The Gate, Looe | Michelle & Chris — Devon Wedding Videographer

What would you do if your dream wedding venue cancelled on you just before your big day?

This is exactly what Michelle & Chris were faced with. Planning a wedding in 2020-2021 was difficult for everyone, but venue cancellations are among the worst things that can go wrong on your wedding day.

Fortunately, Looe & Cornwall are a treasure trove for picturesque wedding venues… so our heroes were able to find another one when they were let down in 2022.

Fortunately they also had Maven Visuals Wedding Films along to document it all in a wedding film, so we could share the best wedding moments with you.

Here are our 5 favourite moments from their wedding film that prove wedding disasters are often a blessing in disguise.

Author: Chris | Wedding Videographer

Chris is a wedding videographer based in Tavistock, Devon. He’s a Blog writer, Wedding Videographer, & most recently a qualified skydiver. [See More]

See his wedding films

Moment 1/5: When the Bridal Room shocked me

First arriving at The Gate, perfectly placed on the South East coast of Cornwall between Looe & Polperro, the thing that hit me the fastest was this was a cornish wedding venue that had achieved the impossible…

The Bridal Suite was BEAUTIFUL and well-lit!

I’ve said it before, but the importance of the bridal suite should not be underestimated… The bridal party usually spends the entire morning of their wedding day there… so you deserve it to be something a little more special than a dingy orange box with the curtains shut.

At The Gate, the bridal suite was a lovely little holiday cottage style room with massive windows that made it easy for the wedding hair & makeup artist to give Michelle the perfect bridal look. Meanwhile the wedding photographer and I captured some of the prettiest looking bridal prep footage of the year.

The front of the Bridal cottage at The Gate, Looe

Wedding hair & Make-up artist applying hairspray to Michelle during bridal prep

Stunning wedding dress hangs from the window inside The Gate's bridal cottage

Michelle chats playfully to her toddler daughter on the morning of her wedding

Michelle plays with her toddler daughter by letting her jump on the bed in her flower girl dress

Moment 2/5: When the Ceremony was Unique

Like the bridal suite, I’d like to stress how PERFECT the ceremony room at The Gate was. Both from a practical perspective (plenty of room for seats, beautifully decorated, tidy and modern etc.) AND from my perspective as a wedding videographer.

Two window walls either side meant it had the same charm, feel & lighting as an outdoor wedding ceremony, whilst the minimalistic modern ceiling meant we wouldn’t get absolutely wiped out by any rain on the wedding day.

Finally, there was plenty of room around the edges of the ceremony… which is absolutely vital for wedding photographers & wedding videographers to stay discreet and unnoticed during these important wedding moments. You’d be shocked at how few venues consider this despite being in the industry for decades.

But it wasn’t only The Gate’s stunning luxury wedding ceremony room that made the perfect wedding ceremony, Michelle’s daughter got up to do a very touching reading that everyone loved, and the wedding photographer (Polly Stock Photography) was a close personal friend to Michelle & Chris that had already briefed them on all the secrets to get great wedding ceremony photos.

The Gate as a wedding venue combined with Michelle & Chris as a couple demonstrate how to create what is, in my humble wedding videographer opinion, the best civil wedding ceremony you can dream of.

The front of "The Gate Looe" building where the ceremony takes place

Interior of "The Gate Looe" showcasing the design and layout of the wedding ceremony room

Chris gives a thumbs up and a smile to one of the children whilst waiting for his bride at the beginning of his wedding ceremony

Chris sees Michelle walking down the aisle with her father for the first time

Michelles daughter (bridesmaid) perfoming a reading during the wedding ceremony

Moment 3/5: When we snuck off to the Ocean

Polly Stock Photography (the wedding photographer) and the newlyweds decided they were going to go for a wee jolly walk whilst everyone moved from the first wedding venue (The Gate) to the second wedding venue (The Sardine Factory in Looe) and kindly invited me to come along.

I was sad to leave The Gate, because as I’ve made clear throughout this article… I think it might be the most under-rated wedding venue in Cornwall, especially if you want beautiful wedding photos and a perfect wedding film.

However, I’m not going to say no to some couple shots… so off I went following behind them for what I was assured would be a spectacular view.

I actually have no idea where we went… but I think it was around Plaidy Beach or Chough Rocks… in any case, I was not disappointed with the view over Looe Bay… as I’m sure you’ll agree when you see the stills I took from their wedding film below!

Chris holds Michelle in front of beautiful beach near Looe for wedding photographs

Michelle and Chris walk into the distance, Chris points towards Looe Island Nature Reserve

Michelle & Chris intimately touch noses whilst laughing for a wedding photograph

Michelle & Chris embrace at Samphire Beach (Looe) for a photo

Moment 4/5: When we entered Looe for the first time

After the cliffs, it was time to head to the final wedding venue of the day - The Sardine Factory, a fresh sea-food Michelin restaurant in the heart of Looe bay.

What struck me first however, was the beauty of Looe Harbour in the summer.

I hadn’t been to Looe since I went there on a school trip back in primary school, so to see everything through the eyes of drones aerial videography I couldn’t help but remember how I have the best job in the world.

An aerial drone shot of where the East Looe River meets the town

An Aerial drone shot of East Looe Beach, including Looe Harbour and the Sardine Factory

The fish markets on Looe harbour, as seen from the Sardine Factory

An aerial drone shot of the waves crashing into the cliffs surround Looe Estuary

Moment 5/5: When the Dancing was chaotic (and I met the mysterious chicken-boy)

Michelle & Chris’s wedding was an unusual wedding for us - they had asked me for an extended wedding film (which lasts 10-12 minutes, rather than the usual 5-7 minute wedding film) and to stay later into the night than usual (we usually have everything we need to make a perfect wedding film around 20 minutes after the first dance).

I wasn’t used to being at weddings this late, and I realised that some pretty strange stuff starts happening after 8pm.

Not least was the strange appearance of chicken-boy. I do not know his real identity, where he’s from, or what he wanted with me, but he was there… and it was unnerving to say the least.

Jokes aside, Michelle & Chris were blessed with yet another great wedding that had high energy on the dance floor. Partying hard isn’t for every couple… but if it is your thing, you’ll want a dancefloor like Michelle & Chris had.

A perfect end to a perfect day, and proving once and for all that even if your wedding venue cancels at the last minute, you’re still in for a magical wedding.