There are some wedding days that are beautiful in that effortless, unforced way - where it isn’t about orchestrating moments, directing people, or staging anything. Instead, the emotion is simply there, already present in the room - and all you need to do is step back, move quietly, and let people be themselves.

Jake & Amy’s wedding at The Renaissance at Kelham Hall was exactly that.

I’m Tom Kinton - filmmaker behind Nocturne Wedding Films - and it was an honour to capture their story. This wasn’t a day built around perfect shots or rigid timelines. They cared far more about spending uninterrupted, genuine time with the people they love than creating Pinterest moments. That’s where I do my best work - when the job is to observe, not intrude.

Kelham Hall is an extraordinary venue - a place that holds history in its walls. Fun fact: the same architect, Sir Gilbert Scott, whose design defined London’s St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel also shaped this building. And you can feel that level of detail - not just in the stonework or arches, but in the atmosphere. It’s cinematic by nature. The architecture frames the story for you without needing to pose anything.

Jake & Amy wanted a wedding film that felt like them - relaxed, documentary-led, and classy. Nothing forced. Nothing contrived. Just real laughter, real nerves, and real connection.

From the very first video call, it was clear Jake & Amy wanted a wedding that flowed naturally. No long, awkward photo sessions. No disappearing for two hours into fields. No “okay now walk slowly toward me…” nonsense.

They wanted to actually be there.

They wanted to laugh with their friends, hug their parents, relax, chat, drink, eat - and allow the day to unfold at its own pace.

That’s exactly what I love creating - wedding films that reflect the true emotional rhythm of the day.

And The Renaissance at Kelham Hall suits that perfectly. It’s not a venue that needs props or Pinterest boards to look beautiful. It has its own setting, its own texture, and its own sense of gravity. The sandstone, the corridors, the arches - they don’t ask for attention, they simply hold presence. The garden spaces were especially perfect for those in-between moments when sunshine and showers danced back and forth - typical late-August British weather.

I shot the day documentary-first, but with intention.

• Sony primes (35mm + 50mm) for intimacy
• Sigma 24-70 on the third camera for the wider establishing frames
• A three-camera ceremony setup to handle that unique entrance layout

And I’m so glad I did.

The ceremony room at Kelham Hall is a bit unusual - the entrance point for the bride isn’t aligned with a traditional aisle. By running a third angle I could capture Amy’s entrance before anyone else saw her - her reaction to stepping into the room, taking that breath, and stepping toward Jake. It’s a tiny moment, but it’s the soul of documentary. It’s the real moment.

Those seconds were gold.

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There’s always one moment in every ceremony where the mood shifts - not in a big dramatic way - but in a tiny, human way - and you feel the whole room relax.

For Jake & Amy, it happened when Amy’s brother stood to deliver the rings.

He got caught slightly in the chair, stumbled just a fraction, and everyone laughed. Not a staged laugh. A real one. The kind that instantly releases tension and reminds everyone this isn’t performance - this is two real people, surrounded by the people who actually know them.

Those are the moments that anchor a wedding film emotionally.

You can’t plan them.
You can’t manufacture them.
You don’t need to.

You just have to be paying attention.

And that’s where I believe documentary filmmaking - when it’s done with respect - becomes not just coverage but memory preservation. That stumble, that laugh - it’s in the film - and it speaks to the warmth of their entire day.

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After the ceremony, the weather played that classic British summer seesaw dance - sunshine, rainclouds, sunshine again.

But that actually worked perfectly.

Because just as the guests formed the confetti tunnel, the light broke again - and it gave us an almost editorial feel to that moment. The confetti tunnel became a natural first chapter to the outdoor portion of the film - high energy, high warmth - and no posing. Just genuine reactions.

I flew the DJI Mini 3 Pro during this part of the day too - not to make the film feel like a travel promo - but to give scale & context to the Renaissance architecture and the gardens. Kelham Hall is layered - and aerial shots are a powerful way to exhale visually after an intimate ceremony sequence.

The garden spaces also became the perfect backdrop for those small portrait pockets - just enough time to breathe, but not enough to interrupt the social flow.

The speeches were split slightly across the timeline. A few happened before food – which is a brilliant way to keep energy high – but Amy kept hers until later. She was nervous, and she wanted space to take that moment on her terms. That’s the kind of personal choice I respect. Nothing forced, nothing “because it’s tradition”. Just real decisions, for real comfort.

When she finally stood and spoke – it was worth the wait.

Rather than focusing on anecdotes or comedy – she took a moment to thank the important women in her life. Then she physically handed her bridesmaids’ flowers to the people she had spoken about. It landed in a way that was beautifully simple. You don’t need special effects to create emotional weight – you just need sincerity, delivered well. That moment is in the film, and it still gets me.

And then – The Renaissance at Kelham Hall shifted gears.

A lot of couples “hope” their evening will transform into a party. Jake and Amy didn’t hope – they committed to it. The DJ and sax combo from Saxophonique worked perfectly. It didn’t feel like a wedding evening “with some music playing” – it felt like an actual party atmosphere with a wedding happening at the centre of it.

Lights, movement, pockets of laughter in different corners of the room – the kind of ambience where you don’t have to manufacture footage at all. It pours towards you. The sax lines cut across the dancefloor and suddenly you’ve got this cinematic nightlife aesthetic – not nightclub tacky, but upscale energy. I stayed later into the night than I usually would, because the story still had beats left to capture.

And it all closed on Chris Stapleton’s ‘You Should Probably Leave’ – slow enough to soften the moment – but with that bittersweet warmth that feels like the end of an unforgettable night.

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There’s something about days like Jake & Amy’s that stays with you for longer than you expect. Not because anything huge or dramatic happened – but because the energy and intention behind the day were honest. No over-planning. No forced timelines. No theatrical performance for camera.

Just two people, a stunning venue, sunshine that came and went, and a wedding that genuinely felt like a celebration of their circle – not an event to be performed for social media.

That’s what I want Nocturne Wedding Films to stand for.
Films that feel lived-in.
Films that aren’t engineered.
Films that look and sound how the day actually felt.

If this is the feeling you’re chasing for your own wedding – relaxed, elegant, documentary-led storytelling – then yes, that’s the space I work best in.

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