Plas Dinas Wedding

12 Apr

Ceri and Rhys were a dream to shoot! They had their wedding in Plas Dinas, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales. Doing wedding videography for them in this picturesque area meant for some pretty epic shots. Caernarfon is of course host to the most popular castle in North Wales so obviously we got some shots here later in the day. This was another last minute booking I got in 2022 and was a slight challenge as the whole wedding was in Welsh. For this it just meant that at the time of my skill set I could only offer a film that just involved music. Now, however, I can add the speeches and ceremony into the film if the wedding is in Welsh by getting a translator to pick out the key moments to add over the film. This will elevate my wedding videography and give my couples the best film.

Plas Dinas Wedding Videographer, black and white shot of couple in front of Caernarfon Castle

Bridal Prep

Upon arrival I do as I usually do and scout out the venue for any spots that would be ideal to shoot. It’s also a good time for me to familiarise myself with Plas Dinas and to get some B roll footage for the wedding film. Ceri was getting ready in the lodge at the front of the venue. This room had lots of natural light which is key to getting the best footage. I was joined on the day by the amazing Dewi from Fox and Bear. Me and Dewi had known each other for a while but this was the first time working together but no one could tell as we worked so well as a team.

I never want to go into bridal prep all guns blazing, camera in hand commanding any poses or positioning people. I always start without my camera, say hello and just relax into the morning. I’ll then get my camera and start to get some detail shots of the dress and any little items that the couple have requested for me to get. After this I’ll go to the prep area and get some shots of the bride and her squad. This is where I’ll be discreet and get angles to really set a scene ready for the film.

Once I felt I had enough footage, I made my way to where the ceremony was being held, got shots of people arriving, Rhys and then set up my B camera. It’s important I do this ahead of time so I can concentrate on getting the best shots when the ceremony is about to start instead of rushing around.

Ceremony

With Rhys being a musician the day was filled with live music. They had two of their musician friends play a beautiful Welsh song as Ceri was in a horse and carriage elegantly making its way down the driveway. Ceri was then met by Rhys halfway down the aisle which was a real emotional moment as Ceri wasn’t given away by her father and showed the respect and love Rhys had for her to do something so small but so meaningful.

With the ceremony being outside and such a gorgeous day it really was a beautiful ceremony filled with loving words and connecting two people that were clearly destined for each other. There was so much space outside to get all the shots I wanted to create the best wedding film for them.

Drinks Reception

During the drinks reception there was more live music from a harpist. The food at Plas Dinas also didn’t disappoint and honestly the venue is worth going down to if you fancy some high class cuisine. After the ceremony I like to let my couples relax and say hello to all of their friends and family before doing any couples shots which Dewi (photographer) also likes to do at this point. They really did have a great group of friends and family who interacted with the camera.

Just before the wedding breakfast we got some couples shots in the grounds of Plas Dinas. With wedding videography it’s important for me to get these shots as it’s not just a time for me to get content for their film but also a time for them to have a moment together as a new married couple.

Wedding Breakfast

I can’t stress this enough but it’s so important to either have the speeches before or after the wedding breakfast. If the speeches are before myself and the photographer can get everything ready, be there on time and then let everyone relax and enjoy their food. If the speeches are after the meal it’s also important that the supplier meals get brought out at the same time as the guests so that they are ready to shoot the speeches when they are due to begin.

The food at Plas Dinas, as mentioned, is just on another level and I can’t recommend them enough for this. It is a 2 rosette awarded restaurant as seen in michelin star guide. The speeches were heartfelt and filled with laughs. Rhys made the intro to my wedding film very easy as he got his band to play. He changed the lyrics to a song to include Ceri on every chorus. It made the speeches that extra bit memorable and something that really added to the live music that was seen throughout the day.

Couples Shots

Being in Caernarfon we had a whole host of places to take the happy couple. We started by driving to Llyn Padarn. This lake near Llanberis is just one of the most stunning locations in North Wales in my opinion. It made my wedding videography style pop with great ease. Luckily the weather was also on our side so we could see the lake and the Snowdonia mountain range. We had a laugh when we got Ceri and Rhys to stand on the bridge as Rhys was not a fan of heights. We got the shot quickly as we really didn’t want Rhys to feel uncomfortable.

Next on the list was Caernarfon Castle. This was on the way to the evening reception at Caernarfon cricket club. The film footage speaks for itself, add the beautiful happy couple into the mix and the shots were just unreal. Honestly Ceri and Rhys were so relaxed and made the shoot so much more fun.

Evening Reception

The evening reception was hosted at Caernarfon Cricket Club overlooking Anglesey. The live music didn’t stop here as there were two bands and Ceri’s sister also sang before the first dance. I was easily roped in to staying longer and watching all the live music that unfolded in the evening. It truly was a magical day filled with music, laughter and love.