It's All About Story...

We all love a good story don't we? A few weeks ago we filmed Kerry and Tom's wedding at the Netherwood Hotel in Grange-over-Sands. Autumn weddings are always good to film - lovely colours and often good light. Actually, I think that from a purely aesthetic point of view, the one season NOT to get married is the summer: Hard sunlight, worn out looking nature, and still the potential of rain. Anyway, Tim and Kerry's wedding was lovely - Kerry's Dad had written a corker of a Father-of-the-Bride's speech which left me with an overflow of editing decisions to make - it was so rich with anecdotes and stories, as well as his own personal emotions about the day. He started off by saying that he was not used to public speaking, but you would not have know that at all. A truthful, touching speech which left Jonny and I touched too! And, refreshingly, none of the speeches lapsed into the bog standard jokes from google (although we did see on slipped in!). For filmmaking purposes (so fairly selfish reasons really!), these are the best days - the days where you feel that you find something out about the people you are spending the day with.

 And then we filmed the guest messages too. I think we shall probably start making this a bigger feature of our work. Twenty years ago, I am sure people would have shied away from the camera. However, these days we are all presenters! So what we see is people giving their hearts and souls in their messages - messages which will stand the test of time (technology allowing!). What I have noticed is that it is actually the guests who can give a commentary of the day which really does make it a record of a moment in time which will never be repeated. You'll see what I mean if you watch the trailer below. I like the film, but my favourite bit is where Tom's mum and dad just say, "we love you". Simple truths are the most powerful and often go unsaid. I think that last Saturday's wedding has given me the embryo of an idea of something new for the Gorgeous Media Wedding Film. Watch this space to watch it develop!  

Holly + Sam

Holly and Sam got married a few weeks ago at The Merewood in Windermere. It was the first weekend of our good weather spell. I had had started to have anxiety nightmares a few weeks before the wedding because there had been word of an informal fly past (Sam’s in the RAF). For a videographer, this would have been a challenge; I mean I know that you have to be alert to film a wedding - there are crucial moments - for example, you can’t miss the exchange of rings, the vital kiss, the meeting down the aisle… However, a fly past is totally out of our experience. Imagine, cameras poised skywards… only to miss… I was sort of resigned to just filming people’s reactions and sort of hedging my bets a bit, blue screen and CGI effects did come to my mind. When we arrived on the morning to film Holly getting ready, what a relief when she said it was not happening anymore. I think that Lydia, the marvellous photographer lady who splits her life between Bolton and the South of France, was equally relieved!

Despite the lack of a fly past, the day was beautiful - Holly’s friend sang her into the ceremony to Eva Cassidy’s Song Bird, another friend read a self-penned poem and Holly’s sister’s boyfriend piped the happy couple from one part of the day to the next.

Anna + Neil

So, last Saturday we filmed Anna and Neil getting married. The Sun shone and the sky was blue. Indeed it was a glorious day. The bride and groom were so excited to be tying the knot after a two year engagement that their excitement was sort of infectious. I think that the mark of a really moving wedding is when, as the filmmaker, you find yourself blubbering a bit through the wedding ceremony. This was one of those. Father Cooper the Priest had known Anna since her childhood and so the ceremony was really personal and accessible. There was a warmth and familiarity which made it fun.

Then we headed over to The Grange Hotel for the photographs. This is an amazing time of the year for light. On a Sunny day, the shadows that are cast by bare trees is magical and mysterious. Watch the trailer and you’ll see what I mean. Natural patterns caused by branches. I love it.

Jenny + Kevin

Last weekend we filmed Jenny and Kevin’s wedding at Patrick Preston Church near Endmoor and then on to Lancaster Golf Club. The wind howled, the snow drifted, and it was a brilliant day. Preston Patrick Church is an interesting church right at the top of a lane, right at the top of a hill. It’s quite remote - even the guests that came on the bus had to walk up the last quarter of a mile to get there. This was a joint package between Gorgeous Media and Tall Order Photography. We always enjoy filming with Phil. He really knows how to bring the smiles out of people - meanwhile, we skulk around in the shadows, hardly noticeable - which makes us a fairly good team on the day. When we had had our meetings with Jenny and Kevin, Kevin was determined that he would not smile on the day and that he did not think that a speech was on the cards either: On the day, he had been won over! He smiled away, and looked like one of the happiest grooms I have seen, AND he did a wonderful speech - which even had himself welling up!

Towards the end of our day, Jenny surprised Kevin by singing him the Adele Song, You Make Me Fell My Love. At the end of her performance, second camera Denise said to me, “those two are totally in love with each other!”. She’s right - you can see it in the edit.

http://www.tallorderphotography.co.uk/weddings/

Shirley and Brian (who?)

We filmed a wedding last Saturday at the Burnside Hotel in Windermere. Shirley had booked us way back in September - she had to be organised as it was a long distance wedding - Shirley and her family are from Dundee and Brian’s family are from Wigan. They were marrying in Windermere because it was somewhere in between (although the split was more like 80% - 20% as Shirley reminded the best man when he gave his speech!)

The wedding was a gorgeous one. It started out a dull, rainy day, but after the ceremony, the sun shone and the skin turned blue - we even went for an ice-cream with our bride and groom along Lake Windermere. An interesting combination of Northern Soul and kilts, it was an emotional day, but clearly a happy one. I was just relieved that Scotland vs England wasn’t a Six Nations fixture for the day - that could have made for an interesting part of the day to film. Good luck to you Shirley and Brian - thanks for letting Owen and me be part of it! x

Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PromoWeddingFilmsLancsUK

Caroline and Darren