📷 Shoot Details
🎬 Deliverables
🎨 Post-Production Variables
💰 Pricing
⏱ Estimated Post-Production
| Task | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | — | — |
How to Use This Calculator
- Shoot Details — enter how many cameras were used and the total raw footage hours (e.g. 2 cameras × 8 hrs = 16 hrs total). Add drone hours if applicable.
- Deliverables — toggle on each deliverable you're providing and set its target length or coverage duration.
- Post-Production Variables — choose your colour grading intensity, audio complexity, and how many revision rounds are included.
- Pricing — enter your hourly rate and any rush multiplier; the calculator produces your full project quote with deposit amount.
Why Editing Time Is Hard to Estimate
Unlike most freelance work, wedding video editing time is driven by the volume and type of raw footage, not just the length of the finished film. A 5-minute highlight reel from 8 hours of footage involves hundreds of creative selection decisions, music-sync cuts, and colour-grading nodes — it can easily take 25–40 hours despite the short deliverable runtime.
Highlight hours = footage_hours × style_ratio (8× to 15× depending on cut style)Ceremony / speeches / reception hours = segment_minutes / 60 × linear_ratio (3.5× to 5×)Multi-cam sync = footage_hours × (cameras − 1) × 1.75Drone integration = drone_hours × 3.0Revisions = rounds × avg_revision_hrsColour grade add-on = deliverable_base_hrs × grade_factorTotal quote = total_hours × hourly_rate × rush_multiplier
Editing Ratios Explained
The source-to-edit ratio expresses how many hours of editing work are needed per hour of raw footage. Wedding videographers and industry references cite the following benchmarks:
- Documentary / light highlight: ~8:1 — minimal colour correction, loose cuts, music bed
- Standard cinematic: ~11:1 — LUT-based grade, music-synced cuts, some slow motion
- Heavily graded cinematic: ~14:1 — custom node grade, significant sound design
- Music-video / fast-cut: ~15:1 — every beat hit, complex multi-layer timeline
- Ceremony / speeches (linear): ~3.5–5:1 — review, multi-cam sync, audio clean-up, minimal creative selection
- Drone footage: ~3:1 — colour match to A-cam, stabilise, select shots, integrate
Multi-Camera Sync Time
Every additional camera angle doesn't just add footage to review — it introduces a sync step where all angles must be aligned in the timeline (timecode or audio-waveform sync), then each moment requires a cut decision across angles. The calculator adds approximately 1.75 editing hours per hour of footage per extra camera, reflecting real multi-cam workflow overhead confirmed in forum discussions and rate guides.
When to Use This Estimator
- Quoting a new client: Build your package price from actual expected hours, not guesswork or competitor price-matching.
- Deciding whether to outsource: Compare your total estimated hours × your effective hourly cost vs. a flat-rate outsource shop quote.
- Setting retainer rates: Multiply this estimate by your booked weddings per month to understand your editing workload.
- Reviewing scope creep: Run the calculator before and after a client adds a deliverable to show them the time impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to edit a wedding video?
It depends heavily on deliverables and footage volume. A 5-minute highlight reel from 8 hours of single-camera footage typically takes 20–40 editing hours. Add a full ceremony cut (roughly 3–5 hours per hour of ceremony footage), speeches, and a social teaser, and a full multi-camera wedding package routinely takes 40–80+ hours of post-production time. This calculator breaks that down precisely from your actual inputs.
What is the editing ratio for wedding video?
Editing ratios vary by deliverable. Cinematic highlight reels have a high ratio — roughly 8:1 to 15:1 (editing hours per hour of raw footage) — because of the creative selection, music sync, and colour grade involved. Full-length ceremony and speech cuts are more linear and run 3:1 to 5:1. These ratios are cited across professional cinematography and production-cost resources and are the basis for this calculator's method.
Does adding a second camera increase editing time significantly?
Yes, substantially. Each additional camera multiplies the footage to review and requires a multi-cam sync step. The calculator applies approximately +1.75 hours of editing per hour of footage per additional camera, reflecting multi-cam sync overhead. A 2-camera wedding with 12 hours total footage adds roughly 10–14 extra editing hours just for the sync layer, before any creative work begins.
How much should I charge to edit a wedding video?
Enter your hourly rate into the pricing section — the calculator multiplies your total editing hours by your rate and applies your rush multiplier to produce the project quote. Industry benchmarks for freelance wedding editors range from $30–$150/hr depending on experience and market. Dedicated outsource shops quote flat rates of roughly $280–$520 per wedding for full cinematic packages (2026 pricing).
What is a same-day edit (SDE) and how long does it take?
A same-day edit is a 2–4 minute highlight film created and screened at the reception on the day of the wedding. Because it is produced under time pressure (often in 3–6 hours), it commands a significant premium — typically 50–100% above a comparable highlight film rate. The calculator treats the SDE as a separate deliverable with a fixed time block reflecting that compressed workflow.
Should I price wedding edits hourly or per project?
Most experienced wedding editors price per project. Hourly billing creates uncertainty for the client and removes your incentive to work efficiently. This calculator estimates your hours first, then converts to a project quote — the industry-preferred approach. Always include a clearly defined scope (revision rounds, deliverable list, file formats) in your contract to protect against scope creep.
How do colour grading and audio work affect total time?
Colour grading is a significant multiplier. A simple LUT applied globally adds modest time, but custom per-scene grading in DaVinci Resolve — matching A-cam to B-cam, balancing interior and exterior shots, creating a signature look — can add 30–50% to base editing time. Similarly, audio cleanup involving multiple lavalier mics, a boom mic, and noisy environments (wind, crowd, music) adds several hours per project.