Wedding videography in Scotland
Drumtochty Castle wedding film
Emma and Matt's wedding film was captured at Drumtochty Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The film brings together moments from the morning, their preparations with their son Ollie, the ceremony and the celebrations with their family and friends. It's a personal record of a day that meant a great deal to them, and of the family they've built together.
Emma and Matt have known each other since their school days. They started out as classmates, grew up together and, over the years, built a life and a family of their own. By the time their wedding day arrived, they weren't just celebrating the beginning of a marriage. They were celebrating everything that had brought them there.
Their son Ollie was very much part of the day, as were the family and friends who had shared so much of their journey. And in the middle of the beautiful surroundings of Drumtochty Castle, that was really what this wedding was all about.
A wedding at Drumtochty Castle
Set in the Aberdeenshire countryside, Drumtochty Castle is a 19th-century Scottish castle and exclusive-use wedding venue. Surrounded by a 350-acre estate, it has the kind of atmosphere that makes a Scottish castle wedding feel quite different from a more traditional country-house celebration.
There is a real sense of character to the place, from the castle's architecture and interiors to the landscape surrounding it. It's a venue with plenty of visual presence, but also somewhere that allows everyone to come together and spend proper time celebrating.
For a wedding filmmaker, that combination is particularly interesting. You have the setting itself, the changing atmosphere throughout the day, and all the smaller interactions happening between family and friends.
But as with any wedding, the venue is only one part of the story. What matters most is what happens there, and who you're sharing it with.
Emma and Matt’s story
Emma and Matt's relationship goes back a long way. As Matt mentioned in his speech, they first knew each other as classmates at school. They had years of shared experiences and memories behind them before eventually finding themselves standing together on their wedding day.
And by then, they had built something much bigger than just a relationship. They had their little boy, Ollie, and a family life that clearly meant everything to them.
One of the things I particularly liked about filming this wedding was how naturally Ollie fitted into the story of the day. He wasn't simply there as part of the wedding party. He was at the heart of it.
There were lovely moments during the morning, including Matt getting Ollie ready, which said a lot about what the day meant to them. Alongside the preparations, the laughter and the excitement, those quieter moments helped give the film a sense of who Emma and Matt are as a family.
And that was something I wanted to keep at the centre of the finished film.
Creating their wedding film
When I approach a wedding film, I don't start with a fixed formula or a checklist of shots I need to capture. Every wedding has its own character, and I want the finished film to reflect that.
With Emma and Matt, family was clearly going to be an important part of the story. So rather than making the film solely about the castle, the ceremony and the celebrations, I wanted to bring the focus back to the people around them.The footage of Matt getting Ollie ready, the bridesmaids helping Emma into her dress and the speeches all offered different ways of showing that side of their lives.
The speeches were particularly useful in shaping the edit. Matt's words about growing up with Emma, the life they've built together and the joy of raising Ollie gave me a way to connect the different parts of the day. David's speech added another perspective, bringing in the family history and the way he sees his daughter.
I like using natural dialogue and ambient sound in this way. Rather than relying entirely on music to create an emotional response, I want the voices of the people who matter to the couple to help tell the story.
It's also why I don't approach every wedding film in exactly the same way. Sometimes the ceremony provides the natural starting point. Other times, a speech, a particular moment or something that happens during the morning offers a better way into the story.
The edit should follow the wedding, not the other way around.
Drumtochty Castle is a memorable setting for a wedding in Scotland. Its architecture, interiors and surrounding estate offer plenty to work with visually, and it's easy to see why couples are drawn to the idea of celebrating in a Scottish castle.
But what I wanted Emma and Matt's film to hold on to was something beyond the setting.
Their story started years earlier, back at school. It grew into a life together, with Ollie at the centre of their family. And on this particular day in Aberdeenshire, they were surrounded by the people who had been part of that journey.
The castle gave the day its sense of place. The speeches gave it context. And the smaller moments throughout the day brought it all together.
For me, that's what makes a wedding film worth coming back to. Not simply remembering how the day looked, but hearing the voices, seeing the people and being reminded of how it felt.
Norfolk Wedding Filmmaker
Wedding videographer at Drumtochy Castle
If you're planning a wedding at Drumtochty Castle, or somewhere else in Scotland, I'd love to hear about it.
I'm Joce, a wedding filmmaker based in Manchester, England, and I travel throughout the UK and internationally to film weddings. Although I'm based in the north of England, Scotland is somewhere I always love returning to with my cameras.
My approach is relaxed and unobtrusive. I'm interested in the atmosphere of the day, the people you're sharing it with and the things that make your wedding yours. I don't want to turn your wedding into a production or have you constantly thinking about the camera. I'd much rather let you enjoy the day while I pay attention to what's happening around you.
Whether you're planning a Scottish castle wedding, a celebration in the countryside or a more intimate wedding somewhere in the Highlands, I want to create a film that feels personal to you.
Because the best wedding films aren't simply about how everything looked. They're about how it felt.
