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.
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.
In July our videographers set off to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire to film Melissa and Brett’s wedding at Stapleford Park. When I saw the raw footage afterwards I was immediately struck by how well Melissa came across on film, she appears very animated and expressive. However the expressiveness didn’t end with her, indeed it seemed that everybody was openly brimming with feelings and emotions that day! I found this very rewarding as I don’t want clients to be inhibited by our videographers so the material we capture is purely natural and spontaneous. This discretion is something we go to great lengths to achieve, both in our training and preparations, but also technical issues such as the cameras and microphones we use.
Looking at the finished wedding video, one of the most amusing parts is the Surprise Sopranos who entertained everyone during dinner. Disguised as hotel staff, two sopranos and a tenor perform a seemingly improvised act for the guests. You can see it was a big hit with the audience and it was great to watch on video too. You can see highlights from Melissa & Brett’s wedding video below:
One of the privileges of creating wedding videos, is getting to know a couple at one of the most intimate moments in their lives. Whether the videographer on the day or the editor looking at footage in a darkened room weeks later, you can’t help but get involved in the couple’s story. At Bloomsbury we feel a huge responsibility for creating a film that captures our clients personality as well as the people and events surrounding them on their wedding day. It is no exaggeration to say a lot of heart goes into making each film – wedding videography just isn’t something you can do dispassionately! Although we run a studio style operation with many people involved in every film we make, each person is fully invested in each frame of the finished film.
Consequently when a film is completed, the response from our clients is very important to us! A recent example was Helen and Michael whose wedding at Easthampstead Park we filmed back in July. As you can tell from the wedding video, the couple are very popular with family and friends and this warmth was something we wanted to get across. When Helen saw the trailer she was thrilled and made us happy by showing her gratitude. It also made us smile when a week or so later she even commented on her own YouTube video expressing how proud she was; “This is our wedding and we were totally amazed by the fantastic job Bloomsbury did it was amazing!” Believe it or not, these few words meant a great deal to us and it is why we enjoy making really special films for our clients. Please have a look at the trailer for Helen & Michael’s wedding video for yourself below:
On a warm Spring day towards the end of May two of our wedding videographers made their way down to one of our favourite venues the Four Seasons Hampshire to film the wedding of Deborah and Mark. It was a very tasteful and intimate wedding that provided a nice opportunity to create yet another very personal film. The couple were very open and I am sure soon forgot we were filming at all. I remember the best man’s speech as being particularly entertaining, surpassed only by the touching tribute from Deborah’s father. As with many weddings filmed at the Four Seasons the outdoor terraces provided a great backdrop for the drinks reception and the field of flames which laid out in the evening. I was happy when I first saw the footage and the video makes a good addition to our growing collection of weddings at the Four Seasons. We are currently editing two more weddings filmed at the Four Seasons Hampshire this Summer which will be uploaded in due course.
The day after my birthday in July, I drove slightly worse for wear down to Buxted Park in Sussex with Tunji to film Laurence & Zoe’s wedding. They had booked us last minute after being let down by another wedding videographer. Being let down is a common problem because of the many amateurs in our business (6 booking last year came to us this way and 3 so far this year!) There was an element of deja vu about filming Laurence and Zoe’s wedding as we had been to Buxted Park only 3 weeks earlier for Vicky & James (currently being edited). I must say it was a nice day and despite being slightly hung-over the videography in Sussex went fine. The venue has splendid grounds with views for miles around. Perhaps the archetypal Sussex wedding video the couple married in a civil ceremony with photography by Fergus Noone based in Greenwich market. Laurence was particular keen to capture all the funny moments, which I think we did. You can see highlights from his wedding in Sussex below.
One of our favourite places for wedding videos in Hampshire is the Four Seasons Hotel in Dogmersfield, where we film many weddings each year. What is nice about the venue is the unstuffy warmth and hospitality of the staff combined a wonderful rural location. Our clients, Susan and David, opted to hold their wedding ceremony in the walled garden which is wonderful feature of the hotel and makes for a beautiful wedding video. David being a Kiwi decided to add a touch of his cultural heritage by having Maori dancers entertain his guests in the evening whilst a band also provided great entertainment. Our wedding videographer Dishad did a great job as always of filming the wedding and I am pleased with the results. You can see highlights of this Hampshire wedding video below:
