Tag Archives: Wedding

Music Wedding Videos’ Top 5 Wedding Venues

Music Wedding Videos' Top 5 Wedding Venues

Music Wedding Videos have shot at lots of venues over the last 3 years. We’ve even travelled to the USA and Portugal to capture those beautiful wedding memories for some happy couples.

SomeΒ venues we go to and have never returned, others we visit regularly. Here are five more local venues that we enjoy visiting regularly to shoot at our couples’ weddings…

Hogarth’s Hotel

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Wroxhall Abbey

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New Hall Hotel

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Nuthurst Grange

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Moxhull Hall

Moxhull Hall, Sutton Coldfield | Sutton and Birmingham Wedding Photojournalist Stuart James

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Why Have Your Hen Night in Birmingham?

As a Brummie and a huge lover of Birmingham, I am going to do my utmost to not be too biased and opinionated towards my home city here. But it does just so happen that ‘the second city’ is renowned for its many attractions and buzzing atmosphere. I have to be honest, you can’t really go wrong with a hen night here. One thing I say about Brum to anyone that will listen is that it has something for everyone.

So why throw your hen-do in Birmingham? Well, there are a few factors worth taking into consideration…

Shopping

You all know what I’m going to say. And if you haven’t heard of it, then you’ll at the very least have seen a picture of it somewhere…

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Yep, you got it. The Bullring. And there is nothing quite like a huge shop with the girls in one of Britain’s most famous shopping centres. I must add, Birmingham has shops to suit each and every person’s weird and wonderful style. Not to mention budget. You certainly won’t have to worry about a lack of choice regarding shops in Brum. Shopping is a great activity to fill up daytime hours before your big night.

Places to see

We all know you can’t visit the second city and have no-where to go and see. Every big city has its points of interest. If you are all shopped-out, fear not. You’ll still find plenty to do. Have a gander at a few of these if you are looking for things to do during the day;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And many, many more! You certainly will not be struggling to find things to do here. You will also have no trouble getting around with buses and trains running from early till late going in all directions.

The National Sea Life Centre is a fun and interesting day out for any age!

Accommodation

From Travel Lodges dotted around left, right and centre, to the luxurious Radisson Blu, you will not find it hard to find somewhere to stay in Brum that suits your requirements. If you’re only going to be spending a few hours in your bedroom while you sleep, or if you want to spend the day having a relaxing spa with the girls, you’ll have lots of choice as to where you can stay.

The Radisson Blu Hotel

Nightlife

Like I mentioned earlier, Birmingham has something for everyone. Especially when it comes to nightlife. Get your hen-gear on and head down to the famous Broad Street, which is FILLED with bars and clubs with all sorts of different atmospheres and music. Don’t forget the beautiful Brindley Place as well, where lots of lovely bars and restaurants sit alongside Birmingham’s 35 mile canal (that’s longer than Venice’s). Brindley place is personally my favorite spot in Brum to go for a drink. Although there is a bustling atmosphere, it is a prettier and more tranquil spot in comparison to clubbing areas like Broad Street. There is something oh-so-lovely about taking a stroll along the canal at night, when Brindley Place comes alive.

Birmingham honestly will not leave you feeling like there is nothing to do. You’ll be spoiled for choice no matter what kind of things you decide you want to do. In fact, you will probably want to come back ASAP! Make sure you take Birmingham into consideration for your hen-destination!!

Thanks for reading guys xoxoxo

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My First Ever Wedding Fayre!

I was filled with excitement and anxiety when Kevin invited me to join Music Wedding Videos in their adventure to the NEC last weekend to exhibit at The National Wedding Show. I didn’t really know what to expect. I was aware that many exhibitors would know each other, and that The National Wedding Show meant serious business. I felt like I was being thrown in the deep-end; a 19-year-old social-media apprentice that had experienced about two weeks in the wedding industry. I knew it would be a huge insight to what the wedding industry was all about.

Shortly after we arrived, couples began buzzing around the building. I was most nervous about pitching Music Wedding Videos to complete strangers, and having them walk past with no real acknowledgement that I was trying to talk to them. Inevitably, this did happen. But before long I began to learn the kind of things I needed to say to catch people’s attention. As I chatted away with visitors, the product on the screen behind me helped sell itself. It was fabulous seeing people’s faces light up at the fun, crazy videos being played. “That’s brilliant!” and “I absolutely love it!” stick in my mind especially. It was also amazing to find that the relatively new concept of ‘marryoke’ was not unknown to everyone. Some visitors were completely unaware of idea, whereas others stated they were in fact searching for the perfect marryoke for their big day.

We met lots of amazing people over the weekend at the NEC, visitors and exhibitors alike. We were surrounded by some fabulous looking stalls. One of our neighboring stalls was Funky Fudges; I had never seen so much delicious looking fudge in one place at one time! Close-by we also had Chris Fletcher the Magician, who regularly swung by to perform some side-splittingly funny tricks on us. Down the way we also had the fabulous Briefly Demure Lingerie, who certainly raised a few eye-brows with their marketing techniques this year! With live models strutting their stuff, they were pretty hard to miss!

It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of The National Wedding Show over the weekend. It was a big eye-opener to how people tick in the wedding industry, that’s referring to businesses and weds-to-be. After three years at The National Wedding Show, Music Wedding Videos made record numbers of bookings – our most successful show yet! I very much look forward to getting involved in future wedding fayres!

Although I’m not in them, I will leave you with a few pics of Kev and some of the lovely people who booked with Music Wedding Videos. Thanks for reading guys! Xoxoxoxo

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So, ‘George Clooney’s Wedding’… What about his wife?

So, yes, George Clooney is notorious everywhere; for having the face of an angel, being a successful actor/director/writer/producer, for his generous humanitarian gestures, he is also quite the political activist. It’s no wonder his wedding is making headlines; costing an estimate of approximately Β£8m, with the likes of Matt Damon, Sandra Bullock and Cindy Crawford attending, water-taxis, 5 star hotels and poolside cocktail parties… sounds like quite a party!

I couldn’t help but notice though, many headlines seem to have looked over the fact that two people were being wedded here, not just George Clooney…

His beautiful wife Amal Alamuddin has been over-shadowed in press headlines on several occasions. For example, by the BBC (“Film Star George Clooney Gets Married In Venice”, Sky News (“George Clooney Ties Knot In Venice Ceremony”) and The Guardian (“George Clooney’s Wedding Weekend In Venice…”)

Amal Alamuddin should be a role-model for women everywhere. She is a successful Human Rights Lawyer, who has served as counsel to the United Nations. She also happens to be a published author. Oh, and tri-lingual. Oh and one more thing, shes gorgeous and is a style-icon to many. Bringing together sophistication and simplicity but without being afraid to step outside the box. Many have said George is in fact ‘marrying-up’!

The girl is just as newsworthy as her husband! Even more so now she has now made the transition from a Human Rights Lawyer, unknown to Hollywood, to an international style icon.

Let me leave you with this, something that made me laugh but makes a very good point…

Buzzfeed’s headline following up the wedding was “Accomplished Lawyer Amal Alamuddin Marries That Actor From β€œER””

Brilliant!

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Disney’s interactive firework display.. On a wedding cake

So over the weekend at the Disney Fairytale Weddings Expo, Disney decided to take cake decoration to a whole new level. A very special cake that has taken a shine to the eyes of many was debuted at the show; a cake with an interactive, augmented display. A video of one of these weird and wonderful cakes was posted on Facebook by Michelle George Vazul, who described the new cake mapping as “awesome”. The cake first appears pretty simple. With not much decoration, just platforms of white icing and a Disney Castle standing at the top. Then the ‘magic’ happens… Check it out.

The edible firework display has caught the eyes of many. The video already has nearly 10 million views.

The idea of projection mapping is not a brand new one, with tons of products having an interactive, augmented display. However in terms of food, Disney have claimed this one for themselves.

So, let’s imagine being able to literally ‘play with your food’. Augmented displays allow someone to alter displays by touching them. So, for example, if there was a display of a pond full of fish, if you touched the display, the fish would swim in different directions and the water would ripple at your fingertip. Sounds cool, but it could be argued, do we really want or need to be playing with our food?

Let me know what you think guys! Thanks for reading πŸ™‚

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Best season to get married?

Now, I’m pretty new to this whole wedding thing, but I was thinking about how increasingly more people are deciding to get hitched later on in the year as oppose to in those traditional, hot summer months.

When is the best time of year to get married? The date of your wedding has a big impact on the day in all sorts of ways. The weather being a big focus point for many. I picture a summer wedding to be warm, still and sunny; ideal for being outside, where there is plenty of space for kids to run around and choosing outdoor venues with beautiful scenery. This is why the summer season is so much more expensive than the others, something worth bearing in mind. The big ‘but’ here however is we live in Britain. And we all know the British summer is not a predictable one!

A wedding in the fall would be my personal choice. There’s something all too beautiful about the colours of the leaves in the autumn. Trees swell with glorious golds, oranges and yellows, spilling onto the surrounding ground. If you had your wedding location in a more wood/forrest-like location then the fall would be a pretty stunning time to be wedded. Autumn is also practical in the sense the weather doesn’t tend to bring the extremes that the other seasons bring, as well as still having relatively long days.

autumn-wedding-ideas

In Britain, we picture winter here as months of relentlessly overcast, somber skies, a wind so cold your nose would turn shiny and red, and at times, heaps of snow (and a lot of rain/slush). But, your wedding is what you make it. Around December, you can be as festive as you please with lots of red, green and gold, grand Christmas trees, perhaps a more cosy atmosphere and lots of food and drink to warm bellies. The outdoor light in the winter months will give your photographer the chance of capturing some beautiful and dramatic pictures on your wedding day. If you do pick a date that encounters snow, then you will be photographed with a stunning, snowy scenery. Sounds pretty appealing if you ask me.

Spring brings connotations of new life and renewal. Nature is seemingly asleep over the months of winter, hiding from winter’s bitter touch, then as spring comes into play, everywhere appears to explode with new life. What better time to turn a new page in your life than when the world does too? After the long, gloomy couple of months after Christmas, everyone will be excited and warmed by seeing you get married.

What you must remember is that no matter what the season may be, your wedding is what you make it. The weather may seem like something that might overrule other factors worth taking consideration when choosing a time of year to get hitched, but really, you are the one in control. It’s always good to have a plan B in case it does start drizzling, or if it’s a bit too hot and stuffy inside. Choose your season and make it work for you!

Thanks for reading guys!

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Emma and Sam

Emma and Sam

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August 9th 2014, Nuthurst Grange, a beautiful couple Emma and Sam, and friends and family..Happy? Judge for yourself.

Happy – Sam and Emma from Music Wedding Videos on Vimeo.

Congratulations guys!

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Lisa and Iain – Music Wedding Video

Lisa and Iain - Music Wedding Video

Here is Lisa and Iain’s Music Wedding Video ‘Mama Do The Hump’. Their amazing wedding was held at Hogarths Hotel on 5th July 2014. We even got our helicam out to take full advantage of the lovely surroundings and decor.

Enjoy their day!

Mama do the hump – Lisa and Iain from Music Wedding Videos on Vimeo.

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The best dads speech ever!

The best dads speech ever!

So set the scene, it is a well known fact amongst the family, as well as your daughter that you do not feel very comfortable with public speaking (isn’t that the same for a lot of us). So getting up to speak on your daughters big day can be a daunting experience.

Here is how Gavin – Father to Stef and new father in law to Adam got over that (with the help of uncles, son in law, grandad, grandson and chief choreographer sister Sarah) on the couples big day.

Look out for the words ‘I need a bit of air so I’m going to put the air conditioning on!’

and the mobile version

Best dad’s speech ever! from Music Wedding Videos on Vimeo.

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Friends in the industry

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With nearly two years under our belt in one of the best industries on the planet, it got me thinking about all of the awesome services and people that we have worked with on all of our fabulous weddings.

This industry is so different to other industries that I have had the (mis)fortune to work in. From cut throat sales to 24 hour on call recruitment, people trying to undercut with the ruthlessness of Alan Sugar. This one is different, everyone pulls together, everyone is….nice!

I have listed a number of companies that I feel have inspired/helped or just generally been cool along our journey and I hope you have the pleasure of working with them in the future.
I have bound to have missed people out so please don’t shout πŸ™‚

Secret Singers

http://www.secretsingers.com/Secret_Singers.html

https://twitter.com/SecretSingersUK

We had the pleasure of seeing these guys at the Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards last year and they blew our socks off. I have seen quite a few around who aren’t quite secret and lack in the singing department too. They are that awesome that Caroline and Rakesh have booked us for their glamorous wedding next year!

 

 

Shoot It Yourself

http://www.shoot-it-yourself.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/ShootItYourself

You may think it is strange that I have added these girls to the list, as they are competitors in our field. The thing is, I don’t care. They are fun, driven and motivated in the industry and their product is a great edge to couples that do not particularly want a videographer involved on the day. If you don’t book us then definitely book them πŸ™‚

 

 

Elegant Steps

http://www.elegantsteps.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/elegantsteps

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I also met Jayne at the Wedding Ideas Magazine Awards last year and lets say, it took her a while to take to me. That said, she eventually came round πŸ™‚ Let’s say, I’m no expert on women’s shoes (in public) but she appears to me, as one of the hardest working people in the industry. We are inspired by her work ethic. Elegant Steps are a shining example of how successful you can be with hard work.

 

Hellofoto Booths

http://www.hellofotobooths.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/hellofotobooths

Another typical example of hard work shining through. I’ve only met these guys a couple of times at local shows but they always have some banter and genuinely enjoy what they do. It is easy to lose sight of why you began in the industry and why we do what we do. Keep smiling boys πŸ™‚

 

Prestige Photography

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http://www.prestigephotography.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prestige-Photography/150510945010805

Prestige must be one of the busiest photographers in the country and it shows why, through their images and personnel. We have had the pleasure of working with the lads on numerous occasions, and to be honest, it makes our job a hell of a lot easier when working with people we get on with.Β  We have had the odd occasion when the photographer has battled against us instead of with us, but although photo bombing all of his shots is fun, it is better to work in unison for that perfect partnership.

 

AW Sounds

http://www.awsounds.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/aw_sounds

A good friend of mine who is trying to juggle his DJing, a full time job and a young family. Has made the night for many couples around the country as well as some of my private functions. His quality uplighting and bespoke tuneage make any night memorable.

 

 

Giddy Kipper

http://www.giddykipper.net/

https://twitter.com/GiddyKipperUK

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Multi award winning duo Heidi and Steve not only work hard to produce quality products, but are down to earth and a really great laugh. Another shining example of juggling family and work life with a smile. I love how they are so humble with what they have achieved and would always give us advice as and when needed. Ta muchly πŸ™‚

 

Wedding Ideas Magazine

http://www.weddingideasmag.com/

https://twitter.com/wimagazine

I have mentioned how we have met a number of people through the world famous Wedding Ideas Awards, so it would be a misjustice not to mention Rachel and the herd at Giraffe HQ. Another hard working company that are reaping the rewards of graft and determination. I know they don’t need me to talk them up but we want to say a big thank you for helping us get a foothold in the industry with your continued support. Oh, and by far the best mag in the industry. Standard!

 

Plans and Presents

http://www.mrspandp.com

https://twitter.com/MrsPandP

Alison is a good, kind hearted woman with a great soul. Her planning and blogs are second to none and she has helped get out our news constantly when we were getting used to twitter (did you know, she liked a tweet πŸ™‚ Thanks for your support and help over the past couple of years.

 

We are also rebranding for the South to spread our wings slightly, so keep an eye out for www.weddingmarryokes.com and follow us at https://twitter.com/WeddingMarryOK

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Thanks for listening, it’s been emotional πŸ™‚

 

Kev

 

 

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