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.
Live music always makes such a great contribution to any wedding festivities – whether it’s string players, brass instruments, harpists or singers, each one adds a really nice, jolly touch to the festivities. What a big surprise this Greek violinist was at a recent Greek wedding banquet at The Grove in Watford (Hertfordshire). First off, his instrument was incredible – it was just the ouline of a violin with the strings more or less floating – it looked amazing and the sounds he coaxed out of it were even better. He started slow, just to warm the crowd up and soon the men, in particular, began to clap along with the music (it was really useful having a two-camera set-up so we could follow the violinist and the audience reaction at the same time). He wandered up close to the tables to include everyone in his performance.
Meanwhile, the bride and groom were on their feet enjoying every moment and egging the audience on. The frenzy was starting to build. Interestingly the reaction was as great from the younger members at the wedding as the older (more traditional?) Greeks – something about his mesmerising and winding tune got under everyone’s skin. It was great fun to watch him work his magic on the crowd and we hope it brings pleasure in the future to the bride and groom.
Yane was tucked away in the Chesterfield Hotel where she could have some space and quiet to prepare for her church wedding to Tim. With a little help from her friends, she was soon ready to go and posing for a few photographs in her stunning dress. As she was putting on her finishing touches, the guests were starting to arrive nearby in Hanover Square in the heart of London at St George’s Church where Tim was waiting to catch a glimpse of his bride. Yane arrived in a spectacular white Rolls Royce before being walked up the aisle. It’s a nice bit of editing there where the film changes from black & white to colour when they share their first married kiss – you can do amazing things in post-production. While the bride & groom had a vintage car to travel to the reception in, the remaining wedding party were ushered over in rickshaws – a nice eco-friendly touch.
Once they all safely arrived at Dartmouth House there was drink waiting to welcome them. The group posed for a bunch of wedding photos – the highlight of which had to be when all the blokes hoisted up Yane for a photo in their arms. Good thing they didn’t drop her. After dinner the dancing began. With a large contingent of Brazilians it wasn’t hard differentiating between the English and the Brazilians on the dance floor – they are a nation of people with rhythm and they didn’t disappoint. We wish a rosy future for this dancing couple.
Sarah & Richard chose to be married in London’s lovely borough of Mayfair with its stone buildings and historic squares which ooze history and class. Richard took advantage of Farm Street Church’s vicinity to several great pubs to sneak in a cheeky pint at the Punchbowl pub nearby. Talk about steadying your nerves! Farm Street Church has lovely architectural features including wonderful stained glass windows high above the altar – a romantic choice for a traditional church wedding. Although the bride arriving in a London cab wasn’t such a traditional choice; but was an inspired one. When the service concluded the church was an ideal backdrop for some group photographs. Before long it was time to board the red bus (or the white taxi cab) for the short ride to the National Liberal Club for the reception.
Within the ‘old-world’ confines of the National Liberal Club, we were able to make our way around filming all the guests while they enjoyed a glass of champagne. Sarah & Richard made a point of greeting all the guests as they made their way in for supper (with our camera on hand to film all the interactions). Later everyone was able to mix it up a bit on the dance floor, interacting with each other and enjoying celebrating the union of Sarah & Richard. Thank you to them for choosing to share their special day with us.
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.
Yasamin and Bilal chose to be married at The Gherkin – one of London’s iconic landmarks. The tower, which stands in the heart of the City (also known as 30 St Mary Axe) is one of architect Norman Foster’s crowning achievements. It proved to be a spectacular venue for Yasamin and Bilal’s Arabic wedding. However the day actually kicked off at the Lanesborough Hotel where Yasamin and her bridesmaids went through their wedding preparations with some experts on hand to help them look their best. The girls were in great spirits and the excitement was bubbling throughout the room. When she was dressed, the only car lovely enough to transport her to the wedding was a Rolls Royce and one stood idling in front of the hotel ready to whisk her away.
The wedding venue surpassed everyone’s expectations. From its glassed-in top, the views stretched as far as the eye could see while inside rows of clear Phillipe Starck Ghost chairs were lined up ready to prop up the guests, all of whom were gobsmacked when they reached the top of the tower! During the ceremony, when Yasamin and Bilal kissed, the audience broke into applause which reverberated throughout the glassed-in space creating a thunderous effect. It was a thrilling moment. There was so much to shoot at the wedding that we didn’t know when to stop! Thank you to Yasamin and Bilal for allowing us to share in your special day and the very best wishes to you both.
The anticipation began to build quite early on in the day at the family home as Gemma began to prepare for her church wedding. Our camera crew was there to film as she did her make-up and hair and prepared herself for her wedding day. She wasn’t alone, with plenty of family on hand to help her steady her nerves and give her a giggle along the way. When she was all dressed in her wedding gown, she made the loveliest of brides! We used a mixture or black & white and colour footage, cutting and interspersing to give a nice texture to the behind-the-scenes footage of her wedding day. Nigel had his own preparations to undergo including receiving a very manly boutonniere on his lapel! Nigel and Gemma were soon ready to move on for their church wedding.
The Oxfordshire country church, a charming little stone building, was already getting filled up with their loved ones waiting for the bride & groom. The ceremony didn’t disappoint and when it was over they retreated outside into the glorious sunshine. We used this time to get about filming the groups of guests as they chatted, took photographs and admired Nigel & Gemma. Gemma rode to the reception on the back of a horse being led by her new husband! What a way to go. We hope it is only the first of many great adventures for Gemma and Nigel and we wish them all the very best.
Lalani and Rupert pulled out all the stops for their wedding in London. The day began with a lovely church wedding at St Mary’s Church, a really pretty little stone church which was soon filled with all their closest friends and family. Lalani arrived at the door in a chauffeur driven vintage Rolls Royce – emerging from the car like Cinderella from her carriage. The choir was singing inside to herald her arrival. Lalani beamed as she walked up the aisle to meet Rupert and exchange wedding vows.
The reception was at the Hurlingham Club and its well-tended lawns were the ideal setting for photographs. We enjoyed filming all the laughter and horsing-around which accompanied the wedding photography – this is a clearly a group of friends who enjoy themselves. As the photos were taking place, the remaining wedding guests had a chance to admire the sculptures in the Hurlingham grounds and enjoy a glass of champagne in the sun. Soon it was time to retreat inside for the wedding breakfast where tables were well-laden with beautiful floral arrangements. Lalani and Rupert made a splash on the dance floor executing a very elegant first dance – no shuffling feet here! The live band soon had all the guests up on their feet enjoying a boogie. All-in-all a fantastic wedding day for Lalani and Rupert.
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.
