2020 - Different. Unusual. Restrictive. But Still Full of Love.

2020 eh? Crikey. The fact that I was able to somehow photograph 13 lucky couples getting married during 2020 is something of a miracle given the restrictions put upon the Wedding Industry from March onward. However, as an avid ‘Blog Avoider’ for the entirety of my profession, having such a relatively small body of work to review gives me perfect excuse to compact it all into one blog post.

In addition to the weddings captured below, the year was notable for 2 major personal work achievements: Firstly, I managed to win National Wedding Photographer of the Year for The Wedding Business Awards at my first time of entering. Secondly I managed to host and deliver my first Full Wedding Photography Workshop for other professionals whilst restrictions were more relaxed in summer.

But most importantly of all, we soldiered on. We shot some weddings. We rearranged some weddings. I captured love, I captured emotion, and I captured beauty. A massive thanks to every single one of my clients who stuck with me and didn’t give up on their dreams. Bare with the shear amount of images and thankfully limited waffling below, and enjoy the strangest year in the history of Weddings. 2021 lets be ‘avin you.

Charlotte and her father walking down the aisle at the Groucho Club, Soho

Charlotte and her father walking down the aisle at the Groucho Club, Soho

Nina hits a beam of light walking down the aisle of St Mary’s Church, Hitchin

Nina hits a beam of light walking down the aisle of St Mary’s Church, Hitchin

Christine & Anthony at The Great Barn Aynho

Christine & Anthony at The Great Barn Aynho

The year began with the usual light flurry of winter weddings to kick off the year, with myself and most of the industry unaware of what was to come. January saw Lauren & Sid kick my season off with their fabulous winter wedding at the ever-charming South Farm, the first of what was originally several weddings there for 2020. A particularly lovely touch was the game of ‘Mr & Mrs’ played between them, where everyone got to see a little bit inside the world of Lauren & Sid. Being a smart man, Sid made all the right plays and I’m pleased to say the marriage survives to this day :-)

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“.....Although the choice out there for photographers is endless, we felt completely confident that Rafe would capture our day in a natural way, but with flare and creativity too.”
— Lauren - January 2020
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Three weeks later, I was pleased to be able to return to South Farm for Melissa & DJ’s big day, where their young boys shared centre stage with them for much of the day. While the weather wasn’t quite as clement, we still managed to get them both outside as weren’t to be denied an epic driveway night shot!

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“.......We have received so many lovely compliments about our wedding photos, we absolutely love them and cannot stop looking at them! If you are looking for a professional photographer look no further.”
— Melissa - February 2020
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As we approached the end of February the world could sense something unusual was happening, but nevertheless we carried on with daily life, and Andrea & Josh threw quite a bash for everyone down in the city at Hawksmoor, Guildhall. Rarely have my team and I looked forward to a wedding meal as much as this one, and it was as good as advertised! Having some cityscapes to work with rather than the usual country gardens was a fun diversion from the norm, and we put our creative hats on. Little did any of us know that this would be the last wedding reception dancing we would photograph in 2020!

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Next up would be my last Wedding Photography action for a few months, as we entered lockdown shortly after Claire & Stuart tied the knot at South Farm in late March. I blogged this one in full right here:

Claire & Stuart by the Boating Lake at South Farm

Claire & Stuart by the Boating Lake at South Farm

“.....Rafe has been helpful, supportive and a great surrounding board through the COVID-19 crisis. We just managed to squeeze in a small wedding before lockdown and Rafe was fantastic with changing plans, keeping in touch and being flexible.”
— Claire - March 2020

For what felt like an eternity, I waited for the chance to photograph an actual live wedding, and Sarah & Vikram presented me with an opportunity once lockdown restrictions were lifted as summer progressed. I was slightly apprehensive of photographing my first wedding with social distancing in a church, but I needn’t have worried, as the church was enormous, and the Vicar was as chilled as they come! After the ceremony we all trekked off to a primary school in Hoddesdon for a marquee reception, where Sarah’s Mum had recently retired as Headmistress.

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Moving into August, and Becky and Matt were originally due to marry in Northants and celebrate with a reception at Rushton Hall, however when rules and regulations changed on weddings, Rushton Hall could not longer accommodate their needs, so they had a complete u-turn and moved the wedding down to where Becky grew up in a tiny village in Gloucestershire. Sellack church hosted the ceremony and Becky’s parents were able to accommodate everyone in the grounds of their stunning house for the reception. To be able to celebrate your wedding in the grounds of the house the bride grew up in was extra special for them both, and Matt’s best man completed an amazing day with the longest, and possibly the most inebriated (there’s a link there) best man’s speech I have witnessed. So much love and joy between 2 wonderful families.

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“.....Our pictures had us all in tears - re living the day back- he managed the capture the emotions in all our photos - I don’t know how he does it!”
— Becky - August 2020
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Later In August I had a rare treat of actually visiting a wedding venue. My first time since March! Christine and Anthony were married at the stunning Great Barn at Aynho in Oxfordshire. Given couples were still able to have up to 30 people attending, and that I was able to bring Karl with me to capture Groom Prep, it was about as close to a normal wedding as I would get in summer 2020 and we took full use of the opportunity. After the speeches outdoors, the venue manager was kind enough to drive us out on the grounds to capture some stunning portraits of them both.

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September saw me capture a wonderful Jewish wedding ceremony in the family back garden. The weather was kind thankfully, and the couples friends and family assembled in full view of the Chuppah to witness Francesca and Daniel become husband and wife. Daniel’s elderly Granddad was safely wheeled into place front and centre, and the whole ceremony was streamed live on video to overseas friends and family unable to travel.

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In mid October, Charlotte and Alex had the pain of just a few days notice to halve their wedding party down from 30 to 15 as tougher rules around weddings were imposed due to a steady rise in COVID cases. Despite this, no plans were changed (guest list aside), and Dave and I engaged in our first full day wedding since February. Their location of the Groucho Club, right in the heart of Soho, on a Saturday - back when pubs and restaurants were still open - meant we had to accept it was going to be busy when we went out for B&G portrait time around dusk. This would prove to be just one of the technical challenges of the day given the lack of available light for the ceremony also. Nothing a couple of gridded flashes on light stands couldn’t fix! This day was such fun for us, and being able to take wedding photographs at night for the first time since February was amazing. Above everything, it was wonderful to work with a couple who absolutely trusted my creativity from the start, and I was so pleased to see them both overcome so many hurdles to have their big day. I’ll let these images do the rest of the talking.

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“.....Rafe was a joy to work with, very very professional and just great to have as part of our special day.”
— Alex - October 2020
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I’ve been a second photographer at a number of weddings over the years, and it’ s something I really enjoy, as I don’t have the pressure of managing the day and I can just get creative. In November however I was asked to be an Associate Photographer for the first time. This means stepping in for the original photographer booked and capturing the whole day for them on my own. This way you take the pressure of managing the day but the added pressure of managing the expectation of both the photographer, AND the wedding couple! I was painfully aware of the fact that they chose my friend Catherine for her photography style, and really wanted to please everyone. In the end however, I realised that I just needed to do what I would normally do with a little extra focus in certain areas to match Catherine’s style. Working with a really fun and easy going couple at two of my favourite local Hitchin venues certainly helped, and we were blessed with some gorgeous winter sun on the day too. More of this please!

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My final flourish for 2020 was the only wedding I could walk to from home without needing a car. A short stroll into town to St Mary’s Church in Hitchin, followed by a reception meal in the Pitcher & Piano. Tania and Abe had planned to wed in May and just about managed to sneak their wedding in before restriction were ramped up around Christmas. It was a privilege to be a part of their day, and they couldn’t have made me feel more welcome.

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At the time of writing we just don’t know how 2021 is going to play out, but I have a diary full of awesome weddings that I hope and expect the majority to happen as intended. Regardless, I will be working to support my clients through the year as I did for those in 2020 and hoping there is plenty of magic to look back at in a years time!

Pre-Lockdown Wedding at South Farm

As Claire & Stuart’s March 21st wedding drew nearer, it was clear the UK was headed towards a lockdown of some form .None of us knew when, or to what extent, but social distancing was already being strongly encouraged.

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Regular correspondence between Claire & Stuart, South Farm, myself and other suppliers in the weeks leading up to the date showed that all parties were keen to push ahead. However, with just a few days to go it was decided that the original plans for a full day and 100 guests would have to be scaled back in the name of safety …….and scale it back they did! With just immediate family on both sides (12 guests), we agreed for me to cover an additional 2 hours to cover the ceremony and reception. This would give us time for the family group shots, and Bride & Groom portraits. I am delighted to now be photographing the full fat wedding day for them at South Farm in early 2021.

First kiss as a married couple in the Drawing Room

First kiss as a married couple in the Drawing Room

Claire & Stuart had also added my Videographer (Michael) for the day who was determined to not miss out on the ceremony, and wanted to be able to incorporate it into their full wedding video that he would produce in 2021. We arrived in the morning just as Claire was finishing getting ready, and whilst Michael set up for the ceremony I captured the moment her dad (Chris) saw her in the dress for the first time. ‘First Look’ photos are tricky, as it’s hard to capture the moment naturally if you overly prep them, and if the Dad is too aware of the photographer it can all be ruined. Thankfully Chris’s reaction was everything I had hoped for and more!

Due to the reduced numbers of the wedding party, the ceremony was now able to take place in the Drawing Room; beautifully furnished in classic country house style, with fine old paintings and a collection of rare illustrated Natural History books. Claire entered the room with her Dad, and their dream of getting married in March 2020 (which almost didn’t happen) became a reality!

Claire enters with Chris in the Drawing Room

Claire enters with Chris in the Drawing Room

After a beautiful and emotional ceremony, the couple left the room straight out to the courtyard where they were met by glorious spring sunshine for the drinks reception. After observing and documenting the love and joy in the courtyard, we arranged a mini confetti throw and I got cracking on the family group photos. The joy and relief on everyone’s faces was a delight to capture, and I savored what I knew would be my last such wedding moments for quite a while.

Joy and relief as Claire & Stuart celebrate their new found marital status

Joy and relief as Claire & Stuart celebrate their new found marital status

With the reception and family photos done, it was on to the main event - Bride & Groom portraits in the spectacular grounds of South Farm. Claire & Stuart had previously enjoyed the benefits of an Engagement Shoot with me last October at one of my favourite spots, Rowney Warren. This experience really helped prepare them for the shoot, and they remembered all of my advice and made everything so easy for Michael and I to capture.

October’s Engagement Shoot at Rowney Warren

October’s Engagement Shoot at Rowney Warren

Having shot so many weddings at South Farm, and having such a great relationship with the fantastic team there, I floated the idea of a short trip down to their beautiful lake which is just away from the main site. With the gorgeous weather, amazing light and no need to rush back for a Wedding Breakfast it seemed like the perfect opportunity for us. Everything came together as planned, and a team member whisked them down in the infamous South Farm Tuk-Tuk, and we captured some stunning images and video in the most tranquil surroundings.

The beauty of South Farm’s private lake

The beauty of South Farm’s private lake

Although only there for just over 2 hours, the breadth of what I was able to capture at South Farm speaks volumes for what a wonderful venue it is. The staff there all understand how all of the wedding suppliers work, and meet their needs as well as their clients and guests. At such a stressful time, we were all so happy to come together and make this happen for Claire & Stuart, and we can’t wait to see them again in January 2021.

Scroll through the images below to view the full story of their day.

Same Sex Wedding at Kings College, Cambridge University

This amazing wedding at Kings College Cambridge University involved two firsts for me.  Firstly it was my first shoot at this wonderful venue, and secondly it was my first wedding for two men. John and Brendan couldn't have been more fun on the day, and the day was a celebration of a long 14 year romance.

The day began at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Cambridge city centre where the boys enjoyed a beautiful outdoors ceremony as people punted past along the river a few yards away. After the ceremony guests enjoyed some drinks and nibbles before walking through the city centre to Kings College, where yet more drinks and nibbles awaited!

The venue provided some wonderful backdrops for us to work and create the boys some wonderful memories. Later in the evening, former B*witched lead singer, Keavy Lynch provided live music with her new band in the evening and of course Brendan joined in on the vocals for her hit single 'C'est la Vie'

I've kept in touch with both Grooms and we are now good friends, and I am proud to have been involved in their wonderful day.

Wedding Photographer Shoots Wedding Photographer at South Farm, Royston

Firstly it needs to be pointed out what a fab wedding venue South Farm (near Royston) really is. Amazing grounds. Lovely prep area for bridal party. Fab new dancefloor for the after party. Loads of quirky stuff like pigs, chickens and vintage caravans. The list goes on! 

I first met Michael and Leanne whilst second shooting for another wedding photographer at Leanne's Mum's wedding in Bedford year and a half ago. Michael was a groomsmen and has his SLR camera with him which got us talking. We stayed in touch and I invited him to shoot with me at one of my weddings a few months later, and he ended up being my main second shooter for 2015 and 2016! Although they booked me a long time ago to shoot their wedding, I felt the pressure a little, as they obviously know good photography from average better than most. I needn't have worried though as with the help of Kelly Clarke Photography, we pretty much nailed it. Some other key vendors on the day were the always excellent Lee Smith - Magician who wowed the guests with his amazing card tricks, and Niki Lawrence who did an amazing job with make up for the girls. I'll let Michael introduce how he and Leanne met below:

“Leanne and I first met at work, and its safe to say we liked each other for quite a while! After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got together! I then moved in with Leanne, which was on the understanding that my dog moved in too! This resulted in Leanne adopting an 8 stone German Shepherd, which she was somewhat apprehensive about! (Side note: They are now best friends!). I knew I wanted to marry Leanne, and begun to form a plan to take her to Ireland. I took Leanne to the beautiful Lough Eske Castle in County Donegal for afternoon tea. When we arrived I took her to a secluded spot my the lake, with beautiful scenery and the sun shining down! I then did it! I asked her to marry me…..sort of! What actually happened was I got down on one knee, produced the ring, said her name about three times….and then started crying. Leanne then also started crying. We cried for a bit (happy crying obviously!), and I put the ring on her finger! It was one of the most nerve-wracking and happiest moments of my life. However, due to crying, at no point did I actually ask her to marry me, and at no point did she actually say that she would! Ignoring this minor detail, 2 years later we then got married at the most beautiful venue, with amazing weather, surrounded by our family and friends! Leanne looked absolutely beautiful, and the moment when I first saw her was the happiest I have ever been! It was an amazing day, and one that I will never ever forget……and yes….I cried then too!"

So, how did the day go for us all? Well pretty damned well as it happens. With it being May the cherry trees were in full blossom so we took full advantage with the night shot (shown above). Leanne and Michael have a shared passion for trance music, with Michael a very capable DJ in his own right, so the party went hard well into the night. Kelly and I stayed even later than usual to do it all justice!

North Coast 500 Adventure

Did you know that Scotland has it's own 'Route 66'? It's a fairly recent creation called the North Coast 500 and it even has it's own website. This is the Scottish tourist board's latest attempt to get more people up to the Highlands, where few tourists often tread. The route itself starts in Inverness, fires across to Fort William and then up to Ullapool, then Durness and across the north coast to John O'Groats and Wick, before heading down the north east coast back to Inverness.

We decided to put our own twist on the journey and did it in reverse, also starting in Wick, which would allow us time to visit the Orkney Islands on Day 1 and take in the Highland Park Whiskey Distillery tour. This meant a brutal 13 hour schlep up to Wick on Day 0 with most of us starting in the Home Counties around London. This also gave us chance on Day 1 to visit a second distillery on the route. Dunnet Bay Distillers specialise in high end Gin and Vodka, and the owner was more than happy to throw on a free tour with some samples for us. 

In our party we had the following cars: Porsche Cayman GT4, VW Golf R Estate, BMW M5 (E39), Porsche 911 (997), Porsche Cayman S (987), Subaru Impreza WRX, & a Honda Civic Type R (Wakita Jap import).

The Golf and Civic representing hot hatchery were going to struggle with the genuine sports cars on paper, despite being very quick cars, however front engines, front wheel drive, four wheel drive and committed driving meant they punched well above their weight throughout. Especially when the roads got slippery and the Porsches had to back off slightly. As the Golf R Estate owner, I couldn't have been prouder of the way the car kept up with the pack and when driven at 10 tenths, could stay on the tail of anything except the GT4 in the dry. In the wet though it would just grip and grip and grip. The Subaru was also scary quick and didn't even break down! But the Hero Award surely went to Simon in his Civic. Packing approx 100bhp less than most other cars at 240bhp, he was the most committed driver by far, and the sight of him nibbling at the rear of the £75k GT4 constantly was amusing to all. If you backed off for a second he'd be past you. Ten tenths all the time.

Comedy moments were provided by the biggest, heaviest and oldest car in the fleet, Nick's 16 year old M5. With a monster 4.9 litre V8 engine hauling almost two tons of steel and leather around on well used suspension, it was never going to be dynamically dominant. However the straight line power of it, meant it stayed in touch with everyone despite carrying some interesting angles through bends. At least it sounded great doing so with the (almost) straight through exhaust system. Unless of course if the Rick Astley cassette was playing, which it was. Most of the time.

But enough about the cars. The scenery was stunning. Absolutely beautiful. My biggest regret was (as Snapper Elect) not having more time to pose cars and shoot the landscapes. Such was the demands on us to get to hotels before kitchens closed (try finding alternatives in the villages we stayed in!). The light and weather comes and goes so quickly in Scotland during April. You have to just grab the light when you can.

The hotels and people were amazing too. Hotel owners calling the chef back to work just for us when we arrived late (Bettyhill Hotel). Opening up lounges just for us to drink in (Summer Isles Hotel). Letting us park in their personal car park spaces (Mackays Hotel in Wick). Such is the vastness of the region and lack of people, that we often met the same people twice, including a fellow petrolhead who we passed in a frenetically driven Mitsubishi truck with a sheep trailer on the back. That evening we praised his reluctance to let us pass easily, and the next day met him about 60 miles further west in his supercharged Audi RS4 and chatted to him for half an hour.

Fuel stops became highly strategic. All cars required Super Unleaded, although most (like my Golf) would happily run without fault on 95 RON fuel. Not so the Impreza. It's tuned state and potentially marshmallow engine internals required the highest grade possible. This wasn't helped by it's tiny fuel tank and sub 150 mile range when driven hard. Ullapool had the only Super Unleaded pump west of Thurso, so we stopped their twice to brim the tanks. Applecross had a Community Filling Station run by villagers for non-profit, such was it's remoteness.

For us the trip concluded at the wonderful Clachaig Inn in Glencoe. Sandwiched between the mountains, it looked more like a ski lodge, and we walked in to a traditional Scottish acoustic band playing and many locals singing. It was a wonderful atmosphere and a perfect place to sink a few whiskeys, laugh at the previous few days experiences and mentally prepare for the long slog home the next day. Here are some images to take you there.

For the full gallery of images from the trip - CLICK HERE