Top 10 International Wedding Photography
Six new awards and 4th place overall worldwide in the latest ISPWP contest!
Last week, I woke up in my hotel in Hereford just before Abbie and Stu’s wedding to an email that the latest ISPWP contest results were out. As I scrolled through looking at all the amazing winners in each category I was so happy to see six of my photos amongst the awards!! And not only that but I’d been awarded 4th place overall in this contest – the only UK photographer in the top 20!!! Cue my happy dance! Congratulations to all the other winners in this contest, and thanks to ISPWP and the judges for these awards! I’m now the proud owner of 25 ISPWP awards and two top 10 overall finishes.
I thought I’d tell you a bit more about each award winning photo from this contest…
Wedding Details Category
I took this photo at Susan and Joe’s wedding at Le Filigare in Tuscany back in May. This was the final day of their wedding, and the fourth day I’d spent with them. This staircase was one Susan had walked a hundred times over the week she spent there but this was the first time as Joe’s wife and the only time in her wedding dress as she was on her way to change for the reception and I grabbed this shot instinctively as she took that first step. On a superficial level it’s a shoe, dress and venue detail photo, but I see more in this photo than words can do justice. I love the light, I love the movement, I love wondering where she’s going, I love the peacefulness, I love the fact her dress is all scrunched up as she holds it without any care about how it looks. To me it’s so very, very, Susan. It’s actually one of my favourite ever photos I’ve taken!
Wedding Venue or Location Category
This is Mimi and her bridesmaids arriving at Dartmouth House in London’s Mayfair, to marry Alfred back in June. What a wedding this was, absolutely jam packed of smiling people, beautiful light, and non-stop fun! This was one of the quieter moments and as Mimi walked from the hotel next door I knew I could hopefully get a shot of her against the dramatic backdrop of her wedding venue. And I love the union flag and the subtle photo-bomb by the black cab!
Bride and Groom Portraits Category
It’s Mimi and Alfred again and just to prove that Mimi has one of the happiest faces in the world! We headed to Green Park to have a little wander and some fun making some cool photos of the two of them together. They were just having fun with each other as if I wasn’t even there!
First Dance Category
To me this just sums up Rachael and Liam and their crazy fun wedding in Liverpool in May. They got married at a super cool city centre venue – OHMEOHMY – and there’s an upstairs balcony which wraps round the venue. During their first dance I was in the thick of the action as usual when I just felt there wasn’t enough space to get anything good, so I ran up the stairs to the balcony, just in time to capture the moment that Liam lifted his new wife high into the air! The look on Rachael’s face is great but it’s the range of expressions on their family and friends faces which makes me love this shot as much as I do. Especially Rachael’s mum Julie holding out her arms as if to try and catch Rachael when Liam drops her! (which he didn’t by the way!)
Engagement Portrait
I was lucky enough to shoot Jon and Elaine’s wedding at the amazing Castello di Casole in Tuscany, Italy back in May alongside my great friend Andy Gaines. It was a crazy fun few days that started with a sunset engagement shoot around the venue and nearby town. Playing with light and shadow is one of my favourite things to do and with light like this and walls this colour it just makes it all the more fun!
First Dance Category
This is Denise and Steve, totally lost in the moment during their first dance at the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo in incredible Taormina, Sicily back in June. They danced outdoors on the terrace of the hotel, in the dark, surrounded by the people they love the most in the world who had joined them in Sicily from all over the world because Denise is from Canada, Steve from the UK and they have family and friends everywhere! A true international wedding. When they were dancing it was really as if they felt they were the only ones there for those few moments and I really wanted to somehow capture that feeling for them.
