It’s been a while since we’ve filmed any Rowton Castle weddings. So it was nice to be back in Shrewsbury for Samantha and Phil’s big day. The day started at a nice quirky hotel with Samantha and her sister as they all got ready. I don’t think I’ve ever met a bride who was so nervous about getting married. After some lovely preparations it was time to leave for Rowton Castle and capture Phil and his groomsmen as they arrived in their A-Team van. It made me giggle when I heard the theme tune for A-Team playing in the background as they drove past.  Once the guys had arrived and unpacked it was back to Samantha as she got dressed and ready to walk down the aisle. The ceremony was so lovely. Once they had kissed, signed the register and made their way back down the aisle Samantha was looking much more relaxed. Then we went out into the garden’s behind Rowton Castle where the quartet played and everyone mingled and congratulated the happy couple. The rest of the day was really nicely paced and seemed to fly by. A big thank you to Samantha and Phil for being so lovely to work with. Here is their Rowton Castle Weddings Video highlights. Enjoy!

A few thoughts from Samantha and Phil

1) Tell us about your wedding day at Rowton Castle?

Our wedding had been booked for about 2 years and it was amazing how quickly the date finally came round! We were both very hands on with the planning – luckily we both have very similar taste and we agreed on almost every aspect and detail of what we both wanted from our wedding day. It was really important to us that the venue was perfect for what we needed and we finally chose Rowton Castle after visiting many venues up and down the country. It was simply the most amazing location and perfect for us in every way. It was fantastic to be able to hire the venue exclusively so all our friends and family were able to take over the castle for 24 hours. We were blessed on the day with sunshine and blue skies after a week of torrential rain and floods and we were able to get outside for our champagne reception and photos. Everything about the day was wonderful – it all went so smoothly and it was everything we had hoped it would be and much much more. It was simply the happiest day of our lives.

2) What were your most memorable moments?

Brides Answer:
It was just so amazing to see all our closest friends and family gather in one place to celebrate our special day. My sister Nichola and I really enjoyed being pampered in the morning and having our hair and make-up done. The weather was simply gorgeous we were so lucky that the sun decided to shine! I remember just feeling so happy when I finally got to see Phil at the end of the aisle after all the morning preparations, he looked so handsome and gave me a big re-assuring smile which really helped settle my nerves. It was also wonderful that our beloved dog Marley was able to join the celebrations and we have a beautiful photograph of the three of us together which we will treasure.
I remember the speeches very well, they were fantastic, my sister made me cry with her beautiful words for her big sister. Phil also brought happy tears to my eyes re-calling how we met and what our life together had been about so far. As for the best man Dave – his speech simply raised the roof!

The day was full of happy smiles and lots of laughter – there was a lot of love in that castle that day! I danced all night and our Frank & Dean tribute band were just amazing! As the celebrations came to an end I just remember feeling very tired, but very very happy – it had been the day I’d dreamt about. I was so happy to be finally married to Phil and that the day has been so wonderful and memorable.

Grooms Answer:
My Wedding day will always be remembered to me as the most memorable day of my life! It all started with throwing back the curtains and seeing a bright blue sky outside. I then rang Samantha, and said “Have you seen the weather, this is going to be our perfect day!” Driving up the long pathway to the castle with the best man and Ushers made it all very real from the years of planning. It gave me a heart-warming smile, to know that I was going to shortly marry my soul mate. Getting ready all together in the castle bedroom was a scene I can only describe as FC Barcelona getting ready for a Champions League Final! Everyone was pacing, slightly nervous, but I now couldn’t wait to see my wife!
 Watching friends and family arrive, and the room slowly filling up, from front to back, meant that the moment in my life I had always been waiting for was seconds away.Then the piano music dropped and the moment came, the main door opened to reveal my most ‘bestest’ friend ever…I will never forget the smile Samantha had, and how beautiful she looked!! The day then went so quickly, but so much happened!

Having our dog Marley with us at the castle meant our little family was complete. Seeing the guest’s faces and reactions to the best man’s speech was legendary! Dancing the night away with my wife, family and close friends next to me was just so lovely. Sam and I stayed together throughout the whole day and we never left each other’s side. I remember feeling so tired at the end of the night, but this didn’t matter, I had the day others dream of!

3) What do you love about being married?

Brides Answer
I love being Phil’s wife – we are still getting used to calling each other husband and wife – it still makes us giggle. It’s wonderful to know that you have that one true special person in your life with who you can share everything with, good and bad. Phil is everything to me – he is my soul mate. I’m so happy we found each other and the love story that started in Mexico will now last a lifetime.

Grooms Answer
Being married to me is having a best friend for life who knows me inside out and upside down. It’s knowing that in tough times you will be there for each other, and in good times, well they just roll! It’s knowing you may not be able to do things on your own, but conquer anything together! It’s trusting the other person without question, and knowing that they will always be beside you no matter what hand you get dealt with in life.

4) What advice can you give for others getting married?

Brides Answer
Plan and prepare! Do your research and make sure you communicate clearly with your suppliers – we made sure every detail was in place to try to avoid any problems on the day. As for the day itself, it’s true what people say it just goes so quickly – try to relax and enjoy every minute from the moment you wake up. Try to find some time throughout the day to just spend a moment together, just the two of you, to stand back and soak it all in.

Grooms Answer
In marriage I think good advice is taking the time to listen and come up with solutions together!

5) Why did you choose Beautiful Life?
We searched the internet for weeks trying to find a company that could create the video we wanted. It was really important to us that the production standards were high and the video looked professional – there are many many cheesy options out there! After going through many show reels and feeling like we’d never find the perfect supplier we found Beautiful Life. The wedding videos Shaun had created on his website were simply stunning. We loved the ‘fly on the wall’ style and that he offered an intimate but not intrusive style. He made us all feel at ease from the moment he arrived and we hardly remember seeing him at all on the day!

© 2013 Beautiful Life Wedding Videos
A Rowton Castle Wedding Video by Shaun Foulds