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Wedding in the woods | Zsófi & Laca

Two artists opting for a wedding in the woods

Zsófi and Laca decided to make a wedding in the woods that was nothing short of show performance. And the selected locations, from the Medieval Cistercian church of Bélapátfalva to the De La Motte Castle and finally  Oxigén Hotel in Noszvaj, were a perfect choice. As can be seen in the wedding video, it was a bit challenging but also extremely rewarding to do our videography work in these beautiful locations. It is actually natural for their wedding to be rather eccentric, given that the bride and groom are both artists. Zsófi actually started her singing career at an early age and ever since music is her life and passion while Laca is, too, a musician, playing the guitar. At the moment, the couple is living in Austria, where they further pursue their passion for music. The two of them also surprised the guests by singing and playing songs themselves during the wedding. They held mini-concerts oftentimes during the party, including at their wedding dance.

Arriving at the wedding ceremony on horseback

Another artistic aspect was the groom’s outfit: because he has been passionate about horseriding since his childhood, Laca adopted apparel that reflected this hobby. In addition, while Zsófi was lead to the altar by her father, Laca arrived at the church riding a beautiful horse. Here he saw Zsófi for the first time in her wedding dress, so the couple’s first look actually happened in front of the altar, in one of Hungary’s oldest medieval churches. In fact, this was their desire, to prepare individually and then to meet at the ceremony. This whole scenario offers also excellent options and angles for us to film at this lovely wedding in the woods.

Medieval church of Belapatfalva, wedding in the woods - Eger, Hungary

The church is actually, one of the most well-known touristic attractions of the area, was home to the Cistercian order beginning from the XIII century. Inside the building also lies the oldest organ from Hungary, a reason to host many yearly concerts. As can be seen in the wedding film, the civil ceremony itself took place on the ancient ruins that date from those centuries.

Filming creative shots our wedding in the woods

After the ceremony, the wedding continued with a reception at the De La Motte castle, a beautiful property situated in Noszvaj. The castle, built in the XVIII century, exhibits a collection of wonderful paintings. Here we filmed many of the sequences of the highlights video, while photographer Lisa Prins held a short photo-shooting. Lisa, originally from New Jersey, met Zsófi and Laca because of their common involvement in the non-profit sector, more specifically charity. Besides, many of the guests were friends that are active in this field. The wedding was quite small, with around 80 guests. The party was held at Oxigen Hotel, the same place where the bride and groom prepared for the ceremony. In addition, many guests were accommodated there overnight. Before the dance started, there were several speeches, most notably from the godfather of the bride. The music was a combination of typical wedding songs and the genre preferred by the couple.

The nice story behind the custom made wedding rings

An interesting detail is the story of the wedding rings, or for that mater, the custom made rings for this wedding in the woods by the groom himself. And even more interesting is the place where he created them: at the dental lab that belongs to one of his friends. For two days, one month before the wedding, he melted his grandmother’s wedding ring and some of his mother’s jewellery into two identical wedding bands. At the party, he joked with his friends that a dental lab can be more useful than a jeweller. And here our story about their event ends with this thought: that a wedding can be eccentric, but still simple and authentic.

Wedding ceremony at Roman-Catholic church in Belapatfalva, Hungary

 

Vintage wedding in Budapest | Martina & Roland

Outdoor wedding in the vicinity of Budapest

In June 2017 we had the opportunity to film a very special vintage wedding near Budapest, held outdoor in a small town close to the capital. Both the story of the wedding couple and the story of the location are remarkable. We met the Béki family, the owners of this lovely place, two years ago, when the elder sister was planning her wedding. She saw some of our videos and decided to choose us as wedding videographers. We were very happy to hear about it, as it was our first event in Hungary. Meanwhile, we stayed in touch, and soon afterwards her younger sister, Martina, proposed us to be videographers at her wedding as well. Martina is a racing pilot, practising it in her free time, having won several regional contests. She also has a line of trophies and diplomas exhibited on the wall. Thus, speed and cars are an important part of her life. So it was only natural that she and her husband Roland arrived for their religious ceremony in a vintage, convertible Mustang.

Vintage wedding venue near Budapest

The venue behind the vintage wedding in Budapest

The lavender is a very beloved plant, with a romantic touch that transports us to the lila fields of Southern France. It is also very often used at weddings, most frequently for decorations and the bride’s bouquet, but also for wedding favours, for example in the form of small bottles filled with lavender flowers. Therefore, this plant is highly popular, and the Béki family decided to start a business in this field. This was happening at the same time when the elder sister was looking for a wedding venue. Having already the necessary space, the family decided to build Levendulás: the perfect restaurant for a rustic outdoor wedding. As a funny fact, in 2015, two weeks before the first wedding, we visited the family and saw that the restaurant was still under construction. Nevertheless, they finished it on time and the event ran smoothly. So this will become one of the best venues for a vintage wedding around Budapest.

The venue is ideal for people who love nature. It is approximately 30 km away from Budapest, on the outskirts of the town Inárcs and next to a forest. It features an outdoor ceremony area and a vintage reception hall, with separate bar and kitchen. The restaurant is decorated primarily with wood, creating a cosy and home-like atmosphere. And the beauty of the building is complemented by the beauty of the lavender plantation, which blooms in May, July and the second half of August.

Vintage wedding Budapest - Venue near the Hungarian capital

The wedding ceremonies

Martina prepared at home, while Roland’s preparations were in a small wooden house near the restaurant. This house is available to the couples for preparations as well as the night after the party. The religious ceremony was held at a Roman Catholic church nearby, and the civil ceremony in the specially designed place. This was decorated with tens of candles, torches and led lights so that the ceremony took place after sunset and culminated with fireworks, a surprise from Martina’s parents. Before the ceremony, the guests could take pictures with the bride and groom, socialize over a cocktail or taste different lavender syrups. The photographs were taken by my colleauge and friend from Transylvania, Tar Attila. As for the party, it was full of dancing, animated by the good music and the lavender perfume.

Intimate castle wedding in Hungary | Krisztina & Gergely

Emotional deaf ceremony and reception

Our filmmaker job often reminds us of how love is the ultimate goal in one’s life and how important it is to bypass any barriers that stand in its way, so this castle wedding in Hungary was a perfect reminder for all this. Krisztina & Gergely’s story is perhaps the situation that inspires us most in this regard. The two of them are deaf suffering from hearing loss, however their wedding was an event with plenty of dance and joy. Krisztina and Gergely have known each other since childhood, but their life lead them in different directions. At one point however, they met again and fell in love. Now they have four adopted children, two boys and two girls, all deaf-mutes. They form a very united family, full of love and happiness.

Castle wedding in Hungary - Karolyi Castle, Fehervarcsurgo

As beautiful as their love story was also the venue where they celebrated it. The Karolyi castle is situated in a small village called Fehérvárcsurgó, a few kilometres away from the city of Székesfehérvár and not too far from Lake Balaton, Hungary’s biggest lake. It is only an hour drive from Budapest and the castle is simply stunning and had been recently renovated so it was an amazing pleasure and opportunity to film this wedding here. Perhaps this is one of the best venues for a castle wedding in Hungary. It belonged to the Karolyi family, one of noble descent and who owned more castles: one in Carei, in the Satu-Mare county and others in Beregsurány, in Kőkapu, in Füzérradvány and Parádfürdő.

Filming at the castle wedding in Hungary, from preps until sunset

We realized that even though the communication might seem a challenge, it can be quite easy-going once you, as the wedding videographer, find the right communication channels. The guests were 80% deaf-mutes as well, and even though they could only hear pressure changes from the bass, there was a lot of dancing at the party, so despite being a small wedding we were able to capture amazing sequences during the party as well. In fact, the couple placed a lot of emphasis on good music. Bárány Attila, a famous Hungarian DJ on both national and international level, entertained everybody with his lively mixed songs.

The ceremony of this castle wedding in Hungary was a very emotional moment for everybody, including us. The party commenced in the afternoon with the wedding couple’s dance: a collage of different styles, both classical and modern. Their children performed a separate dance afterwards, making for a very nice surprise. At 7 we held a video shooting session right before sunset, and at 8 the wedding cake was served. There were a lot of traditional games played. There was one where the guests had to draw the bride with their eyes closed. Another one invited the people to make notes with where they see the couple in 1, 5 and 10 years and enclose them in customized jars.

Castle wedding in Hungary, outdoor shooting at the Karoly Castle in Fehervarcsurgo

Overall it was an amazing wedding and we had a lot to learn from it. The most important lesson is that even though you cannot verbally communicate with your significant other, you still can live your life at its true value and have a wonderful family.