A Music-Filled Wedding at Voewood, Norfolk
Chantelle and Sean got married midweek, just before Easter, at Voewood on the North Norfolk coast. It was a relaxed, music-filled day, with a ceremony out on the lawn, pizza and speeches inside, and a dance floor that was always going to be the main event. Super 8 was used alongside digital throughout the film.
A day built around music
When Chantelle and Sean first got in touch, they said they wanted their wedding to feel like a party. A celebration first and foremost, nothing traditional or stuffy.
That made sense the more I learned about them. Gigs and festivals have been part of their relationship from the very start, and Sean is a music journalist. Music was never going to sit in the background.
There was a DJ through the day and a Beatles tribute duo in the evening. But it showed up in smaller ways too. Sean began his vows by saying he makes sense of things through music, then borrowed a line from The Pogues to tell Chantelle what she means to him. Chantelle’s dad gave the shortest speech of the day, built around three musicians and the songs he wanted everyone to think of. It was short, it was sweet, and the room loved it.
How it started
They met in Brixton in December 2014, at a friend’s leaving drinks. Sean’s friends dropped out at the last minute, so he went on his own, knowing nobody. He and Chantelle got talking about music, Jim Carrey and Santa Claus, and that was that.
Their first date was at the Roebuck in Borough, over a game of Scrabble. Seven years later, Sean took Chantelle back to the same empty upstairs room for what she thought was a birthday day out. Candles, a projector, photos from their years together, songs playing, and the Scrabble board waiting on the table.
That’s why they chose “Something Changed” by Jarvis Cocker as a reading for the ceremony. It’s a song about how close you can come to never meeting someone. For two people whose paths should never really have crossed, it fit.
Why Voewood
Chantelle and Sean are both from South London, but Sean’s family have been coming to the North Norfolk coast since he was a child, particularly around Salthouse. Chantelle has joined those summer holidays for the past eleven years.
Nothing in London felt right, so they searched for venues near Salthouse instead. Voewood came up, and it was exactly the kind of place they’d have picked anyway, full of references to music and art. In his speech, Sean’s dad mentioned that it was family friends Anna and Andy who first brought them to Norfolk over 40 years ago. Anna and Andy were also their witnesses.
The ceremony and speeches
The ceremony took place outdoors on Voewood’s large lawn, with the speeches held inside after the meal.
The meal itself was pizza, which kept things casual while still bringing everyone together for the speeches. And there were a lot of speeches. Both dads, the groom, the bride, two bridesmaids and the best man, each one full of stories, in-jokes and very obvious love for the two of them.
Filming at Voewood
Voewood is a genuinely easy place to film. Everything sits close together, so moving between preparations, the ceremony and the reception never means rushing off and missing something.
Morning preparations happen upstairs, in large rooms full of natural light. It makes for calm, easy filming at a time of day when calm is exactly what you want.
When the weather’s kind, guests spill outside for the reception, and the light out there does most of the work. Inside is darker, but the rooms have real character, with musical touches everywhere you look. For a couple like Chantelle and Sean, it couldn’t have suited them better.
The grounds are made for portraits too. There are so many spots to wander through that it never feels like a photoshoot, just a quiet walk together while I follow along.
Their people, their touches
So much of the day was handmade. Chantelle made the quilting blocks that hung in the room, planned the table arrangements and the sign out front. Sean’s dad made their rings. Friends and family spent the days before picking up food and helping decorate, and you could feel that the moment you walked in.
Guests had travelled from Australia, Hong Kong and New York to be there. As Chantelle said in her speech, it’s one of the few times people cross the world just to celebrate you.
The film
I filmed the day the way I always do, quietly and in a documentary style, letting it unfold without stepping in. With a couple this rooted in music and a room this full of stories, the voices carry the film as much as the pictures do.
Super 8 adds a warmer, scrapbook texture alongside the digital footage. It suited a day like this one, full of colour, friends and small handmade details.
I take on around twenty weddings a year, so every film gets proper time and care. I film quietly, giving you space to be present, and blend digital with Super 8 for a film that feels timeless and full of character. If you’re planning a wedding at Voewood and this way of working feels right, I’d love to hear about your plans.
