The Amalfi Coast in Italy is spectacularly beautiful and was an inspired choice for Elena and John’s civil wedding which they held at the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello. Bloomsbury films was fortunate enough to be asked to accompany them to film the proceedings – and we’re never one to turn down a trip to visit Italy! In such a pretty spot we wasted no time at all in getting our cameras out to film some of the local sites in order to cut that footage into the final film for Elena & John.

Elena had a team of hair and make-up professionals to prepare her for her wedding – all she had to do was drink a glass of champagne and let them do their stuff. The finished results were beautiful. Meanwhile, hotel staff were busy polishing glasses and laying out tables and a team of musicians were leading guests through the town to the hotel for the ceremony. With the sunshine and the Italian hospitality, everything was clearly in place for a good day. With everyone enjoying the al fresco drinks we had time to move about with our camera to shoot all the wedding guests relaxed and enjoying la dolce vita.

The string quartet struck up a tune and Elena walked up the aisle ready to marry John. We were able to capture all of the wedding proceedings (and the guests’ reactions) so that John and Elena can relive these happy memories for years to come. Thank you for allowing us to share in your special day.

Carolyn had plenty of support from her beautiful bridesmaids as she sat with rollers in her hair getting ready for her big day. Between fits of laughter and many good wishes, the girls soon were coiffed, dressed and ready for Carolyn’s wedding to Pete. Meanwhile Pete and his posse of groomsmen made their way to Dartmouth House for the civil wedding ceremony. The dark wood paneled room was a beautiful setting for the ceremony with plenty of light streaming in from the side windows. We shot plenty of footage of the guests as they arrived and took their seats. The ceremony was very nice and when it was over the entire wedding party congregated on the stairs for photos – it was great to get everyone together for a picture to remember. A red Routemaster bus was there to transport the wedding party – and there were some particularly great shots of Carolyn hanging off the pole!

They made their way through the streets of London to the Erasmus docked on the Thames – ready to take them on a cruise along the river. The boat set sail and they enjoyed a drink outside while they floated past the many sights of London. When it came time to eat, they dined on bangers & mash while cruising the Thames! A quintessential mash-up of British traditions – we love it and wish Carolyn and Pete many more wonderful celebrations.

What’s not to love about St Paul’s Cathedral – Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece cathedral in the heart of the City of London? It’s become even more spectacular since they cleaned all the stone work and now the white stone glows like how it must have done when it was brand new. We always enjoy filming here and love to capture lots of glorious shots of the architecture. It was for these reasons that we leapt when David and Jane asked us to film their church wedding. And it was even better that they turned out to be such a lovely couple. We were there to film all their guests arriving on their double decker bus all wearing their finest and filled with anticipation. Jane looked like Grace Kelly as she arrived in her white Rolls Royce and a beaming smile on her face. After the ceremony (beautifully officiated) it was natural to linger to take photographs and film the wedding party in and around the church.

It was time to move on to the reception where the champagne was poured and the string quartet were already making their beautiful music. Soon the guests arrived and the party was in full swing. Our couple stole the show and hit all the major pinnacles including cutting the cake and dancing their first dance with aplomb. We wish them much joy and happiness.

High above the rooftops in West London is the Kensington Roof Gardens, an unexpected oasis of ultra-lush greenery way up close to the clouds. This was the setting for the Chinese wedding of Pui-Lai and Andrew. The bride and groom were at the Royal Garden Hotel getting themselves prepared: Andrew with his best men at his side and Pui-Lai with her makeup artist and parents to aid her. The boys made the short journey to the civil wedding venue by foot catching the eye of many a passerby as they went! As the guests made their way up to the Roof Garden they had some time to marvel at the flowers and fountains which appear so unexpectedly all to the accompanied strains for the string quartet. Pui-Lai made an entrance and soon they were announced as man and wife upon which they released two doves. Our camera was able to track them as they flew off into the sky. Much to the delight of the children they had a surprise for later: a basketful of doves to release! They loved being able to take a beautiful white bird into their tiny hands and then set it free. It was a really nice way to include them in the proceedings. Meanwhile the adults were enjoying a chance to visit with each other over a glass of champagne. We wish to Pui-Lai and Andrew much joy as they go out into the world as newlyweds!

Amit & Onima’s civil wedding was a family affair through and through. The groom’s family were in attendance at the family home in order to send him off with their blessings (and make sure he was in tip-top form, including placing the turban on his head). They also had a spectacularly decorated car ready to whisk him off to Syon House, in the suburbs of London, for his wedding service. The honey-coloured stone building was a great choice for their celebration and the guests all remarked on how lovely it was as they arrived. We were able to get out in the sunshine and film the guests as they arrived and made their way into the venue – but not before participating in the welcoming of the groom with drums and dancing! The groom met his bride at the altar in time to take their wedding vows. Smiling throughout, they make a gorgeous couple.

The reception took place in the stunning glass house (conservatory) behind Syon House. Flooded with daylight, it was simply brilliant. We don’t recall another wedding banquet where the guests wore sunglasses throughout! The next day, at the Chancery Court Hotel, they had a second celebration. Amit & Onima made a fantastic entrance, dressed in beautiful clothes, and once again celebrated their union. We wish them a long and happy marriage.

St Etheldreda’s Church in London played host to the Catholic wedding of Manana & Marc who tied the knot in a formal top hat and tails ceremony shared with all their friends and family. St Etheldreda’s is both imposing and grand with spectacular glass windows and fine stonework. During the ceremony Manana and Marc were serenaded by the choir accompanied by the church organ. However, what stood out most was the dazzling smile which both of them wore throughout. Outside the church was the perfect time to capture some shots of the newlyweds and film their assembled guests as they pass on their best wishes. One by one, they shook hands and planted kisses on Manana and Marc and gave them their blessings.

There was a spectacular array of hats on display that June day. Whenever we could, our cameraman would try to pan across the hats to capture them in their entire array. Some large, some small, they really did add a nice lift to the celebration!  The chauffeur of their classic car waited patiently until all the photos were finished, all the kisses had been planted, before he opened the door for the chariot waiting to whisk the newlyweds away! We wish all the very best to Manana and Marc for their future together.

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!

All Saints Church, London, played host to Jennifer and Paul’s nuptials. It was a charming choice for their church wedding as it has a sort of ‘country charm’ about it which lends itself well to the proceedings. Not sure the guests were expecting Jennifer to pull up in a black cab – that was a great surprise and says a lot about how down-to-earth this couple is. The service was simple and lovely and we got some great footage of the couple signing the registry. When they came out of the church, they were showered in confetti – shooting from behind the couple lets the camera see it as they see it as a riot of coloured bits float down in front of them. Outside in the summer sun was a great time for everyone to chat (and for our videographers to capture plenty of footage of the guests while they are distracted and engaged in their conversation…)

When we arrived at Fulham Palace, everything was all ready with both interior and exterior spaces all set for their reception. Guests were favouring the outdoor space until the time came to come inside to eat, at which point there was little argument. However after dinner, with the sun still showing its head outside, the party-goers retreated into the courtyard. It’s all the same to us! We just trail behind with our camera. Thank you Jennifer and Paul for a great day.

Adam and Marianne had a really pretty stone church to be married at in Manaton, in the lovely county of Devon. Several of the wedding party drove up in a groovy VW camper van while the priest looked on in amusement. There’s was to be a church wedding, but with their own individual stamp on events. Marianne’s carriage of choice was a zippy little convertible which made for a stylish entrance to her wedding – and she managed to arrive without a hair out of place. We managed to shoot from several different angles during the service giving us plenty of footage to cut from. We then shot them leaving the church hand-in-hand as husband and wife with satisfied grins on their faces. Outside they were showered with love (and confetti) by their assembled guests.

Wedding photos were shot in the middle of nowhere, with huge open fields (and the odd woolly sheep wandering into frame). The wind was strong and we got some wonderful footage of Marianne with her veil billowing wildly in the wind. In black and white it looks especially romantic. The reception was in Tavistock and the guests gathered to enjoy a drink while we shot more footage of the wedding party in the gardens. Lots of atmospheric shots of Adam & Marianne and their wedding party. Great group who were up for any filming ideas we threw at them. Thanks to them for choosing Bloomsbury Films and best wishes!

There’s something really nice about having a wedding all in one location, it means that you don’t have to factor transportation into the plans (not that we don’t love some of the creative ways people come up with to ferry their wedding party about) and it makes the day flow easily from one thing to the next. When you couple that convenience with a great location, like The Fennes Estate in Essex, which Louise and Jonathan chose for their Jewish wedding, it makes for a winning mix. They were helped by a beautiful August day, which meant much of the wedding could be enjoyed outside. We followed Louise as she went about busying herself to prepare for her nuptials, and we were there to capture the finished product which was stunning! The guests found their way to white covered chairs which were stacked in neat rows on the deep green grass. Louise walked up the ‘aisle’ in her stunning white dress and every eye was on the bride. She met Jonathan under the canopy where they made their wedding vows.

The couple took full advantage of the location for some really fantastic wedding photos – they showed real imagination in how they posed and the locations the used and the results are fantastic. It was great to be involved in your wedding day – thank you Louise and Jonathan!