Behind The Lens: Looking Back at Wedding Season 2019
Wow. What a season.
Not only have I had the honour of capturing a ton of weddings, along the way I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with some of the finest names in the business, all while visiting a host of stunning venues across the UK.
I’ve also been blessed with the world’s greatest client list too.
From Charlotte and Frank through to Sarah and Adam, every couple that booked Studio Lester to shoot their summer wedding has been a joy to work with, and everyone on the team is super grateful to have been given the opportunity to capture so many priceless moments.
Now, as winter approaches, I’m taking some time to reflect on the summer season.
Below are some of my favourite wedding films, all of which were shot between May and September this year. Joining me for each of these shoots was Chris Bromley, a close friend and one of the best video directors you could hope to find.
Fancy securing your own professional video team to capture your big day in 2020? Get in touch to check availability today!
Bobbi & Ben’s romantic Yorkshire wedding
While most shoots require one or two professionals, we employed the use of a third shooter - the super talented Josh Couchman - to help capture Ben and Bobbi’s wedding back in August.
Not only did this allow Chris and I time to focus our attentions on bridal prep, it also provided Josh with a great excuse to catch up with some of the groomsmen as they enjoyed a cheeky beer before the ceremony.
Meanwhile, working from an early start, Chris and I worked together to capture Bobbi and her beautiful bridal party as they prepared for the day ahead at Woodstock Weddings - a venue the couple booked back in 2018 before it had even been built, such was their belief in the team at Woodstock’s vision for the space.
As the weather took a turn for the worst, the use of lighting rigs throughout the day became a must - a move that allowed us to maintain a usable ISO level, thus ensuring the footage recorded to the SD card adhered to the highest possible standard.
Footage from the speeches was captured using a combination of the Sony TX650B and a static A7iii, which were then pieced together in post to achieve the audio overlay that features throughout the film’s introduction and again at [04:38].
Rachel & Jonny’s lochside love story
Having read about Callender's Lochside Venachar online, we decided to travel up to Scotland the day before Rachel and Jonny’s wedding day - and boy did it pay off.
Met with clear skies and a cool, evening sun, I couldn’t wait to take to the skies with the Mavic Air drone in a bid to capture the loch in all its glory.
The next morning, we awoke to glorious sunshine and temperatures well into the teens. Was this really Scotland we were filming in, or the lakes of northern Italy?
Starting the shoot at 10:00, our work continued throughout the day, prioritising footage of the bride and groom, as well as the awesome vistas Loch Venachar presented.
To achieve this goal, aerial videography had a huge role to play throughout the shoot, and we’re super happy that we managed to capture the bride and groom from a birds-eye position as they walked their beautiful pooch, Lunar, by the loch [00:14].
Raluca and Lucian’s fairytale wedding
Shooting back to back weddings is a challenge I always relish. Especially when it involves an overnight road trip down the M1. For me, adventures like this are what wedding season is all about!
Joined by Chris Bromley once again, together we set off from Yorkshire at 22:00 before arriving at 02:00 on the morning of the shoot. And after grabbing a few hours kip and a much-needed breakfast at our hotel, we were ready on location at Crondon Park for 09:30 sharp.
What was great about Raluca and Lucian’s wedding is that despite the long drive we’d had the day before, at no point during the shoot did we feel as though we were flagging.
The energy throughout the day itself was like something I’d never experienced before, and with everything running like clockwork, the flow of the day enabled us to capture one of the year’s most fluid and effortless shoots.
With a scheduled finishing time of 22:00 - 13 hours from our initial start time - the shoot concluded with a spectacular firework display. The perfect way to wrap up before embarking back up north for another 02:00 finish.
Looking ahead…
With almost thirty wedding bookings already secured, 2020 is shaping up to be something special. And I’m doing everything I can to ensure we hit the ground running when the cameras start rolling in January.
Gearing up for the year ahead, kit investments include a Phantom 4 Pro drone, a Tascam Dr-10l audio recorder and a brand new lighting rig - something that’s going to play a key role during the next few months.
Earlier this week, we also announced a new partnership with award-winning Yorkshire photographer, Amy Jordison.
Having captured weddings across the UK for a number of years, with work featured on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings and Boho Weddings, we’re delighted that Amy will be joining the team - and can’t wait to share more details about our exciting collaboration in the next few weeks.
Until then, keep your eyes peeled for more blog posts, Instagram stories and wedding videos.
And don’t forget, if you’re getting hitched in 2020 or 2021, we’d love to hear from you!