How To Download, Install, & Use VLC Player on a Mac to Watch Wedding Video Files

At Jay Grubb Photography & Video, we want to ensure you have the smoothest experience watching your wedding films. Some video files—especially large, high-quality ones—may not play properly in Apple's default QuickTime player. We highly recommend using VLC Media Player, a free and reliable app that can handle virtually any video file type.

This guide will walk you through downloading, installing, and using VLC Media Player on a Mac so you can enjoy your wedding memories seamlessly.


Why Use VLC Media Player?

VLC is a powerful, lightweight media player that supports a wide range of file types, including:

  • MP4 (the most common video format)
  • MOV
  • MKV (often used for high-quality films)
  • AVI and more

If you've experienced issues like:

  • Freezing or stuttering video
  • Audio playing but no video showing
  • “File format not supported” errors

VLC can solve these problems quickly.


Step 1: Download VLC Media Player

  1. Open your internet browser and go to the official VLC website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
  2. Click the orange Download VLC button. Your Mac will automatically download the correct version for your system.

Quick Note: Always download from the official site to avoid harmful software.


Step 2: Install VLC on Your Mac

  1. Once the download is complete, locate the VLC.dmg file in your Downloads folder.
  2. Double-click the file to open the installer.
  3. A window will appear showing the VLC app icon. Drag and drop the VLC icon into your Applications folder.
  4. Open your Applications folder and double-click the VLC app to launch it for the first time.
  5. You may see a security warning:
  • Click Open to allow the app to run.
  • (This happens because the app was downloaded from the internet, but rest assured, VLC is safe and trusted worldwide.)

Step 3: Open & Watch Your Wedding Video

  1. Open VLC Player.
  2. Go to the top menu and click File > Open File…
  3. Navigate to where your wedding video is saved (likely in your Downloads folder or an external hard drive).
  4. Select your video file and click Open.

Your video will begin playing right away—smoothly and in full quality.


Alternative Method: Open Your Wedding Video Directly from Finder

If you prefer, you can open your video directly from Finder without first opening VLC:

  1. Locate your wedding video file in Finder (this may be in your Downloads folder, an external drive, or wherever you saved it).
  2. Right-click (or Control + Click) on the video file.
  3. From the menu, choose Open With > VLC Media Player.

Your video will launch immediately in VLC Player.


Tip: Set VLC as Your Default Player (Optional)

If you'd like all videos of this type (like MP4s or MOVs) to automatically open in VLC from now on:

  1. Right-click the video file.
  2. Choose Get Info.
  3. In the "Open With" section, select VLC Media Player from the dropdown menu.
  4. Click the “Change All…” button to apply this to all files of the same type.



Bonus Tips for the Best Experience

  • Full Screen Mode: Double-click the video or press Command + F to make it full screen.
  • Subtitle/Caption Files: If your video includes subtitles, VLC will detect them automatically if they're in the same folder. You can also manually add subtitles via Subtitle > Add Subtitle File.
  • Adjust Playback Speed: Under Playback > Speed, you can slow down or speed up your video as needed.
  • Volume Boost: VLC allows you to increase the volume up to 200%—useful if the audio is quiet.


Troubleshooting

  • Video won’t open? Make sure the file is fully downloaded and not corrupted.
  • Getting an error message? Try restarting VLC and your computer.
  • Still stuck? Check out our article on Video Playback Troubleshooting.


By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to watch your wedding film effortlessly on your Mac. VLC Player is a fantastic tool not just for your wedding video, but for all your future media needs as well.