Jon & Megan's Wedding Story
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. 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.
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.
Hanbury Wedding Barn was made for fabulous weddings! I’m going to use this as my opportunity to review every bit of the venue so future brides and grooms can get a videographer’s perspective of the place. Here we go:
Hanbury Wedding Barn as a whole
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 plenty of on-site parking spots. There are both indoor and outdoor areas for wonderful conversations with friends. I could totally see a stunning outdoor ceremony, some food trucks, or a sparkler send off down the long path. The opportunities for fabulous moments are unlimited.
The onsite prep suites
The bridal suite is perfect. It was big enough for the bride, 4 bridesmaids, her mum and of coarse the photographer and videographer. The lighting is decent and when they were designing the room they weren’t kidding around with the mirrors. The Groom’s room was a little bit on the small and dark side. So we could still get some nice footage, he put his tie, jacket, cufflinks etc on in front of the gorgeous floor to ceiling windows in the dancing area.
The ceremony space
I loved this space! It is the perfect size. Not to sparce and not too intimate, great natural lighting and OMG the beams! 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. Plus the way the room was decorated was perfect. 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.
The banquet hall
It’s a great space with a giant window and elegant chandeliers. It was even big enough to host Singing Waters! 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 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.
The dance hall
I love it when a venue has a designated bar/dance space. It keeps people from sprawling out too much and ensures the dance floor is as full as possible. There was plenty of seating and the mood lighting at Hanbury Wedding Barn was top notch. Sometimes I need to bring in several lights which harsh the vibe a bit but are necessary to get the first dance footage. At Hanbury Wedding Barn I just have to bring two little lights no bigger than a mobile phone. I’m just a big big fan of this venue.
