Step 1: Back up before anything else
Before you upload a single file, make sure the footage exists in at least two places you control. Uploading is not a backup. A shared link can be deleted, and an upload can fail silently.
A common rule is 3-2-1: three copies, on two kinds of storage, with one off-site.
Step 2: Use a folder structure an editor can read in 30 seconds
LastnameLastname_YYYY-MM-DD/
├── 01_GettingReady/
│ ├── CAM-A/
│ └── CAM-B/
├── 02_Ceremony/
│ ├── CAM-A/
│ ├── CAM-B/
│ ├── CAM-C/
│ └── AUDIO-Recorder-Officiant/
├── 03_Portraits/
│ ├── CAM-A/
│ └── DRONE/
├── 04_Reception/
│ ├── CAM-A/
│ ├── CAM-B/
│ └── AUDIO-DJ-Feed/
├── Music_Licensed/
├── LUTs/
├── Graphics_Fonts/
└── BRIEF.pdf
Rules that make the difference:
- One folder per camera, per audio source. Never mix cameras in one folder.
- Keep original file names and folder structures from the cards. Renaming breaks metadata and sync.
- Group by part of the day if you shot several events or locations.
- Name audio folders by who or what was mic’d. “AUDIO-Groom-Lav” beats “Zoom2”.
Step 3: Include everything the editor needs
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| All camera footage, including B-roll and drone | Missing angles are the top cause of delays |
| Every audio file: lavs, recorders, DJ/board feed | Audio makes or breaks ceremony and speech edits |
| Licensed music, with license info | So the edit can be published without claims |
| Your LUTs | So color matches your look |
| Fonts and logo files | If your titles use them |
| Your style brief | See our style-brief guide and template |
| A short per-wedding note | Names, order of events, key people, anything sensitive |
Step 4: Make syncing easy
Editors sync multicam footage by audio waveform or timecode. You can make it faster and more accurate on the day:
- Keep cameras rolling through vows and speeches. Stopping and starting creates dozens of short clips to sync.
- Clap or slate at the start of key moments when it’s discreet, or at least at the start of the ceremony.
- Record scratch audio on every camera. Even poor camera audio helps sync to clean recorder audio.
- Jam-sync timecode if your gear supports it.
- Put redundant audio on the important voices. A lav on one partner plus a recorder near the officiant, and a board feed for the speeches.
- Note any recorder that stopped or a camera that overheated, so the editor knows the gap isn’t a missing file.
Step 5: Upload with Google Drive or Dropbox
Both work well for large wedding uploads. A few practical tips:
- Check your plan’s current storage and upload limits before a big wedding. They change, so confirm on the provider’s site.
- Upload over a wired connection where possible, and leave the computer awake until the upload finishes.
- Use the desktop sync app for very large uploads rather than a browser tab.
- Check file counts and sizes against your cards once the upload completes.
- Share one top-level folder, not dozens of individual links.
We accept Google Drive and Dropbox links up to 500GB per project, with up to 5 cameras including drone.
Step 6: Lock down the share link
This is the step most videographers skip. Your clients’ footage includes vows, private conversations, children and guests who never expected to be seen online.
Security checklist: – [ ] Share with the editor’s email address only, not “anyone with the link” – [ ] Give view access, not edit access – [ ] Set an expiry date on the link if your provider supports it – [ ] Don’t post footage links in group chats or public forums – [ ] Ask the editor who will access the footage – [ ] Ask when the footage will be deleted, and how deletion is confirmed – [ ] Ask whether footage is ever used to train AI – [ ] Sign an NDA before sharing, if you need one
Our answers: footage is transferred over HTTPS/TLS, only your assigned editor and reviewer can access it, raw footage is permanently deleted 90 days after delivery (backups within 30 days), early deletion is confirmed within 5 business days, it’s never used to train third-party AI systems, and we sign an NDA on request, free. Full details: footage privacy & security.
Step 7: Confirm receipt before you wipe cards
Wait until the editor confirms every file opens and nothing is missing before you format a card or delete a local copy. We check every upload and flag missing or damaged files before editing begins.
Common handoff mistakes
- One camera’s card left out. Check against your shot list.
- Audio from the officiant’s recorder forgotten. It’s always the one you need.
- Renamed files. Breaks metadata and slows syncing.
- Music without a license. The film gets muted when your couple posts it.
- A brief that says “you know my style.” They don’t, yet. Write it down.