Wedding videographer reveals he’s filmed 100 funerals since April after making the ‘daunting’ switch in his service amid the Covid-19 crisis
- Ian Wilkinson, from Leicestershire, offers service with Confetti Wedding Videos
- Revealed he has switched his offering and now captures funerals amid crisis
- Would usually film 40 weddings a year but has filmed 100 funerals since April
- Said he has live-streamed services all over the world because of Covid-19 rules
A wedding videographer has revealed he has filmed 100 funerals since April after making the ‘daunting’ choice to switch his services amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Ian Wilkinson, from Rothley, Leicestershire, usually films about 40 weddings a year with his company Confetti Wedding Videos.
But the videographer decided to change his offering in April after global coronavirus restrictions left fewer mourners able to attend funerals.
Speaking to the BBC, he said the switch had been ‘daunting’, adding: ‘I think the thing that hit me most was the sensitivity of it and how it could actually upset me inside listening to the amazing things people have done.’
Ian Wilkinson, from Rothley, Leicestershire,has revealed he has filmed 100 funerals since April after making the ‘daunting’ switch his services amid the Covid-19 crisis
Ian said he usually films 40 weddings each year but said he began filming funerals after he saw his bookings plummet amid the Covid-19 crisis
While the crisis means there are fewer weddings to shoot, more people are now filming their final goodbyes to loved ones.
He said he began filming funerals after the coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of many of his wedding bookings.
The videographer explained: ‘It was daunting, but as a videographer you have to film lots of different things, so like all projects you adapt to it.’
‘So the feedback I’ve had from relatives that can’t be there has been actually truly amazing.’
The videographer said he often live-streams the funerals across the world, and said the feedback he has received has been ‘truly amazing’
While most of his weddings are London based, Ian regularly films weddings across the country.
He has since live-streamed funerals across the world because Covid-19 restrictions have meant fewer people could attend services.
While his wedding package costs at least £1195, it is unknown what the cost of Ian’s funeral services are.
He said initially, many of the funerals he was filming were for victims of the virus, saying: ‘I would say in April and May, two out of every three people I filmed had passed away from coronavirus.
Ian said initially many of the funerals he was filming were people who had died from coronavirus
‘However they were in the autumn of their lives.’
Despite more than doubling his bookings this year, Ian said he is determined to continue in the wedding industry.
He revealed: ‘You know weddings is what I like doing, it’s very creative. So I will continue to film weddings, probably not on the scale of what I used to do before.
‘I’ve never done anything that I’ve felt so good about doing for other people.’
More than 73,000 weddings and civil partnership ceremonies were cancelled after a ban was declared at the start of lockdown in March.
Last month, the Government declared they could resume, but capped the number of guest to 30.
Addressing Parliament last week, Boris Johnson confirmed wedding guest numbers would be capped at 15 – but 30 mourners are allowed at funerals.