Your typical Asian bride goes through a very lengthy preparation for her wedding celebration. From the application of the intricate henna designs on her hands, to the many individual pieces of jewellery, to the wrapping of the sari – there is a slow and steady build up of excitement as each piece of the final picture falls into place. With one final blast of hairspray, she is good to go. When we filmed behind the scenes at Sahar and Jamal’s Muslim wedding, we saw all the care which went into this preparation. The groom is not without his own process and our camera crew was split between the two locations in order to film both proceedings.

After the ceremony, we retreated to the gardens of the Shendish Manor in Hertfordshire where the clear, bright sun of a February day gave us great filming conditions. As Sahar & Jamal enjoyed the landscaped gardens we were able to track them with the camera catching all of their reactions. Once they were back inside, they ceremonially cut the wedding cake before taking to the dance floor for their traditional first dance together. As they swayed to the slow music, we all watched on in pleasure. Best wishes to Sahar & Jamal.

Live music makes such a contribution to any good wedding reception. This was doubly the case at this Sikh wedding reception held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Sukshinda Shinda Live rocked the house and had the dancefloor packed with dancing fools. Look at the way the lead singer bobs and weaves his way across the stage? The guy just keeps on moving and keeps the crowd on their feet. From the spectacular sway of his turban, to the rustle of his robes, he is poetry in motion keeping time with his song! It was hard to keep our cameras still as we were bopping and weaving to the music too!

Doubling up on both keyboards and percussion gives a real depth to the sound and with one of the keyboards doubling on backing vocals it goes a long way to flushing out the sonic scope. Sukshinda Shinda Live were backed up by a great set of lights which pulsed and cut through the darkness helping to further lift the spirits. No expense was spared on their sound system too with bass sound that literally shook your bones. All the better to help you dance! Keep these great musicians in mind if you are planning an event or wedding reception. Well done guys!

Nirshanthan and Shiyamily chose the spectacular setting of one of Bedfordshire’s most beautiful locations, Woburn Abbey, for their Asian Civil Wedding. On a lovely July’s day, our crew could get out and film the scenic gardens of the Abbey, capturing all of the statuary and lovely foliage. The white Abbey stood out in great contrast to the freshly mowed green grass. As the guests arrived in their finest they lingered outside for photographs in the summer sun. Then our lovely bride and groom made a storybook entrance in a white open-top carriage! They filed into the Abbey’s interior, past priceless paintings and antiques, to take their place for their ceremony. After exchanging vows which they wrote themselves, our couple walked hand in hand back down the aisle as husband and wife.

They retreated outdoors where we delighted in filming Nirshanthan & Shiyamily against all the lovely vistas of Woburn Abbey. While the bride and groom were photographed, the wedding guests were enjoying a drink in the sun on the lawns. We circulated with our camera to get good footage of all the guests. Soon it was time to head into the dining room to enjoy a fantastic meal after which Nirshanthan and Shiyamily fed each other wedding cake. It was a very auspicious start to a long and happy marriage! Congratulations.

Kiran & Kuldeep went all out on their Sikh wedding! It was a fantastic celebration. Early in the day we met up with the bride at the Hilton Hotel as she started her wedding preparations. She certainly wasn’t daunted by the path ahead and seemed to embrace the excitement of it all. Meanwhile our groom was being well looked after by his family who made sure he was dressed and ready for his ceremony at the Ilford Gurdwara. A couple of busses and a handful or Rolls Royce were on hand to ferry the wedding party in style. The ceremony was beautiful, colourful and over too soon!

Then it was on to the London’s Grosvenor House Hotel for a rather elaborate reception. The hotel pulled out all the stops to make Kiran & Kuldeep’s celebration a memorable one. The vast room was draped in a star cloth giving it a really pretty night-time sky effect. Coupled with a brilliant lighting setup and amazing floral displays made quite an impression on the guests. It was great for us to film too as there was so much to take in the with camera’s eye. The bride and groom made a spectacular entrance to the beating of many drums. And that was just the beginning of a long and memorable evening. Thank you to Kiran and Kuldeep for letting us be a part.

Chris and Cecilia planned a rather traditional Chinese Wedding for themselves which involved lots of really interesting rituals – like blindfolding the groom and feeding him crackers or  passing a hard boiled egg from one mouth to the next. We can’t say we entirely understood it all, but it was really interesting and our camera operators worked their magic capturing it all on video. The initial preparations were at Selsdon Park Hotel in Surrey which provided a convenient gathering spot for the wedding party. This was followed by a time-honoured Chinese tea ceremony which was really beautiful.

Once completed, it was time to move on to Addington Palace for the civil wedding ceremony. Cecilia got changed into a stunning white strapless dress and was soon ready to walk down the aisle. Our couple exchanged rings, vows and kisses and before anyone knew it, they were man & wife! The weather was amenable to getting outside so we headed out to shoot photographs and video of the wedding party. They were naturals in front of the camera and it was a delight to capture it all. The time came for their Wedding Breakfast which was enjoyed all around by the guests. After dinner everyone went outside for something really special – they set hot-air balloons aloft into the night time sky! It was magical to watch them floating off across the horizon. Thank you Chris and Cecilia.

Winnie & Gee celebrated their civil wedding at Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire on a fine recent June day. Earlier our videographers caught up with Winnie as she was preparing herself at a nearby hotel. Our videographers are always drawing upon techniques used in feature films and television in order to create interesting shots – it’s boring to just point the camera directly at someone and let it roll. There’s no artistry in that. So we experiment. Check out the shot at the very beginning of this clip where we shoot Winnie’s reflection in the mirror, the pull back and then the camera does a slow pan up her beautiful white dress. The thing is that it is exactly what your eye naturally does in a situation like this, so we use the video camera to recreate the movement of the eye. It all makes the final video feel a lot more natural.

The civil ceremony was lovely with Winnie making a spectacular entrance sweeping up the aisle. Check out the little tear which Gee wipes from his eye. It’s a fantastic moment. Once completed, the wedding party took themselves outside for photographs and to enjoy a glass of champagne in the sun. We were able to get lots of shots of the wedding party (and using some post-production tricks to convert some to b&w).  Winnie & Gee executed a very polished first dance – something we really admire them for! Best wishes Winnie & Gee!

For their Japanese style civil wedding Yoshiko and Takashi had a wonderful mix of traditions from both the West and the East. The couple chose the things which meant the most to them from their own heritage and blended it with the things that appeal to them most about Western culture. Isn’t that how it should be? Everyone blending to create their own perfect wedding? When it comes to perfect, Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire doesn’t disappoint. With ample space for proceedings the bride was able to prepare herself in peace while the guests arrive elsewhere. After exchanging rings and making vows to each other, the bride and groom practically danced down the aisle while their guests showered them with applause and praise. It was a happy moment for all.

Post-ceremony, the guest enjoyed a drink in the garden while the couple posed for some wedding photographs. Thankfully it was a beautiful September day with great light for outside filming/shooting. When the time came everyone headed in for the wedding supper to find delightfully decorated tables lying in wait for them. Yoshiko had a surprise in store. She arrived for the reception in a traditional Japanese wedding dress and her groom led a toast. Doesn’t she look beautiful? We were really happy to have shared in their special day and wish Yoshiko and Takashi much happiness.

Janice and Mark’s lovely church wedding took place at Farm Street Church in Central London. Earlier that day, in North London, Janice had an early start in her wedding preparations. Experienced make-up and hair assistants were there in the home to help her look her best to walk up the aisle. The service was lovely and with a large church our videographers are always able to move about and create some really beautiful shots – which is helped by the terrific lighting through the stained glass. After the ceremony, as everyone gathered outside, we managed to find a bit of a patch of lawn to do some photos/videoing of the wedding party. They were a really playful lot, which leant a nice easiness to the shooting.

Soon the party shifted to the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel where a glass of chilled champagne was awaiting each guest. As the guests paired off into small groupings in order to chat and get to know each other better, we had the opportunity to make our way around with the camera to get lots of footage of all the guests – that way we know we’ve got everyone on Janice and Mark’s wedding video. We hope that they love the end result and will have memories to treasure for years.

Sikh Weds. Jaspreet & Samantha were wed in a Sikh ceremony at the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Nottingham where they were surrounded by their family and friends. Samantha was attired in a traditional Sikh wedding dress looking absolutely beautiful. Jaspreet (Skywalker) had lots of helping getting ready and was ready to commit himself to his princess/bride Samantha. The church leaders led them through the ceremony and pronounced their blessings on the couple all under the watchful eye of their family and their dearest friends. Our cameras operators had room to get about which allowed us to shoot some really great footage of the ceremony and get lots of close-ups of the guests.

The reception took place at Thoresby Hall Hotel where the grand, high-ceilinged rooms were appreciated by all. Drinks were lined up ready to greet the guests. With a change of outfit, Samantha and Jaspreet posed for photographs, taking advantage of the fine architecture of the building for backgrounds. The guests enjoyed a really nice meal – the food was beautifully plated and presented and was really enjoyed by the guests. As the sun set and darkness took over, the lighting in the hotel was especially romantic and was the right ambiance for the cutting of the wedding cake. Their first dance was to a spectacular waterfall of bubbles! Wishing much joy and happiness to these two.

Nashreen and Sirish held a beautiful Asian wedding at some of West London’s loveliest venues. The day started for Nashreen at Cannizaro House, the stylish hotel set in leafy Wimbledon, which had great facilities for her to prepare for her wedding. With a top-notch hair stylist on hand to fix her hair, she enjoyed a drink and a giggle with her bridesmaids while undergoing her bridal transformation. It’s always great to film these behind-the-scenes moments; they prove to be very popular in years to come. Meanwhile the guests began to appear at Parkstead House for the civil wedding ceremony. When Nashreen arrived, the contrast between her in pure white and her bridesmaids in vivid red was a visual treat and all eyes were on the girls as they made their way up the aisle. Sirish and his best men were looking equally as dashing in their grey morning coats which vivid red ties – a very handsome wedding party all around.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom took the time to greet all the wedding guests and exchange kisses. This was also a good time for us to capture footage of all the wedding guests so that no one gets left out. The guests enjoyed finger foods while listening to the harpist while the wedding party went outside for some fantastic photographs. The lovely smiling couple filled every frame. We wish them much happiness.