Isla & Ewan’s Scottish wedding was featured in the January issue of Wedding Flowers magazine.

Alexis & Jack’s glamorous Bath wedding can be currently seen in the Feb/March issue of Wedding magazine.

Christian & Phil’s civil partnership at the Gherkin was featured a while back in the summer issue of Pink Weddings, but I only got my hands on the magazine now.

Irene & Benn’s gorgeous London wedding graced the pages of Wedding Nouveau magazine‘s winter issue.

Sarah & Will’s London engagement session was featured in the brilliant Dashing magazine. Although this was technically an engagement session (purely because it took place before the nuptials, rather than a few years after), the article talked about Beloved sessions. I’m always happy to raise awareness of Beloved, so this was perfectly fine by me.

Blush magazine chose a picture from Alexandra & Billy’s Maunsel House wedding (top right) as one of their ‘favourite photos’ in the latest issue…

 …while You & Your Wedding ran a feature on Alex & Billy’s wedding in their March/April issue.

And to end on a different note, also in the latest issue of You & Your Wedding, a pretty little pink & turquoise flower shoot we did with the lovely Steph (will tell you a bit more about this shoot later on).

If you know me, or anything much about me, you’ll probably know how out of place I feel at big fancy events. You might think that’s a contradictory thing to say, what with me being a wedding photographer and all, an occupation which entails attending events on weekly basis. But it’s a completely different ballgame when I have a camera in my hand and my job is to lurk in dark corners without being noticed. You’d think that happily covering a wedding with hundreds of people at places such as the Natural History museum would mean an awards event or two wouldn’t really faze me… you’d be thinking wrong.

The whole day yesterday I was a ball of nerves, driving everyone around me nuts. Hair stylist extraordinaire Severin was very gracious with me and my freakouts while he was creating an amazing hairdo for me, the man has the patience of a saint. I’m so glad I had good friends around me to keep me distracted and in high spirits, or there’s no knowing what kind of exit plan I might have come up with. When I stepped into Cafe dé Paris, and saw the heaving masses (yes! masses I tells ya!) of glamorous people dressed in the most amazing evening gowns and fancy suits, it took mustering up every last drop of my inner zen to not turn around and walk right back out. So. Very. Scary.

But of course that all was nothing compared to the actual awarding bit. You know, the bit where one by one winners are announced and they step into the spotlight on the stage. I actually had my fingers crossed and was muttering ‘not me not me’ under my breath throughout most of it. And then the moment came, and I heard my name… and didn’t quite know whether to pass out or escape. Somehow I made it up on the stage where Damian Bailey and Sarah Hewson presented me with my award, and then kindly made me turn to the right direction so the photographers could get a picture of me from the front, rather than the other way round… Erm.

Here’s a pictures that Susanna took of me picking up the award, trying not to fall on my face.

The good news was that that was the scary bit over with. And as it slowly started to dawn on me that I’d actually won, and was holding an award with my name carved onto it, happiness and pride started to take over. I hadn’t really expected to win, but holding that trophy (I never ever thought I’d be picking up a trophy for anything!) really did make me feel… validated. All the hours I’ve put in, all the pieces of myself scattered around in the form of people’s wedding pictures, all the risks and stresses and striving for perfection; none of it had gone unnoticed. And knowing that is… huge. Throughout the night and today congratulations have been coming in from all over (thank you so much!), each one making it all sink in more.

In the middle of writing this I realised I could finally access the comments that clients who voted for me left. And wow. I am speechless. I could never have prepared myself for how such amazingly beautiful words would make me feel, and have been knocked sideways by the kindness of everyone. Never mind titles and trophies, if the only thing I got out of this experience was seeing those comments, I would have been 100% happy. I am so so touched, and over the moon that so many people feel so happy with what I’ve provided them with. I seriously love you all and feel so privileged to have played a tiny little part in the story of your lives. Just… THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you also to the judging panel who had the hard task of deciding on the regional and national winners, it’s such an honour to be recognised in such a way. I’m very excited that such independent awards, where actual clients have a voice, exist in the UK, and hope they grow bigger and better year by year.

As always, a huge thank you to Susanna, for sharing some pretty amazing adventures with me, and first and foremost for being such an invaluable friend along the way.

And finally, I’d like to give a massive collective hug to the UK wedding industry. I’ve worked with so many lovely people, some of whom I’ve become close friends with, and I’m so happy and grateful of the positive and supportive spirit that most of the suppliers I work and communicate with possess. You all rock!

I was with Polly & Jack for just a few hours, from the sweet ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall, to some portraits in Regents Park (in the few moments of sunshine this otherwise damp day had for us!), through to the clinking of champagne glasses at the beautiful St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. I so enjoyed being part of Polly & Jack’s day, and I wish them all the best in the future!

P.S. before you ask, Polly’s amazing dress was by David Fielden!

And as if that wasn’t enough, today I got the news that another one of my images (of Clare & Dylan, below) had gotten an ‘honourable mention’ for emotional content, which, to me, feels like an even greater achievement. All in all, Junebug has made this week pretty special. Thank you so so much!

I’d like to say a huge THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you who made 2011 so special. To my couples who put such trust in me, who are just downright amazing, and who are the reason I have the best job in the world. To other people in the UK wedding industry, some of whom I’ve become very close friends with, you all rock. To Susanna, for continuing being the best assistant anyone could wish for. And to my husband, who, despite being the most impatient person I know, has shown incredible patience and support with my workaholic ways. Love you.

I am SO excited about 2012. I have many big plans brewing, some gorgeous weddings to look forward to, and I simply can’t wait to get stuck in. Happy New Year everyone, may it be the best yet!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you an absolutely gorgeous Christmas! Whether you celebrate this time of year or not, I hope you’ll get to spend some quality time with your loved ones.

See you on the other side. x

On the rare occasion that I travel for pure pleasure I tend to leave my digital equipment at home and bring with me something more low key and/or fun. This time around I had my beloved Holga, an Ikoflex TLR (operations of which the eBay seller described as ‘esoteric’, and he wasn’t far off!), and of course my iPhone. I mention these cameras for those who take an interest in these things, for me it’s mostly the image that matters. Hence I’m not going to point out which camera took which picture, I think those who take an interest will spot the usual suspects in any case.

Enjoy!

Edited 27 Dec: Oops, just realised I forgot to scan the polaroids I took so have added them in there.

First up, Katie & John’s beautiful Northbrook Park wedding was featured in the November issue of Wedding Flowers.

Saleema & David’s cool London wedding is currently gracing the pages of the
January (yes, as in next year, funny how that works) issue of You & Your Wedding.

Abi & Simon’s whimsical Surrey wedding was featured in the December Wedding Ideas Magazine.

And last, but not least, Rachel & Ben’s Oxford wedding with an outdoors ceremony
was featured in the October issue of Perfect Wedding.

I haven’t had time to decipher my handwriting and transform my thoughts into a cohesive blog post until now.

24th of  September
St. Julians, Malta

Have you ever had one of those moments where you suddenly get struck by an intense feeling of happiness? A moment where you feel like ‘everything will be ok’. It can happen anywhere, any time, and the best ones usually come when you least expect them. One of the strongest memories I have of such a feeling washing over me is from a moment when, years and years ago, I was sitting on a rush hour bus of all places, agitated and eager to get home – and suddenly some little thought unlocked this rush of positive emotions and made everything look so much better. The feeling was so sudden and unexpected that it’s forever burned into my mind. More often than not these moments pass really quickly, which is why I call them ‘flashes of happiness’.

There are ways we seek to consciously access those same feelings, often it means living vicariously through watching a powerful movie, listening to moving music or perhaps going through old photographs and seeing pictures taken at a specific time in our life. One of the most powerful ways I know of to evoke that sense of pure awe and happiness is watching an incredible musician performing live. It’s absolutely astonishing how much power a charismatic performance can have over us, how it’s possible to feel internally altered after such an experience.

For some (unfair) reason, us humans tend to concentrate on looking either back or forward, and while we do that, we often miss a lot of the present. For most of us, it requires a powerful experience or switch in routine to tap into those feelings of being content right now. I think those ‘accidental’ flashes of happiness are about much more than we give them credit for, I think they are reminders of our potential to be fully present, to embrace our lives fully.

There is this scene in the movie ‘The Hours’, where Meryl Streep’s character is telling her daughter about one day in her youth.

Clarissa: ‘I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know, that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself: So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn’t the beginning. It WAS happiness. It was the moment. Right then.’

That scene and thought process have forever haunted me since the first time I saw the film. The simple realisation that we should appreciate what we have right now – not either wait for something to happen or trust it to last – but rather appreciate the ride for what it is and always be aware of our potential to feel deeply right then and there.

Hindsight is such a human infliction. So often we are either overly nostalgic, hankering after past and better times, or we are in waiting mode, hoping that we’ll get to experience those big important moments. Here’s a secret. Those BIG moments, those moments which up on a movie screen always seem so unobtainable and perfectly lit – in real life they are mostly always internal. You have to try hard to learn to listen to them, and grab a hold of them there and then – and most of all, try your hardest to communicate them to the people who mean something to you.

Writing this comes at a poignant time for me. I’ve just woken up in a gorgeous bed in a hotel room in Malta feeling happy. The sun is sneaking in from underneath the curtain and I can smell the sea. Later today I get to photograph a beautiful wedding on this beautiful island, and call that work. So this is definitely one of ‘those moments’, underlined. And one of the reasons I put pen to paper. However, getting here has come at a cost and a lot of sacrifice. Working pretty much 24/7 has opened my professional life in ways that I never dreamed possible. But while I lie here in my gorgeous Maltese bed, I can’t escape the fact that my other half is thousands of miles away, all alone.

What draws me into photographing couples is the fact that I love watching people remember how lucky they are, and I love being a mirror to their own big movie moments. Realising we have an ability to tap into that every day magic when ever we choose to properly listen to the moment, and reach out to connect with another person, is such a powerful thing. And as much as I love working with that magic with my couples, I think I need to realise more of it in my own life as well. While working so hard at trying to facilitate those magic moments for other people, I sometimes neglect the one person who should receive the best of me.

Generally it’s those special circumstances that make us realise moments of happiness – such as a wedding days where most of us let our guard down and allow ourselves to express our feelings and share something magical with our nearest and dearest. Or travelling to a beautiful place such as this, feeling lucky and stepping outside of the normal routine. And while these beautiful surroundings help me to tap into that magic and to these thoughts, the real challenge is trying to find that place within myself every rainy day in the office, every grey week full of routines, as often as possible.

After all, wouldn’t it be pretty amazing is you could feel that way about your life most of the time? Why do we allow ourselves to make memories only at special circumstances? Waking up next to the one you love and letting them know you’re there for them, or really listening to your mum instead of being ‘too busy’ with your life, reaching out to stranger and learning who they really are, these things could open up an opportunity to create one of those moments every day.

The cruel thing about life, and equally what makes it so precious, is this – the only thing you can be sure of is that you are alive now, right at this moment.

So what are you going to do to make this moment magical?

I don’t generally take part in many competitions, mainly because I never seem to find the time, and also because it always seems like trying to win something for ‘myself’ rather than for my clients. The Wedding Industry Awards struck me as being something different, partly for being completely independent, but mostly because the first round of voting was done by real life wedding clients. That was a huge factor in me deciding to take part, as it felt like it was something we were doing together with the people who are the reason I do what I do.

I’m so grateful to all of you who took the time to vote, you seriously rock. This accolade is as much for all my couples as it is for me – I couldn’t have achieved it without you making the decision to choose me to be your wedding photographer – I will be forever grateful for that! Thank you also to the esteemed judging panel, I am properly humbled and still quite gobsmacked.

Now we’ll have to wait until January to find out the national winner, but honestly, being called ‘Best Wedding Photographer, London and South East’ is (way) more than enough for me! Head asplode.