Ultimate Wedding Planner
I don’t like to be pigeonholed into any one category of filmmmaking. I’m curious, an adventurer at heart. So when I was contacted to make a pre-wedding film for a couple appearing on the BBC TV show Ultimate Wedding Planner, my curiosity was piqued. After all, what is a pre-wedding film? Oh and I needed make this film while being filmed for TV too… did this just get very meta?
Credit BBC
I’m used to producing all sorts of stories with video. From weddings to commercials, feature films to live streaming (just to name a few). I find live events such as weddings fantastic as there is only one chance to capture a moment and then it’s gone. We all know that emotions and adrenaline run high and true on wedding days and it’s such a buzz to be there. Not to say film sets are boring, it’s just that the lovely ‘cast’ at a wedding are usually not professional actors/performers, you have less control but still want to create stunning films - it’s a challenge that I love. Also, long after the event, it’s great to hear that my films are still making couples laugh and cry as they relive those emotions. Wedding films only get better with time.
Challenge
Shabana, the wedding planner that hired me, tasked me to somehow take the lovely couple, Tash and Jay, on a similar journey with a film made entirely before their wedding day with less than 3 days to do it in. All this while also having to be in a position I’ve never wanted to be in, in front of camera.
It’s also the first time in my career where I’ve had so many ‘clients’ with different goals for one project.
The BBC, who engaged my services to do the bidding of one of the contestants while being filmed on their reality TV show ‘Ultimate Wedding Planner’.
The wedding planner, Shabana, who tasked me to make a video for Tash and Jay that would elicit loads of emotion.
The couple, Tash and Jay, who I had to hide my involvement in this surprise by posing as just a member of the reality TV team but would be the ultimate recipients of the film being shown in the Dome Cinema.
I decided to be true to myself, listen as much as possible to all parties and then just try and do the best job I could for the couple. If I ended up looking silly on screen, at least the couple would be happy and I woud consider my job successful.
Newly Weds, Tash and Jay and competition judges in the Dome Cinema, Worthing. Credit BBC
So how did it all turn out?
Well, you can watch the episode on BBC iplayer here or you can read on for the SPOILERS!
*** SPOILER ALERT ***
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I was on screen for very little time so my embaressment was kept to a minimum. The BBC crew told me they we very happy with how I conducted myself and that it was great to work with me. The wedding planner rang me to tell me how happy she was with everything and in the end… the couple cried and laughed and said how much they loved the film.
Ultimately, Shabana didn’t make it through to the final. The idea for the film and it’s exexcution was praised though and it made me wonder if there are any others out there who would want something similar made for their weddings or the weddings of their friends? Get in touch if you would, I’d love to hear from you.
PS
If you’re a glutten for punishment and want to see me on screen here are the time codes
16:39 - 17:13
23:41 - 23:50
32:03 - 32:28
If you want to see bits of the film and reactions to it
46:03 - 47:23
48:19 - 48:23
51:38 - 51:42
53:07 - 53:12