2016... well it was a bit of a funny one hey? Just a quick disclaimer before I continue... I'm about to put myself out there. I think there's not a lot of point in blogging if it doesn't help you get to know me a bit better... so here goes. *Deep Breath*
It was a tough year for me... not just because of what was happening in the wider world but because my own personal 2016 was a year of upheaval and change. At times I felt like I'd been turned inside out, trying to put myself back together despite illness, stress and a lot of heartache. The reason why I'm sharing this is because despite all these things something amazing happened... and when you're grateful for something it's probably a good thing to put a great big Thank You out there:
I am so damn grateful for this job. Seriously, how can I thank my couples enough?
Even in the darkest bits when I felt totally lost and couldn't see an easy way forward... weddings were my refuge. Love and cake and tears and proper hugs and daft moments and wisdom shared and trembling hands and belly laughs and ridiculous dancing and the most beautiful quiet moments. They were a reason to get from one week to the next, work to be done that felt valuable... that made me feel valuable despite everything else happening. The times when I felt like myself.
Thankfully, things began to get so much better over time and I now feel happy and well again... I can let go of last year's troubles and keep hold of some truly awesome memories.
So that's quite enough waffle from me hey? Time for some visuals! First up... the video! This year more couples than ever opted for my photography with video highlights package. The closest call was a couple who phoned me up the day before the wedding telling me they suddenly realised they would really regret not having one and asking to add it on... it's now one of their favourite keepsakes of the day!
Narrowing down all my favourite footage from the year to the length of just one song (How We Met (Cherry Pie) by Teen Canteen) was so tricky but I really love the result.
So without further ado... 2016 in video...
And now onto the pictures! Last year I photographed more weddings than ever... and in total I delivered 34,016 (!!!) images to my wedding clients. It's taken weeks of chipping away but here's the collection of 250 (I know, it's still loads but my initial selection was over 500!) that I've narrowed down to share with you today.
Well, if you made it through this post... perhaps you deserve some kind of medal. I promise I will be better at narrowing down photos by this time next year.... Probably.
If you're engaged and like what you see get in touch to book me for your wedding photography!
2017... bring it on. More adventures, more fun, more moments like this.
To 2016 and the people who put me back together, even if they didn't realise it at the time: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.