Best Wedding Photography of 2023
It feels like only a few weeks since I was writing my “Best Wedding Photography” blog for 2022, but it’s already time for me to start hunting through the tens of thousands of pictures from the past 12 months to attempt to find the best ones for this year. It’s always an impossible ask, if only because I’ll inevitably get suck in a memory quagmire, tearing up over all the beautiful moments, and sitting down in the middle of memory lane to reminisce instead of staying on track. Who could blame me though? Especially with a year like this one.
Every wedding is wholly unique, you simply cannot compare them. From the simple and intimate (one wedding so small that I was a witness), to lavish productions with hundreds of guests, and even one with a helicopter; they all have their own flavour. Each wedding is true to the couple saying “I do”, and in that respect all weddings are exactly the same and yet completely and utterly different. That’s what I love about my job! I have the immense privilege of capturing the essence of every couples’ unique love story, preserving it, and making it as beautiful and reflective of them as I can.
The interesting thing about wedding photography is that no two photographers would capture a wedding in the same way. We all have our own unique perspective that we not only bring to the day, but also to the post production.
One of the things that makes me stand out amongst my peers is colour. I love colour. It might seem odd to those who know me as I’m rarely seen outside of black and grey (being the ageing goth that I am), but colour screams joy. Colour is happiness. Besides, a lot goes into the colour of a wedding day from the bridesmaids’ dresses to the flowers, makeup, and décor, so I think it’s important to preserve that. Oh! And it looks awesome too.
On to the main event then! Here’s a handful of my favourite photos from all of the incredible weddings I shot through 2023. Thank you so much to all the wonderful couples who booked me to be a part of their special day. Thank you for trusting me with your memories.
Preparations
I love shooting prep - the calm before the storm! Not that it’s always calm of course, sometimes it’s a hectic rush to pull everything together at the last minute before serenely gliding down the aisle like nothing untoward just happened.
Ceremony & Portraits
Even when couples book mini packages, the parts of the day that always get covered are the ceremony and a few posed pictures afterward. They’re the core of any wedding: the proof that it happened, and that you looked stunning. I mean like… really stunning.
Confetti
One of the questions I get asked more than any other is “what type of confetti looks best on pictures”. Of course, it all depends on the aesthetic of your day, but without a doubt the best piece of advice I can give is to get lots of the stuff. However much you’re thinking? Double it. Triple it! Let people throw enormous fist-fulls of the stuff and I can guarantee you’ll love the result. Personally, I love the large multicolour tissue paper rounds, but then I do love colour.
Evening & Candid
On to the fun stuff!
While I like to think of myself as a good all-rounder, candid photography is where I shine. I love to get in amongst it all and grab those little moments that could so easily be missed. Photos of photos being taken, garden games, hugs, silly dances, funny faces, and all the other stuff you’re busy living
Details
You spend so much time making everything perfect for your wedding, hours spent poring over fabric swatches, font choices, cake designs, and so on, that I think it’s important to capture those details with just as much reverence as the people who attend your day. In ten, or twenty years time you want to be able to remember the colour of the buttonholes, what your favours were, the brooch you attached to your bouquet. The details are important.
Animals
I’m a huge fan of pets at weddings. Hardly a surprise given that I have my own motley assortment of chickens at home (only one of them calls the house home, but the other 17 regularly try to muscle in on her patch). From senior dogs to pups in suits, and some very well-dressed horses, this motley (or shout that be Muttley) crew brightened up some already dazzling days.
Venues
I am so privileged to live and work on the North East of England. Mountains, stately homes, sweeping white flag beaches, ancient churches, and rugged countryside, I still marvel that this is my home even after all these years. It’s no wonder so many people elope to this stunning corner of the world for their weddings, I mean… look at it:
I hope you enjoyed looking through this collection of some of my best wedding photography from 2023. If you like what you see or have any questions please feel free to contact me or drop by my North East Wedding Photographers homepage to find out more on the services I offer.
Here’s to 2024 being just as amazing! Xx
