The VHS Edition
Your finished wedding film, recorded in real time onto a real, playable VHS tape, with a printed sleeve and a spine label carrying your names and the date, in a clamshell case like the ones stacked next to your parents' television in 1994. It is $219, and it is the least practical thing I sell.
That is the point. The tape is the artefact, not the archive.
What it is, exactly
This is not a camcorder shoot and it is not a filter. It is the same wedding film you receive digitally, the finished, graded, full-quality one, dubbed onto tape at standard play speed so it looks the way tape is meant to look: soft edges, warm colour, a little drift in the tracking.
The sleeve is designed for your wedding. The label is typed. The case is the real thing. It sits on a shelf and looks like it has always been there.
Why couples love it
Every other version of your wedding lives inside a device that will be obsolete in five years. The tape does not update, does not need charging, and does not care about file formats. It just sits there, being the day you got married.
It also happens to be the best wedding gift cheat code I know. Parents who grew up on home video get emotional handing them one, and then they go and find the VCR in the garage.
Can you actually play it?
Yes, it is a real, working tape. If you have a VCR, or a grandparent with one, your wedding film plays exactly as it would have in 1994.
Most couples never play it, and that is fine. Its job is to exist. The film you actually watch is the digital one, in full quality, delivered as normal.
What $219 actually gives you
Your full wedding film, dubbed in real time onto a new tape at the highest quality the format allows.
A printed sleeve designed for your wedding, a typed spine label, and a proper clamshell case.
The object photographed before it ships, in case you want to post it.
Delivered with, or after, your wedding film.
Why $219 for a tape
Because a blank tape is cheap and everything else is not. Each one is dubbed in real time on a working deck, checked end to end, sleeved, labelled and cased by hand. It is made once, for you, and there is no batch.
Pairs well with
The VHS Edition sits naturally alongside the other analogue add-ons. Couples who order it usually also love Super 8, real motion picture film shot on the day, and 35mm photography. Together they make the whole wedding feel like a memory even while it is still happening.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a real VHS tape or just a case?
A real, playable tape. Your film is recorded onto it.
Do we still get our digital wedding film?
Yes. The VHS is an addition, never a replacement. Your full quality digital film is delivered as normal.
Do we need a VCR?
Only if you want to watch it on tape. Most couples do not, and the digital film is the one you will actually watch. The tape is for the shelf, the parents, and the day you find a VCR at an op shop.
Can we order more than one?
Yes. Extra tapes for parents are the most common order, and they make a better gift than almost anything else on this site.
Does the tape degrade?
Slowly, over decades, the way analogue things do. Your digital master is always the archive. The tape is the keepsake. Keep it upright, out of the sun, away from speakers.
Can we choose the sleeve design?
The sleeve is designed to suit your wedding and your names and date are always on it. If you have a title in mind, tell me.
Can we get one if we only booked photography?
The VHS Edition holds your wedding film, so it pairs with film and combined packages. If you are deciding between packages, this is a good excuse to add film.
The least practical thing on this site
The VHS Edition can be added to any film or combined package, or ordered after your wedding. Send me a note and I will sort it out, no pressure at all.