Short answer
Two to four minutes is the sweet spot for a party: long enough to tell the story, short enough to hold the room. Play it once, with sound, when guests are seated and the room is quiet, usually during dinner or just before the toasts, the entrance or the first dance. Send the file to the DJ a few days early and test it on their screen.
How long to make it
Guests watch two to four minutes comfortably. A first birthday or a video to send to family needs only about a minute; a milestone birthday with decades of photos can run four.
Every 5 seconds of video is one transition between two photos, so a minute takes about 13 photos.
- First birthday: about 1 minute
- Graduation or wedding: about 2 minutes
- Quinceañera, anniversary or family tribute: about 3 minutes
- Bar or Bat Mitzvah, milestone birthday: about 4 minutes
When to play it
Pick a moment when everyone is seated and facing the screen, with nothing else competing for attention. Ask the DJ to dim the lights and announce it.
- Quinceañera: during dinner or right before the grand entrance
- Bar or Bat Mitzvah: before the candle-lighting
- Wedding: right before the first dance
- Birthday or anniversary: during dessert or before the toasts
- Graduation party: on a loop near the photo table, and once with sound before the toast
- Family tribute: as guests arrive or during the program
A checklist for the DJ or venue
The video is a horizontal 16:9 MP4, which plays on most TVs, projectors and event screens. Go through this list a few days before the event.
- Send them the MP4, by download link or on a USB drive
- Tell them how long it runs and the exact moment it plays
- If the video is silent, give them the song to play with it
- Play it once on their screen and speakers
- Keep a copy on your phone as a backup
Leave time to make it
Most clips are ready within a few minutes, so you can finish the video in a day. Still, aim to be done a week or two before the event, so there is time to swap a photo, retry a clip and test it with the venue.
Original photos and clips are deleted 30 days after your first video is made, so make your last changes within that time and keep the downloaded MP4.
How long should a quinceañera video be?
About three minutes: enough for fifteen years of photos, and short enough to keep the room watching before the entrance.
Should the video play with sound?
Yes. Choose an original soundtrack, or make the video silent and have the DJ play a song with it. Either way, test the volume on the venue speakers.
Will it play on the venue screen?
The video is a horizontal 16:9 MP4, which plays on most TVs, projectors and event screens. Play it once on their equipment before the day.
How early should I make the video?
A week or two before the event is comfortable. Original photos and clips are deleted 30 days after your first video is made, so finish your changes within that time and keep the downloaded MP4.