Hannah and Oliver brought a winter wedding feel to Cooling Castle Barn at the very end of December. Their day was centred around being together in one place, with prep, the ceremony, the meal and the evening all happening around the barns, which gave the film a clear thread through the venue. It had the feel of a proper end-of-year gathering, with live music after the ceremony, speeches over dinner and a dance floor waiting for later.
Morning
The morning began at Cooling Castle Barn, with Hannah getting ready in the dressing room from early on. Oliver arrived later in the morning, based at the Moat House, giving both sides of the morning their own space before everyone came together for the ceremony. With everything happening at the venue, there was time to capture the details, the movement between rooms and the last few moments before guests took their seats.
Ceremony
The ceremony took place indoors at Cooling Castle Barn at 2pm, which suited a December wedding well. Hannah was already at the venue, so the build-up was all about that final walk into the ceremony space rather than a journey from elsewhere. For the film, that meant keeping close to the reactions, the vows and the small glances between Hannah and Oliver as the day properly began.
Speeches and Wedding Breakfast
After the ceremony, guests had time to settle into the reception while live music played through the afternoon. The wedding breakfast began at 4:30pm, with speeches held between courses after the starters and mains. Hannah’s father, Oliver and the best man all spoke, giving the film a strong run of natural audio from the people closest to them.
Evening
The evening moved into the cake cutting just before the first dance at 8pm. Hannah and Oliver had the first dance together, followed by a second dance between Hannah and her father. It gave the final part of the film a clear shape, moving from dinner and speeches into family moments, music and the start of the evening celebrations.