Following up on the post regarding the wedding of Sarah & Scott at New Hall Hotel, Sutton Coldfield I thought I would share a couple of stills taken from the wedding video footage of the day. So here we are…..
Outside the lovely St Chad's Church, Wishaw, near the Belfry
New Hall Hotel - Simply a stunning location.
On Saturday I filmed the wedding of Sarah and Scott in Sutton Coldfield. I first went to film Sarah at her parents’ house where she seemd very relaxed and was really looking forward to the day ahead. It was very cloudy but the forecast was that it was to stay dry and thankfully it did. I then headed off to the delightful St. Chad’s Church in Wishaw which is a stone’s throw from The Belfry. I was last there a few years ago and its grounds are lovely. Sarah arrived in a beautiful wedding car supplied by Elegance wedding cars in Sutton Coldfield and her dress was stunning. The ceremony in the lovely little church was then followed by photographs and champagne. It was great to work with wedding photographers Andy and Joy at
Avant Photography in Tamworth and after arriving at the fantastic New Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield we had some great weather and a great photo session. All the guests took part in a beautiful butterfly release before entering the marquee for the wedding breakfast. After some great speeches I filmed Goodwill Messages where guests can leave a short personal message to the camera for the bride and groom – one group had even written a rhyming poem which was hilarious. Sarah and Scott had their first dance at 9pm before a lovely hog roast was served outside. A disco rounded off the day before I left after a great day’s filming. Congratulations to Sarah and Scott and we’ll catch up when you return from the Maldives.
Last weekend saw me filming the wedding reception of Aislynn and Robert at Honiley Court Hotel near Warwick. They had just returned from their wonderful wedding in Barbados (I wasn’t jealous – honest) and wanted to share their fantastic week with their family and friends. After everyone had arrived they were shown the video of Aislynn and Robert’s big day in Barbados before the speeches began. The evening was rounded off with a first dance and disco and everyone let their hair down to round off the day. Many congratulations to Aislynn and Robert.
Claire and Steve are now on their honeymoon and I look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks when you return. Their wedding on Saturday was a local one for me as the church was just a few miles from me at St. Andrews’, Netherton. Thankfully the rain stopped just before Claire arrived in a beautiful Rolls-Royce Phantom and the improving weather also meant that Claire and Steve could perform a fantastic Dove Release immediately after the ceremony. The photos were taken at nearby Haden Hill Park somewhere I have driven past hundreds of time but have never visited; I’ve missed out because it’s simply stunning. I must say it was slightly strange when I arrived at the wedding reception venue because The Regis in Cradley was where my sister celebrated her wedding and I’d not been there since (11 years on). I was the best man that day! I have to say that the food was superb and many thanks to the staff for providing me with an excellent 3 course meal. I had a good chat during the meal with Keith, the photographer, from Midland Photographic in Dudley and it turns out that his daughter’s wedding reception also took place at the Regis – small world! I’ve filmed magicians in the past but have never seen the kind of show that John Milner put on at a wedding. He began with close up magic for a couple of hours then after the first dance and buffet he performed a 20 minute routine in front of eveyone where he linked and un-linked rings, matched up six pairs of pictures with six guests and even made one surprised guest levitate. Afterwards she said it was a completely surreal experience which she couldn’t quite comprehend – she’ll have to wait for the DVD to see what happened but in the meantime….
See - he really did it!
Many congratulations to Faye and Jamie, whose wedding I filmed on Saturday at the stunning Combermere Abbey near Whitchurch, Shropshire. It was a fantastic venue and one which I haven’t filmed at before. Jamie and Faye both got ready in beautiful cottages on the estate and the ceremony took place in a wonderful glasshouse. It was great to catch up with Vikki and Paul (friends of Faye and Jamie) whose wedding video I made in 2007 at Moor Hall Hotel, and thank you to David Perkins – the photographer. He was really easy to get on with and we had a good chat about work during the meal. We’ve both been in the wedding industry for nearly 10 years now so we had plenty to talk about. It was also nice to see Sarah and James (also friends of the bride and groom). I will be at Stourport Manor in September to film your wedding so I look forward to seeing you again in a few months. The evening got into full flow really early on and to round off the day a fantastic firework display lit up the night sky. I’ll speak to Jamie and Faye in 3 weeks – in the meantime, enjoy your honeymoon.
Congratulations to Jayne and Stuart on their wedding day on Saturday. The day absolutely flew by and little Cameron certainly looked like he enjoyed being the ring bearer and giving out Easter eggs to all the children.
Filming began at St Leonard’s Church in Marston Green and Stuart began the day in style by arriving in a vintage Mercedes Benz car. Jayne commented on how she was smiling all through the ceremony (without a hint of nerves on her face). It was a pleasure working with their photographer David Wadley who I’ve known for several years now and it was good to catch up with him. The wedding reception was at the NEC Crowne Plaza a venue I’ve not filmed at before but I must say I was very impressed with the quality of the decor and service – Jayne and Stuart made a great choice. Another great decision was the fantastic guitarist they chose. Stuart Toogood played some classic tracks and kept the guests entertained before the ceremony and during the register signing and wedding breakfast. The guests also had a special surprise in store at the reception when they were entertained with some close up magic by Ben Hanlin who did incredibly well in this year’s auditions of Britain’s Got Talent. Finally the day was rounded off with a real treat – Heart FM’s very own Dave Clarke – what a way to round off the day. So enjoy your honeymoon Jayne and Stuart (I’m not jealous that you’re off to Cancun, Mexico) and I’ll see you soon.
Saturday’s wedding was wet but that certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of Rebecca and Chris. I first met them about a year ago and it was a pleasure to see them enjoying the day and not letting the weather get in the way of what was a fantastic occasion. Beginning at St Luke’s Church in Cannock then heading on to Swinfen Hall near Lichfield, there was even time for a fantastic dove release at the venue, courtesy of Dove Delight in Stafford. The cake and flowers were beautifully presented and it was great to enjoy a laugh and a joke with Chris and Rebecca throughout the day. Thanks also to Rebecca’s father, Stephen, for a fantastic bacon sandwich at the house in the morning – much appreciated.
Hi everyone. Just a quick heads up to let you know that I’ll be attending a wedding show at Longbarn Village near Alcester in Warwickshire on the 21st March between 12-4pm. It should be a fantastic afternoon in a lovely rural setting so I look forward to seeing you there.
It’s clear that a wedding video is a visual production that captures the most special day of your life but what’s important to me is that sound isn’t ignored either. During your ceremony and speeches I use a radio microphone to obtain crisp audio and throughout the sequences that are set to the music of your choice I find it very important to include short snippets of clear audio in them. It brings out the atmosphere of the day but is very easy to get wrong if not given the correct time and care. I met yesterday with a couple who said this was very important to them too and this was one of the reasons they decided to book my services – it’s great to know that we’re on the same wavelength.
So….which songs would you like in your wedding video? It’s a difficult choice and if it’s taking you an eternity to choose, don’t worry – nearly everyone finds it difficult. My advise is always to take your time and really think what songs are special and important to you. Don’t be worried about genre, pace or tone. The only issue that might arise regards lyrics, or inappropriate lyrics. An example would be You’re Beautiful by James Blunt. As “beautiful” as the song may be the lyrics basically say “I’ll have to face the truth, I will never be with you.” So my advise is to make sure the lyrics are appropriate but don’t worry about the style of track – if you love it, use it. Remember it’ll be those songs that are forever on your DVD so make sure you’re happy with your choices. My Video Samples Page will give you some ideas of track choices I’ve received and the two End Highlights sequences are indeed poles apart in terms of style. One features a beautiful piano track called River Flows in You by Yiruma. Another features a terrific dance track called Saltwater by Chicane. Both are totally different but both fit the mood perfectly.
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