Instagram story takeovers, pre-planned reels or TikToks, and more. For a single-day wedding, Follow The Bride delivers hundreds or even thousands of images and videos in real-time in a shared folder, meaning brides can access all the raw content by the time they change out of their party dress.

It’s not just for the bride; vendors are also bringing on creators. "From a vendor’s point of view, it’s nice to have more social media-friendly assets to leverage from a marketing perspective, providing a realistic viewpoint of the event as it unfolds," Arons says. "It’s fun to look back on the moments that go by so quickly as a producer."

The Difference Between a Wedding Content Creator and a Photographer or Videographer

The biggest difference between a content creator and a photographer is the deliverables and when they are received. "Photographers shoot on extremely high-end equipment and edit the photos for months after the wedding," Heil says. "We capture thousands of raw images and videos to reminisce on the morning after your wedding." Arons adds: "Your professional photo and video team will be creating a completely different final product than your content creation team. A photo album or wedding video will be appreciated as heirlooms with a great deal of staying power. Raw content designed with social media sharing in mind will be captured with an entirely different agenda."

The vendors behind the lens—or, as the case may be, the iPhone screen—are also looking for different things in the moment. "The photographer is responsible for not only capturing the emotive moments of a wedding day but also the finished design details in their unaltered state," Arons says. "Content creators have great skill in creating behind-the-scenes content that shows the couple enjoying the moments of the day that may otherwise be skimmed over while getting ready, having their first dance, transitioning their guests to the after-party, eating that first delicious bite of cake. The funnier, candid moments are some of my favorite."

That said, the photographer and content creator need to work closely together. "Be sure that the multimedia don’t compete with one another for those important moments on the wedding day, and ensure everyone knows one another and communicates their objectives to the rest of the group, if at all possible," Arons says. "It’s important photographers have the first look at every turn, with the content creator almost mirroring that flow as a shadow."

What to Consider When Hiring a Wedding Content Creator

Content creators are not just for social media influencers or people looking for likes. "In fact, most of our brides are not influencers," Heil and Wilson say. A wedding content creator is for anyone hoping to relive the moment in the hours and days that follow and share that content with their loved ones. Here are a few factors to consider before signing a contract.

Budget

Follow the Bride’s content packages start at $1,500, with a la carte add-ons as options; other creators we’ve seen are in a similar range, with costs rising based on timing and number of deliverables. (Not all content creators deliver in real time like Follow the Bride, but most deliver within 24 to 48 hours.) It’s a considerably smaller investment than the wedding photographer, which ranges on average from $6,000 to $10,000 or more, but a notable investment nonetheless.

Related: Who Pays for the Wedding? Here's What Each Family Is Traditionally Responsible For

Guest List and Location

Wedding content creators are an excellent option for couples having destination weddings with smaller guest lists or those with friends and family—often grandparents—who can’t attend. "Since so much time and planning goes into these weekends, destination brides are more inclined to Instagram takeovers, so they can take their followers through the entire weekend and give a glimpse into their wedding weekend for those who couldn’t make it," Heil says.

Aesthetics

Heil and Wilson recommend scrolling through the potential creator’s content and seeing what sort of work they post. "Our Instagram and TikTok pages are a perfect representation of the quality of our work," Wilson says. "We highly suggest looking at the content creator’s [social media] when deciding if their content is the right fit for your wedding."

Type of Content

While most of what Follow The Bride delivers is raw, unedited content, they also offer a la carte add-ons, including reels, TikToks, and more. If you’re a social media guru intent on recreating a viral TikTok dance or making a cheeky lip-syncing reel, a wedding content creator can help.

Timeline

Here’s where a planner comes in handy: You want to make sure that, if you opt for a creator on-site, there’s time for everyone to get what they need. "Similar to the way we work with our trusted photo and video teams, there always has to be a plan that flows seamlessly with the guest experience and is logistically sound," Arons says of working with creators. "As a rule of thumb, I always pad photo and video timelines to ensure that nothing feels rushed and my creative team can do the best job possible."

Related: The Ultimate Wedding Day Checklist: What You'll Need for Every Part of Your Event

Read the original article on Martha Stewart.