2020 // An Awesome year for unique wedding photos!

As I sit and type this we’re in the middle of yet another lockdown! BUT somehow this one feels different. Yes, on the one hand it’s cold and miserable outside (worse still that we can’t share a beer with anyone!), but on the other there’s so many promising signs that we’ll be in a much better place before long! Of course the growing momentum of the vaccine rollout is massively encouraging but so too are the advancements in rapid testing. Therefore, I’m very hopeful that the majority of my couples will have the weddings they’ve been dreaming of this year.

But until then I just wanted to take a minute and reflect on the weddings I managed to photograph in 2020. Not quite the number I had originally anticipated of course but I think in the circumstances 15 of them was an absolute triumph for me….and for the couples involved! Micro weddings, small weddings, intimate weddings….call then what you will. I loved them all!

In non-pandemic times I love photographing weddings but somehow in 2020 I loved it even more! I thrive on variety and the challenge of keeping my work fresh, relevant and unique. Nothing floats my boat more than when I achieve that. 2020’s weddings gave me the opportunity to do that in spades – capturing truly historic wedding photos that one day I’ll sit down and enjoy showing to my Grandchildren.

Here’s 13 such images that you wouldn’t expect to see in a ‘normal’ year!

(1) Register signing presided over by the masked vicar

An image that for me symbolises 2020 perfectly – against all the odds and forever changing restrictions, a happy couple (Mike & Hannah) make it all the way through to signing the register.

A lovely moment in itself but I was particularly chuffed that I noticed the mask wearing vicar’s reflection in the piano lid and was therefore able to include him in the frame.

(2) Oh the irony…

I just love the humour and the irony in this image! I’m always keeping an eye out for guest reactions and emotions so as to add a bit of story-telling context throughout a wedding day. As Sarah and Mark were saying their wedding vows I couldn’t help notice their little boy Charlie in the background unleash this almighty yawn! Pure comedy which obviously had to be captured! But it wasn’t until afterwards that the irony struck me – there was Charlie with mouth wide open whilst those around him were all masked up!

(3) First dance – 2020 style!

If you can’t have a ‘proper’ little dance together during a ‘proper’ evening reception because of Covid restrictions then absolutely why the hell not have a few twirls as you head back down the aisle?!⁠

This was Lauren + Mikey all over – embracing the moment, sticking 2 fingers up at the pandemic, taking their place in history and getting on with what really matters – becoming husband and wife!⁠

(4) The Guest from Stephen King’s ‘IT’!

There were some pretty strange sights in 2020 for sure – and none stranger than this guest looking like ‘Pennywise’, the terrifying clown from ‘IT’. Seriously though, that’s one of the things I loved about Emma & Tim’s wedding – having accepted that their guests would need to wear masks they decided to make a competition out of it to see who could wear the best (or most frightening!) one. I’m not sure who won it but for me Emma’s uncle, pictured here, was the standout winner!

(5) Cheers!

Happy times in the face of a pandemic. Just loved (and therefore had to capture!) the play-off between the mask and the ‘cheers’ as Ellie’s Mum & Dad made their way back to their car after Elle had married Rory.

(6) Kissing through masks

Cute scenes as this couple wouldn’t let a bit of cloth get in the way of them sharing a little kiss before Ellie & Rory’s wedding got under way. It’s as if they didn’t think anyone was watching. Good for me that they didn’t spot the eagle-eyed photographer!

(7) No need to be socially distanced from God

A sign of the times – literally. I always love to capture the details!

(8) The elbow bump

Where once the Father of the Bride would shake the groom by his hand, the elbow bump, whilst ripping off one’s mask, now has to suffice..

(9) Weddings still rule!

With the arrows pointing one way, this happy couple walk the other. Of course the floor markings are unfortunately typical of what we’ve seen in most public places during the pandemic – there to mark out a one way system to maintain social distancing. But this was Ellie and Rory’s wedding and this was their recessional where tradition sees the newly married couple walking back up the aisle together as husband and wife. Weddings do absolutely still rule!!

(10) We’re all getting so tired of this pandemic now!

No further words necessary really.

(11) Blind date

One of the curious new protocols that we’ve seen come in for some ‘Covid’ weddings is the one where the couple have to have their interviews with the registrars at the same time. This is basically so that the registrars don’t need to spend longer than they have to at the venue to reduce risk of infection. But of course most couples still don’t want to see each other until one of them walks down the aisle. So here at the Elvetham they found the perfect solution for their couples.

But this gave me the perfect opportunity to capture the contrast in Gaby and Adam’s emotions – Gaby all smiling and relaxed, Adam on the other hand rather nervous and perhaps a little emotional!

(12) Weddings by Zoom!

Sadly, through necessity, our whole way of interacting seems to have moved on-line with the likes of Zoom and other forms of video-chats – and weddings have been no exception (although it still seems strange to see laptops in Churches etc!). With guests numbers limited to 30, 15, 6 or whatever the latest restriction, thankfully we live in an age where technology means that any number of guests can still witness the proceedings. I can actually see this trend continuing when hopefully we’re back in ‘normal’ times.

(13) Don’t stand so close to me

Masks on, standing in bubbles. These are the new group photos. Well, not really. This is how we all imagine that they might have to look like but to be honest I’ve said to all my couples that they can have their group photos however they want – socially distanced or not. It’s not up to me to ‘police’ them (however much I personally have to abide by all the rules – hands, space, face and all that). I leave that to the venues and other ‘officiants’.

Love and good times are not cancelled!

Fortunately 2020 wasn’t all about masks, social distancing and sanitiser! Luckily I had the pleasure of photographing a handful of weddings before the pandemic took hold and then again through the late summer and autumn (albeit under the various restrictions) when I was able to capture many images that were far less about Covid and far more about love and good times! Here are some of my favourites.