My 2021 highlights!
2021 has been quite something! It has been my busiest year yet. My first wedding of the year was in May (a late start due to Covid restrictions) and in the last eight months I have squeezed 26 weddings in! In comparison I feel like I have been very quiet online this year - I've pretty much only shared one photo from each wedding online and I've only blogged about two of this year's weddings on my website. Going from absolutely no work at all to being as busy as I have been this year has been incredibly overwhelming and I haven't managed to find the time to upload more photos from this year or write up blogs. I'm gutted to be honest, I've worked so hard and I have some gorgeous new photos to show off and yet I've not been able to get my new work out online. I am hoping that during these quieter winter months, I will be able to find some time to show you all what I've been up to this year. For now, here are some of my highlights from this year:
1.
My first wedding of the year (May 3rd 2021) was a historic day for weddings as it was the last day that paper marriage certificates (which had been around since 1837) would be signed. The paper marriage register has now been replaced by an electronic register, creating a more secure system for keeping marriage records. Therefore, I was present to witness one of the last traditional marriage certificates being signed in the UK. The couple signed their marriage certificate at around 15:20, this was a bank holiday Monday in the midst of the pandemic so I don’t imagine there were many other couples who married later that afternoon. So this means their wedding certificate would have been one of the last (possibly the very last) paper certificates in the UK.
2.
It might seem like a little thing but for me, being able to see the guests faces during the ceremony for the first time in over a year was incredible! This wedding took place at The Liscawn and with the wedding being outdoors, the guests were permitted to take their masks off. When it came to editing the photos, I found myself tearing up at the smiling faces in the background. The happy tears and emotion that every friend and family member felt for this couple as they watched them marry was a very special thing to capture.
3.
I photographed my first Chinese Tea Giving Ceremony. I had seen one of these ceremonies take place back in 2018, at a wedding I attended as a guest but this year I was able to photograph the ceremony myself and I was very excited for this. During this ceremony the couple serve tea to their relatives as a show of respect and a way to say thank you to their families. It was an honour to capture this important tradition for everybody who was involved. The whole wedding was a dream to photograph and I just cannot wait to share some more from this day with you all, soon.
4.
This year I was lucky enough to photograph three weddings at the stunning venue Lewtrenchard Manor. I’d never been here before 2021 and now it feels a bit like a second home to me. It is now one of my favourite venues to photograph. It has breath-taking décor and garden grounds. It is also just a two minute walk away from Lewtrenchard Church which is gorgeous and the best part about the Church is the amazing Vicar I’ve met there called Phillip. Phillip is a joy to be around!! Earlier this year wedding guests were not permitted to sing hymns in Church due to Covid regulations, so Phillip sang alone for the Bride, Groom and their children. It was a beautiful gift to give to the family and a gift to all who were in the Church too.
5.
I witnessed and photographed my very first handfasting ceremony. Again, this was something I was incredibly excited about. It started off with an Irish Ring Warming Ceremony - for this the rings are passed around to all the wedding guests. They hold each ring in their hands and warm the rings with a wish and good thoughts for the happy couple. Then later in the ceremony, two honoured guests performed the handfasting, symbolically binding the couples together for life, which is an ancient Celtic ritual. It was a beautiful occasion to capture at a unique and quirky venue called Retorrick Mill - another wedding that I can’t wait to show you more of. I was lucky enough to photograph two handfasting ceremonies in the end this year and I hope there’s more to come!
6.
This was yet another first for me to witness and to photograph - A Naming Ceremony. The tremendous love and adoration that the parents put into the planning of this day for their daughter was astoundingly heart-warming and impressive. The event had about the same level of detail and thought put into it as I have come to expect from weddings! There is no doubt about it - this little girl is incredibly lucky to have the parents, family and friends that she has around her. The ceremony was conducted by Sarah Chapman (who is the best in the business for unique events like this) and it consisted of readings, lighting of candles, a flower ceremony and a butterfly release! Yes you heard me right - 100 butterflies were released to take their first flight into the world. Admittedly, they didn’t all whoosh out as we’d hoped but it was still a phenomenal thing to do in honour of their beautiful daughter and the sentiment was not lost at all. Again, this is another day that I am hoping to show you more of in 2022!
7.
Whilst thinking about my highlights, I couldn’t not include this image from a wedding at Sandy Cove Hotel. It’s one of the images I am most proud of this year. I had a lot of creative energy at this wedding and I came up with this idea during my break, whilst the wedding guests were all having their meal. I noticed that the couple had some rainbow fans out on a table for guests to use to keep cool and I really wanted to incorporate them into a photo somehow. So I handed the fans out to the guests and asked them all to wave them around frantically, then I used a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the fans. It can be a bit scary to try out new things whilst you’re photographing a wedding, especially ideas that require the involvement of a collection of guests. I had no idea how it would come out, it could have been a complete flop but I’m glad that I experimented.
8.
In September I photographed an Italian themed wedding which took place at the couple’s friend’s house. The ceremony was held under a willow tree in the front garden and the reception was held in the back garden. It was beautiful and I don’t know quite how they did it, but it really did feel like we were in Italy. It helps of course that the weather was gorgeous but alongside that the décor, music and food made the wedding feel authentically Italian. Pictured here you can see Ugo serving food to the guests at the table. Ugo is known as The Cornish Italian and he is a incredible chef!! Ugo’s food and the aroma of his authentic ingredients really did make the whole theme tie together. I may not have left the country this year but I certainly feel like I visited Italy, thanks to this amazingly orchestrated wedding, planned by Miss Ivy Events.
9.
Rachel and Ryan married in the midst of the pandemic and therefore were unable to have a first dance. This is them dancing at Sarah and Claire’s wedding in December of this year.
Sarah and Claire (my amazing clients) surprised them by arranging for them to have their first dance just after their own first dance. It was a complete surprise for Rachel and Ryan as they were called up to the dance floor and their song played out for them. I had tears in my eyes as I photographed this unfolding, I just thought it was such a kind, beautiful thing to do. Sarah and Claire you are wonderful, thoughtful, lovely people to plan this to happen at your wedding.
10.
My top ten highlights started off with my first wedding of the year, so it’s only fitting that it ends with my last of 2021.This was Kayleigh and Ross’ wedding and it took place on December 29th at the Two Bridges Hotel. I had the privilege of photographing Kayleigh’s twin sister’s wedding back in 2019 so it was amazing to see so many familiar faces again this year. The guy you see here in the photo though is Daniel Costin and he is the sax man! I did get to see him briefly at a wedding I photographed in October, but I was busy taking group photos whilst he was preforming so I didn’t get the full Dan Sax experience. At Kayleigh and Ross’ wedding his set was later in the evening and he really got the party started for us all. I’d heard so much about him from other wedding suppliers and I knew he had a reputation for being incredibly energetic so it was amazing to get to witness that for myself - he really is as good as they say.
Picking just 10 highlights for this year has certainly not been an easy task and I haven’t even mentioned any of my own personal achievements from this year for example:
Since I returned to work with my first wedding in May, I have not done any other form of work. I have been 100% full time as a wedding photographer now for 8 months! This is a big deal for me as I’ve always had to have some other job alongside my photography, until now.
I set myself a target at the start of every year for how many new bookings I want to secure in that year and I’ve exceeded my target for this year.
I photographed three weddings in a row in October. It was a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s the first time I’ve ever done three in a row and it’s definitely an achievement for me because one wedding alone can completely wipe me out and against all odds I managed to get through all three in one piece.
What a great year it has been! Thank you to absolutely everyone who has supported my small business this year and over the 9-10 years I’ve been doing this. After a very tough 2020, this year couldn’t have gone any better for me (business wise).
If you’ve liked, shared or commented on my work on social media - Thank you!
If you’ve recommended me in any way whatsoever - Thank you!
If you’ve left me a lovely review on facebook or my website - Thank you!
If you’ve put your trust in me to capture moments for you and your loved ones - Thank you!
If you’ve followed my work and my journey with photography - Thank you!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you and have a very happy 2022!