So You Want To Have A Fun Wedding?

Who doesn’t love attending a wedding? But when the couple have put a lot of love into it and really thought about the guest’s experience then it can be a total blast. That is exactly the case with Megan and Jon’s wedding. Here is their Feature Film.

Pre Wedding:

Every wedding is so special in its own way but when Megan reached out to me to film her wedding video I just got a sense that she and her partner Jon were going to be so sweet and they would have such a fun wedding. I was not wrong. November weddings are usually tricky as I need to contend with drizzly weather, the sun going down crazy early and I need to fight my urge to crawl into bed with a big ol glass of wine but November 12th was different. The sun was up, the ducks were happily swimming around the lake and the nearby airfield provided the occasional whoosh which encouraged me to stay on my toes.

Filming this Fun Wedding

My day started off by scouting out the location and getting some drone establishing shots. Megan and her bridesmaids were getting ready win the on-site bridal suite. I filmed some stuff with her, then popped over to Jon to get shots of him getting ready. This is why all-in-one venues are brilliant. Soon the guests arrived, took their seats and Megan walked down the aisle as Jon held back tears. They wrote their own vows and there wasn’t a dry eye in the building. This was quickly followed by the confetti shot, some portraits with really natural poses, a couple cocktails. The guests took their seats and tucked into a stunning three course wedding breakfast. It was already a fun wedding but just as the desert plates were being cleared a waiter took a horrific fall and dropped tons of cutlery, gasps erupted from the crowd but thankfully he emerged with a microphone and started singing Sweet Caroline like he’s Neil Diamond himself. All the wedding guests went wild.

When the conga line settled down it was time to cut the cake and do the first dance. As a wedding videographer, sometimes I need to get all my dancing shots during the first couple songs because the dancefloor quickly peters out. This was not the case with Megan and Jon’s wedding. They had such a fun wedding and I walked away from it  wishing I could stay and boogie with them.

Top 3 Things That Made This a Fun Wedding Video

Wedding Venue

Hanbury Wedding Barn was made for fun weddings! First things first, weddings aren’t fun if everyone is stressed out. With this venue there is no need to travel from one spot to another. It’s easy to find and there are of parking spots . All the logistics are perfect. Lots of indoor and outdoor space, onsite prep suites, and the building itself is just gorgeous. I particularly loved the beams in the ceremony room. I was able to pop a little go pro up there and I was able to get an angle that I don’t often get so I was buzzing about that. The team were so so helpful, I couldn’t help but praise them to my husband when I got home.

Décor

When I was scouting out the ceremony space I met Lou from Lush Occasions who was setting everything up. She was very friendly and even gave me some tips on where to set up because she frequented the venue often. They used taupe and rust colour  accents and dried flowers throughout the ceremony and reception spaces. Who doesn’t love an autumnal theme?  A wedding video can really pop with the right décor so this was such a treat.

Singing Waiters

In my experience, singing waiters are never a bad idea. The guests always love them but keeping it a secret is so tough, so if you are like me and spoil every surprise then maybe they aren’t for you.   Silver Service Singers were hired by the parents so even the bride and groom didn’t see it coming. Within minutes all the aunties were on their chairs swinging napkins over their heads and it eased Megan and Jon into the dancing portion of the evening. Honestly it was such a riot

Advice From A Videographer If You Want To Have A Fun Wedding

• If you are having fun then your guests will be having fun so think about minimising anything that will annoy you. When I was planning my wedding, it was travelling between venues (waiting for cars, traffic, parking), and finding a dress that didn’t make me want cry out in agony from the boning or chafe my arms with any cray details up top.
• Play 2 types of music, the music you and your partner love, and a crowd pleasing genre. Megan and Jon NAILED this. They had Joy Of My Life by Chris Stapleton song as their first dance and sprinkled throughout the Motown classics were alt/indie/countryish tunes that really spoke to them. Just a side note- I loved their first dance song. You wouldn’t believe how many weddings I film that have A Thousand Years by Christina Perry as their first dance song. Theirs was original and romantic at the same time.
• Booze. Skip the wedding favours or opt for a faux bridal bouquet  and rebudget some money to pay for drinks tokens or a ‘Pimp Your Prosecco’ bar with different fruit, rock candy, cocktail umbrellas, rim trays. Your guests will love having a little bit extra liquid courage to hit the dance floor.

I film lots of really fun weddings all over the UK so if you are looking for more inspiration or just want to be swept away by the love stories of strangers. Check out my work. Thank you so much for reading.

All my love,

Ellyn