Newton Hall is an eighteenth-century house a few minutes from the sea at Newton-by-the-Sea. Gardens, a terrace, interiors with real personality and, when the tide and the light are right, a beach. Lucy and Jack's wedding was in November, which in Northumberland means the light goes early and goes gold first. They walked down to the water in it. Lucy's message when the film arrived was mostly capital letters.
Northumberland is castles, dunes and enormous skies. Bamburgh, Alnwick, the coast path. The venues here trade on that, and rightly. A wedding at a house near the coast has the sea in it whether you plan for it or not.
I have family in the north east and I know the drive. Northumberland is further from most of England than people think, and emptier for it.
I'm Chris Oxley. I film weddings at country houses and private estates across the UK.
I started this because when I got married in 2015, we didn't have a videographer. I wanted to build something I wished had existed for us. Films that hold up years later. A real record of a real day, not a montage of prompted moments.
I handle the consultation, the filming, the edit, the grade, and the delivery. I film a limited number of weddings a year, and I'm personally at every one.
Recognition: TWIA Regional Finalist
Venues Include: Grantley Hall, Froyle Park, Storrs Hall, Brympton House and 15+ leading venues
Northumberland weddings are destination weddings even for people from Newcastle. Guests stay over. The day before has a dinner or drinks in it, and the morning after has a walk on the beach. That gives the wedding day itself a settled feel.
Days here are single-site almost without exception, the venues being country houses or castles with their own ceremony rooms and grounds. The coast is often a short walk or a two-minute drive, and it is worth building in.
Weather comes off the North Sea and it is not shy. Autumn and winter weddings on this coast have the best skies of the year.
Many wedding videographers arrive with a shot list. I don't. I arrive early, stay quiet, and pay attention. The film comes from what actually happens. I might offer the occasional quiet prompt when it matters, but I'm not staging moments or running through the same poses as everyone else.
I tend to work with couples based in and around London who want something honest. A real record of a real day. Not a highlight reel built from the same five moments as everyone else's.
I film fifteen weddings a year. That number lets me edit every film personally, respond to every email myself, and still show up fully present on your day. Every frame graded and cut by me. No outsourced editing. No house style.
"We don’t even know where to start! Hiring Chris to shoot our wedding video was the BEST decision we made for our wedding. From the first meeting we had to discuss his style and approach, we knew we were on to the right person. Chris’ attention to detail is parallel to none."
"We weren’t originally going to get a videographer but it was worth every penny. The whole day is so much to process that you forget bits after. Having this video to treasure forever was the perfect way to cure the wedding blues."
"Before meeting Chris, we weren’t sure how to appear on film. After working with him, we felt completely comfortable, and he captured every organic moment we wanted."
If your venue is near the beach, check the tide table for your date before you set the timeline. Low tide in the late afternoon is what you want for a walk on the sand.
Autumn and winter light here goes fast and goes golden first. A November ceremony at one o'clock gives you a walk in good light at three and dark by half four.
Guest accommodation on the coast is thin and books early. Block rooms a year out.
If you want a dune or beach walk, tell me and your photographer together so that we film it once rather than twice. Ten minutes is plenty.
If you are marrying in Northumberland, send me your date and venue. I take on a limited number of weddings a year so that I can edit every film myself, and I will come back to you personally within a day.
Send your date, venue, and the collection you're leaning towards. If you're not sure, just outline your plans and I'll suggest the right approach. I'll come back to you personally within 24 hours.