PREVIEW - AMY & MARK - HAREFIELD BARN, DEVON

WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHY & CINEMATOGRAPHY

AMY & MARK - HAREFIELD BARN, DEVON


Last weekend, I had the honour and privilege of documenting the wedding of my good friends, Amy & Mark Laskey. Some of you may know that one of my first ever jobs as a full time, professional Wedding Videographer, was that of Scott and Ami Laskey. When I was new to the game, having little previous wedding videography to show them, Scott and Ami gave me the opportunity to shoot their wedding. This kind gesture set me on my way and it’s something i’ll be forever grateful for. Mark and Scott are brothers and were each other’s best men on the biggest day of their lives. We have all known each other since school and it’s amazing that so many of our school year group remain close friends to this very day. Both the Laskey’s and Joliff’s are an incredibly close, amazing group of people, so when Mark and Amy asked me if I would mind being a guest and also producing their wedding film, I jumped at the chance. Every single wedding is special. But from my perspective, it’s even more so when you are a ‘working guest’ and get to spend the day with so many good friends.

Mark and Amy got engaged last year and decided that there wasn’t really much point in waiting to tie the knot. So they bit the bullet and decided to get married in the Spring. Having looked at many fabulous Devon wedding venues, they noticed there was a new kid on the block. The recently established Harefield Barn, just outside of Exeter. So new in fact, it was still a building site when they viewed it for the first time! Despite this, they fell in love with the place and swiftly booked it up. What a choice it turned out to be. Harefield is a purpose built venue nestled in the Devon Countryside. With almost 360 degree unrestricted views of Devon’s famous rolling hills, it leaves a lasting impression the minute you arrive. Mark and Amy’s big day was to be only their second or third wedding and it is testament to them that the day ran so smoothly. It ran like a well oiled machine, which for most new venues only comes with time, having been established for numerous wedding seasons. A huge well done to the Harefield team!

The day kicked off with myself and the photographer extraordinaire that is Alex Toze arriving around 10am to get started. The ceremony was at 1pm, so we had plenty of time to settle in. We had a good look around, discussed plans for the day, and soon made a start documenting the bridal preparations. Amy had quite an entourage! An awesome bunch of girls most of which I knew from school and many I haven’t seen for years. From the outset it was quite clear they were buzzing for it. The gents then arrived around 12pm and anticipation truly began to build.

The ceremony went off without a hitch, situated around the beautiful clock house, overlooking the stunning countryside. For a day in early spring, a time of year notorious for rather changeable weather conditions, it quite simply could not have been more perfect. The sun shone down on us all day long. It was lovely and warm, but not hot, which is ideal for those of us running around all day with heavy camera equipment!

After the ceremony, it was time for a pint (perks of being a working guest)! We captured group shots and some of the mingling, and then we took Amy and Mark off for some couple time. We hopped in the car and took them down to a friend’s farm just a few hundred yards away. At this time of year, one of the things you will notice in the Devon countryside is the luminous bright yellow fields of Rapeseed. It’s vivid yellow flowers are visible for miles and really are something else. This was the perfect spot to get those awe inspiring beauty shots of the couple together. Mark and Amy were the perfect bride and groom to photograph. Anyone who knows them will testify that they are a truly fun loving, up for anything kind of couple. After half an hour or so in the field, we headed back to the venue for some much needed refreshment. The food was lovely, and it was lovely to be seated with my better half, my best friend from school and his beautiful family, Alex, as well as others. But I couldn’t stay seated for long, as there was more to do yet.

Next up was the speeches; 4 in total, full of beautiful sentiment and emotion. Amy had also arranged in secret (with a little help from yours truly) a little video/slideshow to surprise Mark on his wedding day, which also happened to be the day after his 30th birthday. She had met with me in the days running up to the wedding to put the video together. The video featured photos and video, both humorous and sentimental, from their years together. There was laughter and tears throughout the room and the surprise was very well received by all. A truly lovely moment.

Finally, it was time for my last job of the day. Mark and Amy had also booked my function band EVENTINE to perform in the evening. Those that follow my work may know that as well as being a Wedding Videographer, I am also the drummer in Eventine. Doing both jobs in one day is a challenge logistically, and extremely demanding physically, however it is possible and I do enjoy the opportunity to combine two passions of mine in one wedding day. As soon as the speeches were finished, venue staff cleared the tables and it was time for the band to set up and soundcheck. I filmed the first dance and a bit of the party getting started and then put down my cameras to perform. What a party it was, and I really couldn’t think of a better way to finish off what was the most incredible day. 15 hours after arriving, 12 hours of filming and 2 hours of drumming, then having packed down and loaded the van, it was now the early hours of the morning, my back hurt and my arms and legs were effectively jelly. It was time to go home.

I’d like to say a massive thank you to Amy and Mark, for being such good friends, such amazing people and giving me the honour of being part of it all. It was a privilege to spend the day with so many amazing people; good friends, my amazing partner, my band family, and my favourite photographer colleague. It was a day I will never forget, and I wish you both all the happiness in the world for the years to come. Perhaps, we can get the crew together again at some point in the future!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and finally, here is a Preview Film showing just a glimpse of their amazing day. I hope you like it…


Devon Wedding Videography, Devon Wedding VideographeTom RoweDevon, Wedding Videography, Harefield BarnComment