Sarah & Marcus’ wedding at Chapel Barn was exactly how I like to start a season. Good people. Good energy. No stress. Just a wedding that felt effortless from the second I arrived.
I’ve filmed at Wilderness Reserve a few times now and every venue on the estate has its own feel, but Chapel Barn really stands out. With it’s incredible accommodation, unique style & underground James Bond esq pool, nothing feels overly “wedding venue”. Which honestly makes filming there far more interesting.
The morning started with Sarah and the girls getting ready on site. Music on, champagne flowing, everyone was in good spirits! I begun the day with the girls alongside Luis Holden & Abbie. Both were an absolute pleasure to work with. We all approach weddings very similarly. Observe & let things happen naturally.
With the very talented Emily Walpole and Eleanor Ainslie handling hair and makeup and the whole morning just felt calm. No chaos. No twenty people crammed into one tiny room. Just good energy and loads of natural light, which makes such a difference when you’re filming.
Marcus and the boys were elsewhere on the estate doing exactly what most grooms do… sitting down, having a beer and not overthinking anything, just reflecting on the day ahead.
Once Sarah stepped into her Vivienne Westwood dress the atmosphere shifted a bit. That’s usually the moment where it all suddenly becomes real and the anticipation built.
As Sarah stepped out, the reactions from the girls were instant and emotional and those are honestly some of my favourite things to film. No awkward staging. No fake reactions repeated three times for the camera. Just people reacting naturally to someone they love looking incredible.
The ceremony took place at St Edmund’s Church in Southwold which is genuinely one of the nicest churches I’ve filmed in Suffolk. Massive windows, loads of space and beautiful soft light all the way down the aisle. Some churches can feel dark and heavy on camera. This place feels the complete opposite.
After the ceremony everyone piled onto vintage red buses back to Chapel Barn while a roaming band got the drinks reception going.
From this point onwards the day just had momentum.
Me and Luis spent most of drinks reception doing what we always do, staying out the way and looking for moments to capture. The randomness of people chatting, drinking & having a good time. That sort of stuff always matters more in films years later than perfectly curated details.
I’ve also never really understood why group photos became such a stiff part of weddings. People standing in military lines waiting to be released never feels like the atmosphere couples actually want. A wedding should feel alive and fun. Embrace the random and just be you.
The wedding breakfast entrance completely changed the energy again. Napkins flying everywhere, people on chairs, the band absolutely sending it. You could feel the room tipping into party mode instantly but we still had a 3 course meal to go.
But honestly, when a room reacts like that, I get excited filming it. You know what’s coming later.
We slipped out for ten minutes during golden hour and Suffolk absolutely showed off. That soft April sunlight across the Wilderness Reserve around Chapel Barn looked ridiculous.
No huge production. No turning the wedding into a photoshoot. Just giving Sarah & Marcus a minute together while the light did all the work for us.
After that, the evening was chaos in the best possible way. Packed dancefloor. Singing. Sweating. People losing there minds by 9pm. Exactly what you want.
A very good way to start wedding season.
Venue: Wilderness Reserve – Chapel Barn
Planner: Flamingo + Fern
Photography: Luis Holden
Film: Browns Films
Content Creator: Eyes on the Brides
Styling & Stationery: Synched Events
Florist: Charlotte Staff Flowers
Draping: Epic Events
Hire Items & Decor: Array Wedding & Event Hire
Tableware: Banqueting Hire Service
Bar: Filly + Foal
Band: The White Keys
Band Production: GE Production
Transport: Heritage Buses
Hair: Hairsmiths Norwich & Emily Walpole
Makeup: Eleanor Ainslie
Are you planning a wedding at Wilderness Reserve? View more of my Suffolk wedding films here & get in touch
Tom was ALWAYS going to be our videographer. We did the usual ‘shop around’ because we felt we had to however it was absolutely pointless because our minds were already made up.
Having been to so many weddings, we knew exactly what we wanted (and didn’t want) and Tom just got it. From the very first call our expectations just aligned perfectly.
The way he captured our day was incredible. All the big moments were there … the ceremony, speeches, a very wild dinner … but it was the little things that made it so special. The little looks, forehead kisses, a lot of laughter, the tears (mainly Marcus) … and all the little moments we didn’t even realise were happening at the time.
He made us feel completely at ease, like we weren’t being filmed at all, which is so so so clear in all of the videos. He also worked seamlessly with all our other suppliers and brought such a calm and kind energy!
One thing that meant the world to us was how quickly he turned around our ceremony and speeches ( less than a week!!) so my dad could watch them from the hospital. That’s something we’ll never forget and will be forever grateful.
Honestly, 10/10. If you’re even slightly debating having a videographer, just book Tom. We promise you won’t regret it!!
