2023 wedding photography highlights
These wedding photography highlights are a collection of the real moments, big reactions and small bits of chaos that have stayed with me over the years. From intimate celebrations to packed dance floors, local weddings to days further afield, every one has reminded me why I love doing this. I’ve photographed over 250 weddings now, and the same thing still gets me every time. People being completely themselves when they are with the people they love.
This isn’t a list of every wedding I’ve photographed. It’s a look back at some of the places, changes and moments that helped shape the way I work now. The photographs can be different from one wedding to the next. The feeling I’m looking for is always the same.
The real stuff.
What makes a wedding photograph worth coming back to?
For me, it’s rarely the photograph that took the most organising. It’s the one that puts you straight back in the room.
A parent seeing their child ready for the first time. A nervous laugh before the ceremony. Friends losing it during a speech. Somebody dancing with complete commitment and no awareness that their tie has moved several postcodes to the left. Those are the photographs that carry the feeling of a day.
I love portraits too. A good portrait gives you a quiet moment together and something you’ll want on the wall. But it should not take over. Around 15 minutes is normally enough for the portraits, then you can get back to your guests and the rest of the day can get on with being brilliant.
That balance has become more important to me with every wedding.
How did the early weddings shape the way I work?
In the earlier part of my photography journey, I learned by doing as much as possible. Local weddings around Northamptonshire, celebrations in London, Buckinghamshire, the Cotswolds and Leicestershire, then a destination wedding in Paphos, Cyprus. Every new place made me look harder at what was happening around me.
I remember being proud just to be trusted with days that mattered so much. I still am. The venue can be completely unfamiliar, the weather can have its own agenda and the timeline can shift. People are still people. If you stay alert, stay calm and get on with everyone, the moments are there.
A wedding at Cripps Barn in the Cotswolds gave me a day full of laughter from the bridesmaids, especially in the morning. A wedding at the Shankly Hotel in Liverpool showed me how much a couple can bring their personality into every part of a celebration. The places were different. The connection between people was what mattered in both.
Those early weddings also taught me that the photography isn’t just about waiting at the edge of the room. Sometimes I need to get close. Sometimes I need to give a little direction. Sometimes I need to organise a group of family members who have all gone mysteriously missing at the same time. That’s all part of making the day feel easy.
What did the quieter wedding year teach me about real moments?
In 2020, I photographed a handful of weddings and two engagement sessions. A much smaller year than anyone expected, but the weddings I did photograph meant a lot.
There were Karen and Martin’s wedding, Elizabeth and George’s day, Michelle and David’s engagement photographs and intimate wedding, and Kayleigh and Matt’s engagement session at Horwood House. Fewer weddings did not mean fewer moments. It meant I had time to see how much connection lives in a small gathering too.
Michelle and David’s little boy Lincoln had grown so much between their engagement photographs and the wedding day. Seeing him walk down the aisle was the kind of small, personal part of a story that means a lot. It’s why I always watch the people around the couple, not just the couple themselves.
That year also gave me time to keep learning and making photographs away from weddings. Walks around Northamptonshire, family photographs, a trip up Snowdon and some more creative work all fed back into how I see a scene. Photography is still the thing that gives me a buzz, whether it’s a full dance floor or a quiet walk with a camera.
How did my documentary led approach develop?
By 2021, I was getting closer to the action while still keeping out of the way. I had started using different lenses and found myself less interested in standing far back for everything. I wanted the photographs to feel more involved, while still letting people get on with the day.
That doesn’t mean barging into a quiet moment with a camera in somebody’s face. It means being close enough to notice the expression, the hand squeeze, the reaction across the table. Then stepping back when the moment needs space.
I photographed weddings in Northampton, Kettering, Buckinghamshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire and Coventry that year. The locations changed, but this approach worked everywhere. Watch carefully. Get on with people. Know when to step in. Know when not to.
I’ll organise the practical bits, like confetti, group photos and portraits, so they run smoothly. What I won’t do is create or recreate a moment just for a photo. That’s exactly how I work.
What stands out from a busier run of weddings?
In 2022, I took the step to work full time as a photographer after balancing the business with 15 years in the care industry. It was a big change, and a very good one.
I photographed weddings across Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Coventry, Oxfordshire, Manchester and Norfolk, among other places. I also began entering wedding photography awards. I’ve always felt a little awkward calling myself award winning, but the process pushed me to improve and look at my work more critically. That can only be a good thing.
Going back to familiar venues was another highlight. Dodmoor House, Whittlebury Park, Dodford Manor, Sedgebrook Hall, Horwood House and The Granary at Fawsley (now closed) all came round again, along with other venues around Northamptonshire. It’s lovely to know a place well, but I never want to photograph it on autopilot. Different people bring a different energy every time. Same room, completely different laughter.
Where did the next set of highlights take me?
In 2023, I photographed weddings across Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Bedfordshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire. The year included barns, tipis, hotels and manor houses, along with returns to Dodmoor House, Dodford Manor, Fawsley Hall, The Granary at Fawsley, Huntsmill Farm and The Stanwick Hotel.
I also photographed at Winters Tale Country Barn, The Barns at Hunsbury Hill and Elms Meadow. New venues are always a good reminder to arrive curious. Find out how the spaces work. Watch where guests naturally gather. Look for the light. Then let the wedding unfold.
A venue is important, of course. It gives the day its setting. But the reason I remember a wedding is nearly always what people did in that setting. The hugs after the ceremony. The huge reaction to a speech. The person who says they will not dance and is later very much dancing. That’s the joy of the job.
Why do the photographs and the wedding experience need equal attention?
Because you should not have to choose between enjoying your day and having photographs you love.
I want you to be with your people. I want you to have time to eat, laugh, catch up and take in the ceremony. I also want you to have the photographs that bring it all back. The real moments and the portraits both have a place.
Lots of couples tell me they forgot I was even there. Then the gallery arrives and everything that mattered is in it. I blend in, get on with your guests and photograph the day as it actually feels.
A wedding has enough to think about without wondering whether you should be posing somewhere every ten minutes. You don’t need that. You need someone who keeps things relaxed, steps in when it helps, and makes sure the day still feels like a wedding, not a photoshoot.
What should you look for in wedding photography highlights?
Look beyond the polished portrait. Notice whether the photographs feel like people rather than poses. Can you see the nerves, the laughter, the atmosphere and the relationships? Can you imagine being in the room?
Look for variety too. Not just different backdrops, but different kinds of moments. The quiet bit before the ceremony. The energy after it. The speeches. The evening. A good gallery should feel like a complete day, not a very smart hour in the middle of one.
And look for work that makes you feel something. That’s the point.
If these feel like your kind of day, I’d love to hear what you’re putting together. Proper photos, without taking over the party.
