Last month we had the honour of filming the first wedding at the beautifully, elegant church - St. Mary the Virgin Nunthorpe-in-Cleveland, since the world went crazy!
The wonderful Sally T was photographing.
It’s no secret that I (Charlotte) cry at every wedding that we shoot, but this one was different. It felt so emotionally charged! The combination of not having filmed a wedding in so long & the fact that something so lovely and so happy was happening in amongst all of uncertainty and odd way of life that we all currently have. An intimate ceremony is always a more emotional one, but this one really hit home.
For anyone wondering how things might be different keep reading . . .
Firstly - the timeline of the day didn't change, it was just a little shorter than usual. There was the normal calm before the storm bride prep, the groom prep, the guests arriving, the ceremony, the confetti, the couple shots & group shots and on this day there was even socially distanced dancing, but we'll come back to that!
We were able to film outside for most of the bride preparations. The gorgeous Sophie was getting ready at her Mother's home which has a room downstairs with double doors opening out onto the garden. With the doors open to let in loads of natural light we could get 'up close & personal' without actually having to be that close! I know that not everyone will be able to recreate this exact situation, but there could be a great solution to the morning part of your wedding day, it just needs a little thinking outside the box.
The groom, Matt, was getting ready where the newlyweds were going to be spending their first night as a married couple. This was in a log cabin: Blackthorn Gate, with the MOST incredible view of Roseberry Topping (I'm from Middlesbrough so I loved this!). It's got a hot tub that looks out towards the peak - Imagine relaxing in the hot tub with a glass of something fizzy in your hand - bliss.
Everything was close by so it was just a quick drive to the church after this to capture the guests arriving. Seeing everyone all lit up in their finery for the first time in months was magical. The atmosphere was one of glorious appreciation for this to be happening.
Craig & Sally wore masks inside the church as did everyone apart from Sophie & Matt and the vicar. This was a minor factor for the whole day and did not at all take away from the occasion at all! I was filming from outside the church (the maximum of 30 people were in the church) and was able to capture Sophie walking down the aisle & the full ceremony from my vantage point.
At the end of the incredibly special & intimate service there were a few revellers waiting outside with corks ready to pop off as the newly weds exited the church.
The group shots were brilliant! Sally T did a great job (as usual) of making sure everything looked *just right*. Remember Beyoncé's sister, Solange's wedding photos?? It looks so chic that I think this technique should be continued after we see the back of this pandemic!
The incredibly talented Hyde Park Brass band turned up after the ceremony as surprise! With their immense energy & perfectly curated set list they created an instant party. They are currently doing a tour of the country - I'm not going to do the concept justice here, but it's called 'To Your Street Tour' you should definitely check it out (https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/hyde-park-brass-to-your-street-tour )
Everyone was able to dance safely in the car park outside the church - the perfect chance to let off some steam and celebrate with Sophie & Matt, dancing to some absolute TUNES by the band.
We know the guidelines have changed since then, but this is brilliant example of how to think outside of the box given the rules that are in place. All it needs is a little creativity! It doesn't have to be a brass band in a car park, just something that fills you with joy. The plans for this wedding changed a lot and were still changing the week before the big day, but because Sophie & Matt rolled with the punches and found a way of celebrating & following the guidelines at the time it meant that they could relax and really concentrate on what mattered the most.
The whole of the celebrations had a relaxed, back to basics vibe - the simplicity of everything felt beautifully innocent, pared back & kind of what I imagine it was like in the olden days - a gorgeous village wedding. There were no distractions from the fact that two people who are in love sharing that with their very closest ones.
Thank you, Sophie & Matt!
Charlotte x