Best of 2025! Real Moments, Authentic Stories

You are enough. Simply show up and I’ll tell your story

One of my 2025 couples thanked me for “allowing us to relive our wedding day and revisit Cloud 9 again”. And that’s the point. Real life is enough. You are enough. Simply show up and I’ll tell your unique story perfectly. You’ll barely notice me but I’ll be right there in the thick of it, watching for little moments of happiness, juxtapositon and humour. Yes, there are belly laughs. But there are also quiet, thoughtful moments. Subtle messages observed through body language. The raw and wonderful stories that will transport you right back to your amazing day are made up of the tiniest unplanned moments of human interaction. I watch and wait for that split second when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Chances are, no one else will even notice it. Timing is everything.

The magic that happens

Although it’s a lot of work distilling 10,000 or so images into 150 to create a ‘best of year’ blog, I find it a really rewarding and useful exercise. I really hadn’t appreciated until writing this just how much more I was editing in black & white, and how many of these made my top 150. Whilst I’ve always loved the power of monochrome to tell a story, I only really fully committed to it this past year. I had so many couples tell me how much they loved black & white that it gave me more confidence to make editing choices truly from the heart, rather than second-guessing which my clients would prefer. The result is a portfolio that feels like me. So when my first wedding couple of 2025 told me“these photos are so ‘us’, I really see the authentic versions of myself and [my husband]” I began to appreciate the magic that happens when the vision of the photographer and couple are truly aligned, and to embrace wholeheartedly my gut feeling. My work won’t resonate with everyone but for those couples who get it, it’s a powerful relationship.

There’s always a story to be found

Colour and shape feature prominently in my work too. The second image below is one of my favourite captures of colour repetition for example. And sometimes it’s a different perspective that makes the story. With some weddings, and especially smaller, quieter gatherings, it may initially feel that there’s very little going on. But that’s my time to get creative. Through layering, framing and experimenting with different angles, I can find interest in quiet moments. And the less that’s happening, the more I’ll look.There’s always a story to be found if you’re open to seeing it.

Of course, even in full-on ninja mode, I’m occasionally spotted! A common reaction is laughter or playing up to the camera and I’m more than happy to press the shutter. This still makes the candid cut! It’s happy, spontaneous and often captures the true personalities of my subjects. Some people are more camera aware than others, and some just love to make a point of acting out. In fact, by the end of some weddings, I often feel a kind of affinity with one of the guests, an unspoken connection created over the course of several hours.

Full disclosure: maybe 95% candid

Okay, so confession time: not all the images in this blog are 100% candid. I always like to give my couples some beautiful photos of just the two of them, taking full advantage of their venue’s outdoor space and the light, especially that soft evening light that flatters. It doesn’t take ages, and for most of my couples it’s a welcome breather. Gently directed they may be, but I still want to show personality and keep things real and looking natural. Certainly nothing awkward or cheesy, and then quickly back to the canapés or dancefloor. You’ll see what I mean below. And there’s also a notable omission from the top 150: not a single group photo. Yes, I do take them. Not dozens, usually no more than 6 or 8. I get them done quickly, efficiently and then get back to the storytelling. I don’t feel the need to show them as whilst they’re perfectly good, and tend to take up real estate in weding albums, they’re certainly not what excites me or separates me from every other wedding photographer out there.

It’s the candid captures that fuel my passion, make my work unique, and make me the photographer of choice for the right couples.