We’ve been doing this for over sixteen years now. That’s a lot of vows and a lot of first dances. We’ve seen floral installations that cost more than a car. We’ve seen countless 'themes' and colour schemes that were “in” for about 18 months. We’ve watched trends come and go and we’ve watched the industry get louder, faster, more 'polished' and more content-driven. But the longer we do this, the clearer a few truths become...
There's a Reason your Film gets More Valuable After Your Big Day.
When you first watch your wedding film, it’s still fresh. You’re still glowing. You’re still texting friends about how good the day was. But five years later? Ten? Twenty? That’s when it becomes something else entirely. Your kids will one day sit down and watch their parents looking at each other doe-eyed. They’ll hear the way you spoke your vows to one another. They’ll see the version of you that existed before mortgages and school runs and everything that comes after. That film becomes one of the only places they’ll ever get to meet that version of you. And the people who won’t be here forever? Grandparents, family friends who always made the room brighter? You'll be able to meet them again by watching your film. We're not telling you this as some sort of 'emotional blackmail' but because we've lived and experienced it ourselves with our own wedding film bringing back our Grandma for a few sweet cuddles and tears and we’ve had so many of our couples message us years later saying they watch particular moments of the film we created for them just to hear a loved one's voice again.
There Aren’t Many Days Like This Left.
Think about it for a second. After the wedding, the big gatherings get smaller and rarer. Birthdays. Housewarmings. Maybe a baby shower or two. Then life spreads everyone out again. People move away. Work gets busy. Kids grow up. Suddenly the only time the whole extended crew is in the same room is at a funeral. (Sorry to be morbid but it's a reality). Your wedding is one of the last times (sometimes the ONLY time if like us your family are spread out across the world) that almost everyone who loves you is in the same place at the same time, celebrating the same thing. So focus on revelling in every minute of your day and let us capture it because this time with your loved ones all together in the same room is rare.
Things Will Go Wrong.
People will stress about the wrong things. We’ve seen it at almost every wedding. Someone is quietly losing their mind over a seating chart. Or the weather. Or a vendor running five minutes late. Or the fact that Auntie Karen brought a plus-one who wasn’t invited... And here’s what we’ve learnt: The things that do go 'wrong'? They usually become the stories everyone laughs about later anyway. Your day is a celebration, not a performance. It’s a party for you both and the people you love. That simple.
Styles Fade. Smiles and Voices Don’t.
We’ve never been particularly interested in chasing whatever is currently fashionable. The flowers will change. The dress styles will cycle. The “must-have” shot of the year will be replaced by the next one. What doesn’t change is the way someone looks at the person they’re about to marry when they think no one’s watching. Or the sound of a parent’s voice cracking halfway through a speech. We focus on those things. The smiles. The voices. The little human moments that don’t need a trend to still feel true decades later.
A Few Things We’d Tell Every Couple If We Could.
Show up to your own wedding. Really show up. Don’t float through it half-present because you’re worried about how everything looks. Give it your all. Dance like an idiot if that’s who you are. Cry if you need to. Laugh too loudly. Hold each other longer than feels necessary. Leave your phone somewhere else. The people in the room are more important than the people who aren’t. So don’t perform for the camera because...
Being REAL > Being Perfect. Every time.
And the words! Your vows. Your speeches. The things people say when they’re standing in front of a room full of people who love you. Those words are free. They cost nothing but they last. Don’t rush them. Don’t phone them in. Take your time. Say things that matter. We’ve seen people rewatch their vows more than any other part of the film. Years later, those words still land. Sixteen years in, and even we still get emotional watching the heartfelt ones; tearing up in the editing suite.
Because at the end of the day, that’s why we’re actually there. Not to capture a 'perfect' event, not a carefully curated 'brand' moment. Just two people, and the people who love them, having the best day of their lives... And if we can help you keep that day somewhere safe — somewhere you can return to when the years start stacking up — then we’re doing our job right.
Shaun & TJ
Behind the Scenes: What a Real Wedding Day looks like with Lemon Tree Films
Most wedding content you see online makes everything look perfectly choreographed, as if the wedding was directed like a Hollywood
