A castle, a Wolfpack and an Italian sunrise

Why Castello di Rosciano

Italy was James and Kate’s first holiday abroad together. James had also loved castles since childhood, so Castello di Rosciano made sense for reasons beyond its looks. It stands near Torgiano, above the Umbrian countryside outside Perugia: a place their guests could travel to and spend proper time together.

Jade and I love castles too. We’ve been collecting fridge magnets from castles, abbeys and sacred sites around the British Isles, so James’s enthusiasm needed no explaining. Getting to film his wedding in an Italian castle was rather special for us as well.

James proposed in Jamaica, where his parents had once lived and married. For the wedding, he and Kate chose another place that already meant something to them. They brought the family and friends they call their Wolfpack along for it.

A photographer on the other side of the camera

James usually spends a wedding watching for everybody else’s moments. This time he could be in them with Kate. He described her as the person who supports and steadies him, and spoke fondly of the little Wolfpack they have made with their dog Bailey.

Having worked with James, we knew how much he values good photography and film. We filmed the people, words and laughter around him and Kate, as well as the castle they had chosen for the day.

The wedding and the people in it

The ceremony and celebration brought their families and friends together inside the castle walls. The music, speeches and time around the tables gave us the things that make a film feel like their wedding rather than simply a beautiful trip to Italy.

Kate’s father Steve spoke, James thanked their guests, and best man Mike brought the history and humour of their friendship into the room. We kept close to those voices and reactions, letting the views over Umbria give the day its setting without losing the people at its centre.

Sunrise over the castle

We stayed a few extra days to spend time in the area and film Castello di Rosciano when the light was at its best. At sunrise we flew the drone above the castle, with long shadows stretching across the landscape. Those shots give the film a sense of where James and Kate had brought everyone, before it returns to the intimacy of their celebration.

After the wedding, we stopped at Lake Trasimeno and spent a few days seeing Rome before heading home. We do not film abroad every week, but we loved having the time to understand this place and make a film that belonged to James and Kate. If you are planning a wedding beyond the UK, we would be glad to hear about it.