I’ve never done a ‘best of’ post in all of the many years I have been shooting weddings. In part because I find the task hugely overwhelming. How do I choose from the thousands of photos that I deliver every year? Moreover, if I have delivered it, it is an image that I am proud of. So how do I then whittle it down to selecting a few hundred… or at best one hundred… of my ‘favourites? I don't really feel like I have favourites as such… certainly though, some images stand out a little more in the way they capture the essence, soul or energy of a day, person or couple.

For me, everything that matters is what is REAL. The details are beautiful, and fun to choose and create. They will make your day feel very special and I won't forget them. I will capture all your thought out beautiful details... but I am going to give you a lot of this too.

The real bits. The unscripted moments... the in between. The calm before it all happens... breathe moments. The blink and you miss them moments. The get right in amongst it moments.

Weddings are all about the people. Your loved ones around you. The smiles, the tears, the little moments. The fun. The dancing. The heartfelt ceremony. The cheeky looks. That's what I want to capture for you.

I can't say I want this to be called a ‘best of’ post because I have hundreds more images I would love to share that I am so very proud of. Instead, here is a visual glimpse of all the lovely couples I met this year and the energy that surrounded them.  The Real.

I also learned two things when I was doing this cathartic process of choosing a 'best of' collection from the year.

I love Black and White. And I mean LOVE it. I always knew this, right from when I was studying photography and worked on film. That doesn't mean I am going all black and white but when it comes to images that speak to me… they are often B&W. Over the years I have worked hard to fine tune my editing process. It takes me hours to edit a wedding because I am super fussy on the colour and white balance. I literally drive myself stir crazy going between nano measurements of green to red, warm to cool. I do this because I strive for consistency so you know what you are getting and I also don't want my edit to ever date your photographs. I strive for timeless images. I am a colour purist and as part of that, I adore strong B&W images… probably rooting back to my days in the darkroom and mastering the art of dodging and burning by the milli-second adaptations you could make to an image whilst under the exposure lamp. It kind of feels like the same thing, but a digital darkroom for me (and much less smelly, with no harmful chemicals!).

I worked at some incredible venues this year. Some familiar, some new and some right on my doorstep. I truly hope to go back again soon. If you are looking for a local Cornwall or Devon wedding venue, check out Rettorick Mill Wedding. Tresillian House Wedding.  The Scarlet Hotel Wedding. Cornish Tipi Wedding. The Green Cornwall.  Polhawn Fort Wedding. Old Rectory Pyworthy Wedding. Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens.  Carbis Bay Hotel and Prussia Cove. They are amazing!