Twenty-Two in Review
I’ve been so blessed with my couples, fellow suppliers and some incredible venues - over the past 12 months I feel like I have worked with some of the best people.
Having my busiest year to date has meant some big changes for me personally; mid-way through the year I dropped to part-time hours with my job and for 2023 I’m going full-time with the camera.
But without making this all about me, here’s a rundown of the year I’ve been so lucky to have been involved in.
The year started for me with the closest venue to home I’ve ever worked at, photographing Kathryn and Mike’s big day at Blithfield Lakeside Barns in April. It was one of the few remaining postponements from the Covid era and the couple were desperate to celebrate. Between lockdowns and their new date, they’d added to their family meaning the table plans needed to account for a little one.
They enjoyed a beautiful church wedding before getting back to Blithfield to enjoy the party, having the most amazing time with a killer sunset high above the reservoir. It was amazing to kick off the year with such a great day.
Next up, I was in Warwickshire to capture Katie and Dan’s wedding at Wootton Park - even for April, it was one of the brightest and hottest days that I worked; I remember their outdoor ceremony by the lake and felt so grateful for the shade as they exchanged their vows. They knew how to party and rumour is, Dan might still be recovering even now!
May saw me make the drive to the Lake District to cover Sam and Adam’s wedding at Briery Wood just off Lake Windemere - another terrific day with the sun truly shining on them. Their two young children were amazing and enjoyed an early evening disco to many of the latest Disney tunes, which Sam and Adam seemed to enjoy just as much. From there, it was down to Reading for Yasmin and Joe’s incredible day, they had their ceremony at Stokes Barn Farm and then headed back to Yasmin’s aunties where they had pretty much everything, from a Mariachi band, fish and chips, and some killer cocktails courtesy of Joe’s business, Jam Jar Cocktail Club.
Grittleton House was the venue for Beth and James’ wedding and as far as venues go, this was one of the best - the building and grounds were amazing and the couple had thought of everything making it truly a day to remember. James and the boys got ready in the pub in Grittleton village and as they made their way up the driveway, from the bedroom Beth could get a sneak peek of them ahead of the ceremony.
I was then back up north in Lancashire as Megan and Alex tied the knot at the church in Halton before heading to Abbeystead for their reception; once again the weather was kind and everyone was enjoying the outdoor games and a fair few drinks may have been consumed here too!
Onto July we went and my first destination wedding in the Netherlands! Kiarna and Roman got in touch and asked if I could cover their day at Club Zand on the beach and I couldn’t wait - there was a bit of drama that made it a little stressful (passport/flights/trains), but I made it and it was a wonderful day. From the most tropical-looking bouquet, the couple riding bikes to the ceremony on the beach with Kiarna in a basket on the front of Roman’s bike, to the beach BBQ and evening party, it was amazing to attend.
A quick flight back to Manchester and the very next day I was at Sandhole Oak Barn near Congleton. Nikita and Ash exchanged their vows in the beautiful barn complete with ‘flower-man’ who thoroughly entertained the guests with his routine as he walked the aisle. The groom and registrars were in stitches as he put on quite a show. A wonderfully lazy afternoon lay ahead and everyone made the most of it as we has some smoke grenade fun and some stunning sunset photos with the couple.
Sarah and Sean’s wedding at Hoar Cross Hall was more personal to me than some - I first met Sarah about 12 years ago when she had her first job in the local pub, so to hear from her and be asked to photograph her wedding was such a wonderful moment. We caught up ahead of the wedding for a walk over Cannock Chase, where a woodland stroll gave me chance to see the couple naturally and they were so much fun. On the day we really got to enjoy the venue and they certainly made the most of it all - on what was almost the hottest day of the year.
Keeping with the personal theme, Louise and Andy’s Stratford extravaganza was truly a joy to be around. For the very first wedding I captured, Louise was my second shooter and she supported me for the first couple of years. Whilst jobs and family matters have meant that we don’t get to catch up as much, we remain great friends and her wedding was 100% her. We began at their family home where the couple got ready together, along with their son, and following a short drive to Stratford, they got married in the registry office. What followed was both some of Louise’s best and worst moments - a wedding breakfast and couple portraits around Stratford were amazing and unique, but the chance to pose with a living statue was truly the thing of nightmares for her, as she has a real fear of statues!
Pendrell Hall was the venue for one of the most relaxed weddings I got to capture for Helen and Liam; everyone in attendance was so laid back and just so happy to be together to celebrate. That said, there were some outdoor games including a couple of sumo suits, which the bridesmaids got stuck into - and the aggression was real! Helen and Liam were incredible, as well as creating much of the decoration themselves - including the huge flower arch for the outdoor ceremony, they were so accommodating and gave me so much time to capture portraits for them on the day.
By the time Emily and Martin’s wedding came around, I felt like I was working with old friends, we’d met for an engagement session a month or so prior, and despite the initial nerves from the couple about being on camera, they were amazing! Their ceremony and reception at Keele Hall were stunning and with a Ukrainian connection from the groom’s side, there was so much to enjoy. I love to keep in touch with my couples after the day, but it’s lovely to have made some genuine friends with Emily and Martin, being able to deliver their package in person and enjoying a rare meal out was so lovely too.
A former colleague was the connection for the next wedding at Wood Norton Hotel where Jess and Chris exchanged vows and celebrated becoming husband and wife. A couple of years ago, Jess’ brother James, was doing a year of work placement as part of his university degree and we became good friends - when Jess and Chris got engaged, he kindly put us in touch. Again, Jess was another bride who had thought of everything, so details were available to capture and guests were well catered for - all ending with the best 80’s band I’ve seen perform (Miami Vibe 80’s).
Getting to work at Caswell House again felt long overdue and with lots of booking there for 2023, it was good to get back into the swing of things with the team. Hayley and James’ day was one massive party - from the moment I opened the car door to hear the laughter and singing from the bridal suite I knew it was going to be a good day. It was nothing short of incredible, with a singing waiter kicking off the entertainment, it didn’t take long to get the guests up and dancing and that continued long into the night.
Kim and Tom’s wedding at Dodford Manor was the second back-to-back of the year and even a heavy rainshower couldn’t dampen the spirits for their day - I’d not been to the venue before, but I’d certainly welcome the chance to work there again; it was a great space to celebrate at and when Kim’s grandfather joined them on the dancefloor after requesting the Macarena, the evening quickly caught light.
The following day I was closer to home, at the Moathouse for Becky and Ryan’s big day. Once again they had a large number of guests looking to thoroughly enjoy the day and make the most of the chance to get together. Becky looked stunning and despite a mini-panic trying to find the bridesmaid dresses (which were left in a car), everything went according to plan. We had a bit of fun with the bridal party for the group photos and enjoyed some awesome sunset moments too.
Elmbridge Farm was the setting for Louise and Paul’s tipi lakeside wedding and it was superb. Louise had a brilliant bridal team with her in the morning and it really helped calm her nerves, but she looked absolutely stunning along with her bridesmaids, they headed lakeside to meet Paul and get them married. The afternoon was action-packed and before the evening entertainment kicked off, we got the groomsmen and bridesmaids together with some smoke grenades in the woods and created some magic - resulting in some images I was really proud of.
By the time the end of September rolled around, I couldn’t wait to meet Asha and James for their day in Eastbourne and Buxted Park. I was welcomed in by Asha’s family and they couldn’t have been more accommodating, I was fed and fueled for the day and we headed to the church for a beautiful ceremony. Buxted Park was really something else though, an absolute dream to photograph and the team working there was amazing too.
October began with Alisa and Stuart’s wedding at Oxnead Hall, which was breathtaking and every bit as impressive as their website showed. Alisa had focused on all the details and their day was so memorable; their reception was blessed with sunshine and great music as the guests enjoyed the last of the summer sun and following some terrific speeches, the band kicked in and they danced the night away.
When Sarah and Alex got in touch to mention they were getting married in the woods, I’d already booked the date in my diary - Two Woods Estate is an amazing venue, whilst relatively new, the team there is running an incredible operation which is both efficient and run to schedule as well as being so supportive and flexible for the wedding party. After their woodland ceremony, their guests enjoyed a few drinks amongst the redwoods before I got the chance to shoot portraits with the couple. An amazing feast was prepared and I was really well looked after before saying my goodbyes in the early evening and heading to my Airbnb, ready to rest ahead of my next wedding.
48 hours after standing in the woods, I was standing inside a prison! Malmaison Oxford is a former prison, which has kept so many original features and even has real cells that can be viewed. The rooms are a little more luxurious now and made for a totally unique wedding venue for Beth and Roz to tie the knot. It was my first same-sex wedding and I was so excited to be capturing the day for them, they were a dream to work for and before I’d even taken my first image, I’d been handed a huge hamper of goodies as a thank you. Their wedding was everything they hoped for and more and I honestly think this was one of my biggest highlights of 2022.
As the wedding season was coming to an end for me, I was onto my last couple - Tazz and Andy’s wedding at Lyme Breeze had been in the diary for a while and so finally getting to see them that morning was amazing. We’d spoken what feels like years ago when they first booked and as life moved on, we’d all had so much happen in between. Their wedding was exactly what they’d hoped for, it was intimate and involved their closest family and friends and their children enjoyed it all so much - when you have little ones, that’s a huge deal!
And finally for October, James and Molly were at The Great Barn to become husband and wife. Unusually, I’d had all my communication with James in the lead-up, (in my experience the guys seem to take a back seat with planning), but it had all been amazing to have a groom so involved and keen to ensure the day was perfect for his wife-to-be. As I arrived to start bridal preparation, Molly was relaxed and so excited and as the morning wore on, it was clear that she just felt so lucky to be marrying James. In contrast, James was a little more emotional and by the time Molly walked the aisle, he couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, making great images for me! They laughed and smiled through their ceremony and seemed to really enjoy every single moment - the afternoon afforded them some of the best of the autumnal light and we managed to grab them after their meal for a couple session with a killer sunset.
Overall, (if you are still reading), it was a superb year, filled with everything and leaving me so thirsty for more. It’s made my mind up that 2023 will see me switching my career from working in marketing to becoming a full-time self-employed photographer, I can’t wait to meet and capture more couples, celebrate more wonderful moments and deliver the absolute best that I can.
Happy New Year and here’s to 2023!
In addition, I just wanted to give a special shout out to those who have supported me directly or I have worked alongside, including:
Photographers - Lucas Vale, Sophie Mort, Iris and Ivy, Leonie May, Smranda Lula, Charlotte Leys and Charlotte Rebecca.
Videographers - Afford-a-Video, Fletcher Films, Lukas Laura Films, Amber Rose Morgan Films, Guideon and Sidney.