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This Summer I was thrilled to be invited along by Brides Up North Featured Supplier and destination weddings specialist Thomson Weddings to work on a video shoot in sunny Cyprus on behalf of both Brides Up North and Wedding Ideas Magazine. I know, I know, it’s a tough job right?
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Actually, it was a tougher job than I had imagined. It wasn’t all shoot for two hours then spend the rest of the day sipping all inclusive Cosmopolitans by the pool as I had perhaps imagined (and told my mates!) – oh no – this was two and a half day’s long slog in the ceaseless 38 degree heat of the midday sun, as we performed take after take at various (breath taking) locations in order to capture the true essence of a destination wedding with the Thomson team.
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I can guarantee one thing – if this much hard work goes into perfecting an already perfect location, then you just know that these guys are going to pull out all the stops when it comes to creating your dream wedding day.
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The ten plus strong team (makeup, hair, cameras, lighting, models, extras, set design, the Thomson team and this wedding blogger) shot on location at the lovely St George Hotel in Cyprus, with a little help on site from Paphos florist Suntropical and events dresser Be Inspired. The gorgeous gowns were Augusta Jones provided by The Ivory Wardrobe and Kitty & Dulcie, with headpieces by Flo & Percy and the most beautiful Rachel Simpson Shoes. The boys looked smart in Hugh Harris suits.
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Upon arrival it was straight into our wedding outfits (I had chosen a blousy French Connection dress to allow some air flow – or so I hoped!) and fascinators, topped up with plenty of factor 20 as we joined the team on set by the rippling turquoise waters of the hotel’s beautiful bay. Here we had set up a mock open air wedding ceremony, which attracted the attention of our fellow guests and locals alike – until they realised that a. it wasn’t a real wedding (the bride walked the aisle about ten times!) and b. in the alternative, we weren’t filming for primetime TV.
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I wouldn’t call myself much of an actress but myself (and the hubby – who is gutted that most of his acting skills ended up on the cutting room floor) found ourselves getting into character as the Director asked us to clap, congratulate and shower the happy couple – of gorgeous models, don’t they make you sick?! – with confetti a few thousand times.
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After the ceremony scene was wrapped and, unbelievably, we hadn’t lost anyone to heat exhaustion – a normal ceremony takes a maximum of thirty minutes, ours took four hours – it was straight up to the (thankfully fan-filled) terrace for the wedding breakfast. Sparkling glasses of champagne and plates of delicious looking Greek salad and seafood were lavished upon us – but we weren’t allowed to eat any of it* – as it was on with the show.
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*Ok, we may have sneaked some champagne.
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The Thomson Weddings team had dressed the scene in beautiful zesty lemon and crisp white, which sparkled against the perfect blue sky. Bright cut flowers and ripe fruit in jars added to the fresh feel of the setting. Warmer destinations can definitely carry off brighter colour schemes beautifully.
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After our full plates were cleared (don’t worry, they made up for it later with a beautiful team lunch by the sea the next day) we headed down to the seaside taverna to shoot the party scenes, where that sneaked champagne came in handy as we hit the dance floor hard, before calling it a wrap for the day.
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The next day we spent most of our time indoors and shooting filler scenes – longing for some time on a sun lounger or treatment bed ourselves – before enjoying that gorgeous lunch and enjoying some celebratory drinks in the evening.
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I was there with my trusty camera (and plenty of bottled water!) the whole way, capturing some of the behind the scenes shots from this blog post and looking forward to seeing what the professionals came up with. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the fruit of our labours – two days condensed into just over three minutes – a film which perfectly captures what the wonderful Thomson Weddings team can do for you: make magic.
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I can vouch for that, I’ve seen it first hand.
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Try not to cringe at my acting debut (can you spot me?) and blink and you’ll miss the hubby…so whilst I love the results, I don’t think Hollywood will come calling – for us anyway – anytime soon!
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Roll the film…
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View the Thomson Weddings video
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For more information on your perfect destination wedding, contact the lovely Thomson Weddings team on 0871 984 3195 or via their website, who will be happy to help.
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Watch out for my feature in the October issue of Wedding Ideas Magazine – coming soon!
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Little Black Book
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Thomson Weddings – www.thomson.co.uk/weddings (0871 984 3195)
Photographs – Brides Up North
Day bridal dress and bridesmaid dress – The Ivory Wardrobe (www.theivorywardrobe.co.uk)
Hotel – St. George Hotel Golf & Spa Resort, Cyprus (www.stgeorge-hotel.com)
Evening bridal dress – Pearly Queen, Kitty & Dulcie (www.kittyanddulcie.com)
Groomswear outfits – Hugh Harris Menswear (www.hughharris.co.uk)
Bridal and bridesmaid shoes – Rachel Simpson (www.rachelsimpsonshoes.co.uk)
Bridal/bridesmaid headwear and jewellery – Flo & Percy (www.floandpercy.com)
Paphos florist – Suntropical
Paphos ceremony and reception decorations – Be Inspired
Paphos dress steaming – Occasionally Suited
Hairdresser and Spa – St. George Hotel
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Brides Up North UK Wedding Blog – Images © 2012 Brides Up North
Thomson Weddings is a Brides Up North Featured Supplier and this is a sponsored post
Contact Brides Up North to submit your business as a Featured Supplier
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