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.
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.
Yasmin and Dean held their Arabic style wedding at Ashridge in Hertfordshire where there was ample space for everyone to go about their own wedding preparations in comfort and style. As the wedding guests arrived for the civil ceremony they took the time to greet each other warmly. Yasmin made a spectacular entrance coming down the staircase and greeted Dean warmly. The ceremony was conducted on the staircase so everyone (including our cameraman) had a good vantage point.
Wedding photographs took place outside in the lovely gardens and the light was well-suited to filming conditions. We got some great footage of the wedding party. When the photos were over, the wedding party took their place inside where white-gloved servers brought out the lovely food – which seemed to be enjoyed by all. This was a good time for us to get about the room and film all the tables of guests to ensure that we had captured everyone on film. Later, under the watchful eye of the disco ball, Yasmin and Dean took to the dance floor for their first wedded dance as husband and wife; which they performed with aplomb – even fitting in a tender kiss! Congratulations to Yasmin and Dean.
St Nicholas Church in Hertfordshire was Katie & Nicholas’ choice for their church wedding – and it turned out to be an inspired choice. As all the guests filed in under the pretty stone arch, decorated with flowers, leading into the church where they took their place on the wooden pews. Our camera operator was able to circulate around during this time to capture lots of casual footage of the wedding guests. Soon a hush fell across the audience – Katie had arrived in her beautiful white dress with its long train (the footage is great of her getting helped out of the car without the train getting dirty!) and she made her way up the aisle to greet Nicholas at the altar.
The wedding reception was at Brocket Hall – a handsome and imposing red brick building. The guests congregated outside on the lawn to enjoy a glass of champagne and visit amongst themselves. We were again able to capture everyone at their ease. When it came time to dine, the guests moved into Brocket Hall where the interiors were even grander than the exterior. When it was time for their first dance, our camera caught Katie wiping a little tear off her cheek. We’re glad that the day lived up to her expectations. We wish Katie and Nicholas the very best.
Sometimes even we are surprised by the great footage which our videographers come up with! The opening montage of this video really does show Hertfordshire off to its finest and sets the scene for the video to come. It helps that is was such a lovely Spring day with everything looking its finest, including Ealing Abbey (St Benedicts) where Diane and Terry were being married in a church wedding service. As all the guest filed in we were able to catch a glimpse of Terry, dare we say looking a bit nervous? But it all melted away when Diane made a great entrance looking every inch the beautiful bride and supported by her lovely bridesmaids. The service was soon over and after a few photographs around the register our newlyweds processed back down the aisle while their guests clapped and snapped photographs.
Diane & Terry’s wedding reception was at The Grove, Watford, where the staff had been buzzing to make sure that everything was ready for their reception. The newlyweds weren’t let down and The Grove staff had done a wonderful job and were waiting with trays full of champagne ready to greet everyone. The weather was so spectacular that everyone wanted to stay outside as long as possible. However they were enticed inside by a lovely dinner followed by dancing till the wee hours. We wish them much joy and happiness!
At Bloomsbury Films, we are pleased to see that our reputation for producing the UK’s finest wedding videos has really begun to spread. We now regularly receive enquiries from all over the UK and it doesn’t stop there. In 2009 we attracted interest from Italy, Netherlands, Norway, USA and even from the King of Bahrain!
No small wonder that Bloomsbury Films is now the videographer of choice for many society and VIP weddings, enjoying the backing of many prominent event planners. In the light of this demand we have begun to expand our resources so we are better placed to meet the demand we are receiving around the UK.
To help potential clients, we have put together some specific information about our wedding and event videography is some of our most popular locations. For more information, choose from the links below
Should your area not be listed above, don’t worry as we will still be able to provide our high quality service to you. To check availability and to discuss your needs, please contact us!
Louise and Michael celebrated with a traditional Greek wedding at Twelve Apostles Church in Hertfordshire on a fine July day. Earlier in the day, Louise laughed with her girlfriends while they got themselves done up with hair and makeup – nothing like surrounding yourself with your best girlfriends on your wedding day. While Louise was busy with her bridesmaids, Michael was in the family home getting assistance from the family with his own preparations. Soon after, they met up at the altar in the pretty little Watford church. The Greek wedding service was beautiful and we were able to capture it all with a multi-camera set-up with lots of close-ups. Now married as husband and wife, they came out of the church to be showered in confetti and soap bubbles by their appreciative guests.
The wedding reception was at The Grove and when the guests arrived the champagne was on ice ready to greet them. The string quartet played while the guests enjoyed a drink and the wedding party were whisked off to be photographed. This was a great time to get about and capture everyone on tape. When it came time for supper, the table settings were extraordinary and our couple made a grand entrance. After supper it really took off. What’s a Greek wedding without dancing – and they didn’t disappoint. Best wishes to Louise & Michael.
A few months ago we decided to launch our own Facebook Page as a way of interacting with past, present and future clients. We now upload highlights of different jobs to the page as they are completed, so visitors can see our range of work and make comments in an easy, friendly environment. I am pleased to say it is very popular, with clients taking a keen interest in the videos and newcomers watching these as a source of inspiration. Indeed our videos seem to not only serve as an example of good videography, but provide an excellent source of ideas for planning their wedding or event!
We heartily welcome comments from prospective clients, whether they are wondering about how to achieve the best videography, which photographers we recommend or what venues to book. As film-makers we know a lot about making things look good, so our advice is sought after on many subjects. Meanwhile the ‘Discussions‘ section of our Facebook page has a number of topics that are being widely shared. We’ve also included some general tips and advice which we hope our clients enjoy.
If you haven’t already subscribed to our Facebook page or know a friend who might like to check it out, please don’t hesitate to look it up at The Bloomsbury Films’ Facebook Page
At the start of this month Bloomsbury Films was neatly packed up into boxes and moved across town to a new studio location in London’s trendy East End. Taking advantage of the hard hit property market on the periphery of London’s financial district, we were lucky to find a 1500 sqft unit in a converted warehouse that would suit our needs now and in the foreseeable future.
New Bloomsbury Films Office
A stone’s throw from Brick Lane, it is conveniently close to Aldgate & Aldgate East tube stations as well as Tower Gateway DLR. From these new offices we continue to operate our sales & administration, video kit storage and maintenance, production planning where our director’s overseeing all our projects. Over the coming months we shall also be introducing additional in-house studio facilities that will enable us to extend our range of services.
We’re very excited about the move, especially as we continue to expand the range of services provided by Bloomsbury Films. Although wedding videos are still currently our biggest market, we are beginning to attract more types of live event filming including interest from businesses for conference filming. We hope you will be able to pay us a visit sometime!
With Christmas only a few weeks away, it is great to see how many couples have booked us to film their wedding during the festive season. One thing is for sure, couples who resist the conventional Summer season tend to have a greater choice of venues and services on offer. I know how stretched we get during the Summer, which means our attention and enthusiasm is inevitably higher in the Winter when have more time to spend with clients.
From a visual perspective also Christmas has a lot to offer couples, providing a combination of dramatic landscapes, unique Winter light and attractively decorated and candlelit rooms. Looking back at last year, several wedding videos come to mind. One of my favourites is Leila & Carlton’s wedding, which you can see a clip from below.
Leila & Carlton married in mid-December, and as you can see from the video, Leila looked fabulous in her winter fur-topped outfit. The couple also had great light for their wedding photography and enjoyed a Christmassy feel at the attractive Hotel Russell in Bloomsbury.
Similarly, Vivek & Anneka held their wedding reception just a couple of days before Christmas at Addington Palace in Surrey. They had married three months earlier, but delayed the wedding reception to Christmas so they could go to India in the meantime. Around 400 guests descended upon the gardens of Addington Palace which were attractively lit with fairy lights. Inside the marquee wedding spirit combined with the spirit of Christmas to provide a very warm and festive atmosphere.
Kerrie & Martin choose to hold their wedding just after Christmas enjoying the Wintry setting of their local church and followed by the warm hospitality of the Blue Check Restaurant. Kerrie was keen to include some of the magic associated with Christmas in her wedding video, including allusions to The Wizard of Oz, and asked for one or two Christmas carols to be included in their wedding video sound track. You can see highlights from their post-Christmas wedding below.
With several more weddings around the corner this Christmas, I look forward to seeing the special spirit this time of year brings to these too!
