Why I love filming in family homes
Being a wedding videographer, my job is to not only capture a couple’s wedding day, but to really get to know them and tell their story in the film I create. Their story as a couple, but also as individuals. I get to know them a bit during our chats before the weddings day, then you hear about their past during the speeches which basically creates the skeleton in telling who these people are. And then there’s the setting.
I consider myself very lucky in being able to film weddings primarily set in people’s homes. This is usually the bride or the groom’s family home, the place they grew up in, with their childhood bedroom still intact as they left it - posters on the wall, school photos, favourite teddies and doll’s houses. And as someone who is just getting to know the couple, this feels like an incredible privilege to be able to step into their world and glimpse into the life of this family who has trusted me to tell their story.
The morning of a wedding day is very different when it’s spent in your family home as opposed to a venue where everyone is a guest. Mum and dad are wandering from room to room, fussing over the final details, making sure everyone’s had a good breakfast, that the car is decorated appropriately, dad can’t make up his mind about which tie to wear. More often than not, the bridesmaids will have spent time here with the bride as kids or teenagers, so they feels right at home, helping themselves to snacks and helping steam iron dresses. The house is always buzzing with activity and although the wedding nerves are there, there is always a sense of ease and familiarity which means my camera can capture people having a laugh, reminiscing about childhood stories and just being themselves
They say in the film industry - never work with children or animals, but on a wedding day these little bundles of chaos are my absolute favourites to capture. And when a wedding is at home, the likelihood is that you will get to see the family dogs wandering about, their beloved horses in the field nearby. I will never forget when during one wedding, their excitable spaniel kept fetching sticks for the wedding guests to throw. Eventually when the guests got bored of this game, the clever bugger ran into a bush and pulled out the biggest branch that might as well have been a tree, dragging it across the reception with great pride and presenting it to everyone.
It’s also really lovely to see the little pageboys and flower girls playing at home in the morning, running up and down stairs without a care in the world, sitting on their mum’s laps while they get their make up done. The morning flows so naturally and you get to capture some lovely moments this way.
In the morning while wandering around I love having a look at the family photos on the walls, trying to find pictures of the bride or groom and their siblings as little kids, the parents’ and grandparents’ wedding photos, sometimes in the same church as this wedding. I will also often find photos of both the bride and groom together - christmases, birthdays, holidays and that’s feels so nice to be able to catch a glimpse of their lives outside the wedding. It really brings you into their world and adds to the story and I tend to feature some of these photos in my films.
There’s something so sweet and nostalgic about getting into your wedding dress in your childhood bedroom, where you might have made all sorts of plans and dreams for your future. As well as it being a lovely and meaningful surrounding to film in, I just love this sentiment.
Stepping outside into the garden, where the majority of the day happens as after the church ceremony the guests arrive and celebrate with a drinks reception on the lawn and then the wedding breakfast in a marquee, this is also filled with beautiful personal details that you couldn’t find in any venue. A garden planted, loved and cared for for many years by the family. In every speech it is usually mum who gets a huge mention for the amazing work on the flowers in the garden which create a beautiful display for all to enjoy, and dad for keep the lawn watered and pristine. It is not just the stunning setting we are seeing - it’s months and even years of hard work, love and care by the family that create this setting.
Another lovely thing about having your wedding at home is that the ceremony is usually at your local parish church, in the same town or village where you grew up or still call home. As the bride makes her way to the church, there will often be neighbours, family friends and familiar faces gathered along the streets to wave, congratulate her and wish her well. They may not be part of the wedding itself, but they are there to show their support and share in the excitement of the day. There’s something really special about being greeted by people who have known you or your family for years, giving you that little extra boost of confidence before stepping through the church doors for the big moment.
Overall I love that I get to film the family in a place that means so much to them. The home itself becomes a part of the story and it means years down the line, when they all sit down to watch this wedding film, they won’t just be seeing a wedding day. They will be taken back to their family life as it was at this point in time. Children and grandchildren will be able to see how their grandparents lived, how the home has since changed, what it looked like all spruced up to the nines for a big family wedding.
