A Christmas wedding comes with plenty already built in, a tree in the corner, candles on the tables, people in their good coats and a room that feels warm the moment you walk in from the cold. You do not need to add much to make your film feel festive.
What helps is knowing which traditions are worth planning around, and how the short winter days change things. Here is what we would suggest.
Key Highlights
- The festive details that look best on film are often the ones you would have anyway, like the tree, candles and warm drinks.
- Your own family traditions are worth more to your film than anything off a Pinterest board.
- In December it is dark before 4pm, so plan your outdoor shots early.
- It is just the two of us on the day, with discreet kit and no big lights.
- At Abi & Luke’s wedding, guests found their places on baubles hanging from the Christmas tree.
Festive Details Worth Filming
The Tree and the Decorations
If your venue has a Christmas tree, it makes a lovely backdrop for a quiet moment or a few shots of the two of you. If you have hung a few ornaments of your own on it, tell us, and we will make sure they are in your film.
At Abi & Luke’s wedding at Hedsor House, guests discovered their places on baubles hanging from the Christmas tree. It is a simple idea, and it brings the tree into the day rather than leaving it in the corner.
Warm Drinks and Toasts
Mulled wine on arrival, hot chocolate in the evening, a toast with something warming. These are easy to film and they say “winter” straight away. Let us know when they are happening so one of us is there.
Your Own Family Traditions
This is the part we would encourage most. If your family always sings a particular carol, wears matching jumpers or has a toast that only makes sense to you lot, bring it into the day. Those are the moments you will want to watch again, and they are the ones that make your film yours.
Just tell us beforehand, so we know to be ready.
Abi & Luke included a Scottish loving cup ritual in their ceremony, where the couple share a drink from the same cup. It is exactly the kind of tradition we love to film, because it belongs to you and your families.
Music for a Christmas Wedding Film
The music in our films is instrumental, chosen to suit your day. We record your ceremony and speeches separately from the cameras, so your vows and the speeches come through clearly underneath.
However, if you have a song that holds a special place in your heart, we want to know, whether that is a Christmas carol or something more pop. We film in a documentary style and build the film around the sound from your day, like your vows and the speeches.
Planning Around the Winter Light
In December the sun sets before 4pm, and the light starts going a while before that. If you would like any shots outside, it is worth planning them for straight after the ceremony rather than later in the afternoon.
Once it is dark, the inside of your venue does the work. Candles, fairy lights and a warm room look lovely on film, and that is where most winter wedding films come into their own.
Fairy Lights and Candlelight
We have written a whole post on using fairy lights at a Christmas wedding, including Abi & Luke’s December wedding at Hedsor House. It is worth a read if you are planning your evening.
Winter Weather
We will be honest: snow on a wedding day in Yorkshire is rare. Frost, low sun and the odd shower are much more likely, and they can look lovely on film too.
Julia films alongside Cal, and she is also your main point of contact on the day. In winter, that matters most outside. She keeps an eye on the little things, like straightening a tie, fixing a veil or settling your dress, so you are not stood about in the cold sorting them out yourselves.
She will give you a gentle idea of where to walk or stand, then step back and let you get on with it, so your time outside is about the two of you rather than the weather.
How We Film
There are two of us, Julia and Cal, and that is the whole crew. Discreet kit, no big lights, and nothing that needs rearranging.
We film in a documentary way. We will not ask you to pose or to repeat anything. Julia will step in now and then if something needs fixing, and that is about the extent of our directing.
We also work alongside your photographer, agreeing who is standing where for the ceremony and speeches before anything starts.
What Happens Next
Short trailers usually arrive within 2–3 weeks, and longer films take 12–20 weeks depending on the time of year. Our post on how long it takes to get your film back has more detail.
Our packages run from Essentials to Ultimate, and the Deluxe and Ultimate packages include your full ceremony and speeches as well as your film. You will find what is included in each on our packages page.
You can see more of our work as a Yorkshire wedding videographer, and if you are planning a Christmas wedding, tell us about it.
Any questions, just shout.
Julia & Cal
