Special Stories & Memorable Moments from my 2024 Weddings
Much in the same way that a parent (probably) couldn’t tell you which is their favourite child, I can’t pick a single favourite moment, or photo from 2024. Instead, I’m going to be very diplomatic and list a handful of unforgettable moments and special stories from the year gone by. Ranging from big-summer-blowouts to tear-jerking first looks; let’s take a trip down memory lane…
Intimate Early
First Look
Panny & Rob | Shuttleworth House
I’m all for breaking the mould to create the day you have always dreamed of. Throw tradition out the window and celebrate exactly how you want; that’s what Panny & Rob did with their private first-look and pre-ceremony couples photoshoot. They created a moment for themselves to be completely authentic and present with one another, it was a truly special event to document. Moving the couples photoshoot to earlier in the day also meant that they didn’t have to miss out on any of the drinks reception fun while all their friends and family would want to congratulate and celebrate with them. When they first described it to me I’ll be perfectly honest and say that it sounded like they were moving the day around to suit the photos, but it was the complete opposite, they were moving the less important photos around to suit their day and it totally worked. It made me wonder why it’s not more popular; maybe one day this will be the new norm!
Football’s
Coming Home
Adam & Laura | The Old Hall Ely
Rather than turning a blind eye to the story gripping the nation (England reaching the Euros final), Adam and Laura decided to embrace the hype and incorporate it into their day with a wedding breakfast entrance like no other. In typical British fashion, their guests formed and orderly queue to grab a flag from the ushers and the marquee slowly filled. The familiar tune started to play, and the lyrics that were on everyone’s lips around the country sang out… it’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home. In came Adam and Laura to a sea of waving flags. Everyone was on their feet, singing and dancing along - it was absolutely magical.
It’s a shame that it didn’t bring any good fortune, as we all know what happened the day after. I shall say no more on the matter. There’s always the world cup in 2026?
The Award for Best
Best Man Goes to…
Stefanie & Paul | The Chequers Fowlmere
Master Alfie Discroll - Alfie for short - was undeniably the goodest boy and bestest man there ever was. He melted everyone’s hearts as he pitter pattered his way down the aisle to deliver the wedding rings to his Mum and Dad, Stef & Paul. Not only was he well behaved, but he was also looker so handsome in his dicky bowtie. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: pets at weddings are a fantastic idea.
Beautiful in
Black & White
Joe & Izzie | Eastington Park
You probably know how much I love Black & White photography. I’m dreaming of the day I get to capture and deliver a wedding entirely in B&W and that dream was only strengthened by Joe & Izzie’s stunning wedding at Eastington Park which leant itself so often to the look, from the tuxedos to the soft natural light of the day, to the contrasty and elegant British architecture of the house. I knew Joe and Izzie were fan’s of black and white too, so I opted to deliver their sneak peek gallery in B&W, further adding to the tease of the preview gallery.
Show-Stopping
Choreographed
First Dances
This year I got to bear witness to so many incredible first dances. From confetti canons and creative choreography, to sunset stunners and classic crowd-pleasers. I must say however, there are a few couples who completely blew my socks off with their incredible dance moves; in no particular order: Alex & Lauren, Panny & Rob and David & Agne - you guys absolutely smashed it and put on such a great show for your guests to get them in the party mood!
P.S. Alex you also get the award for teariest groom!
“7th June… that’s
in 6 days time?!”
Nigel & Ali | The Finches Arms
After a little bit of number crunching I worked out that my average booking period is 287 days, so you’ll understand that when I was chatting with Nigel on the phone on 1st June and he told me he was getting married on 7th June I was a little shocked to hear he was indeed talking about 2024 and not 2025 or beyond. Nevertheless, I was available, willing and excited to get to work!
With all the last-minute preparations, I didn’t get the chance to meet Nigel and Ali in-person before their wedding so I wasn’t 100% sure what I’d signed up for. I vividly remember knocking on their hotel room door to be greeted with a big hug from Ali, and a glass of prosecco from Nigel. I could quickly tell it was going to be a fantastic day, and I wasn’t wrong!
Cultural Fusion:
Polish-Malaysian Wedding
Kamil & Natasha
Home Farm Events
Despite having so much in common (nothing more than their love of cycling) Natasha and Kamil’s families come from very different backgrounds, each with their own traditions and customs. I’ve seen it before where one person in a relationship has conformed to the traditions of the other; instead Natasha and Kamil chose to fuse their heritage and own interests into a unique wedding celebration that both honoured their families cultures and played into their own hobbies and interests. I can’t think of a wedding where so many of the decisions had a deep meaning to it.
“That sounds just
like my wedding!”
Samantha & Ashley
Ferrar House, Little Gidding
If you described a wedding like this to me:
“It’s July 2024, the middle of summer; there’s a white sailcloth marquee on the top of a hill, with a view over the undulating hills of the Cambridgeshire countryside; the space is decorated with hand-picked flowers from family members gardens and homemade signs made out of off-cuts of wood; garden games lie on the grass waiting to be played; a LOT of effort has gone into making today a reality and it’s all about to come together after over a year of planning”,
I couldn’t say for certain if you were describing my own or Sam & Ash’s. If you then said it was pouring with rain, I would instantly know you were talking about my wedding… but if you said that the sun was shining, then I would know you were referring to Sam and Ashley’s wedding.
Sharing the wedding journey this year with other couples has been truly special, and experience that I’ll (hopefully) never get to do in the same way again. I’ve had countless conversations with my couples about the plans for their day like what confetti they’re going to use, or what their first dance song is going to be, or what their seating chat theme is. None came as close to each other as ours and Sam & Ash’s; when we would chat about things you’d constantly hear us saying “oh yeah we’re doing that too”, and it was so lovely to have found so much in common.
Passing the Baton
Chloe & Chris | Three Hills, Bartlow
At Chloe & Chris’s wedding I had the fortune of meeting Nick from Vintage Wedding cars; he was their chauffeur for the day, safely transporting them to and from the Cambridge Register Office in the city centre, before returning to The Three Hills in Bartlow to celebrate with their family and friends. Nick took us the along the scenic route, allowing Chloe & Chris a few more precious minutes to spend in just their own company, before their busy afternoon of partying. It was the perfect day for a countryside drive; the autumn colours were vivid in the bright sunlight, and the remnants of the recent snow were clinging on in the shadows.
Not wanting to burst Chloe & Chris’s bubble, Nick and I were chatting away between ourselves and we spoke about how it was a milestone day for both of us. For me, it was 50th wedding and last of the year; for Nick it was his 450th and his last ever! He’d been running his vintage car chauffeur business for 15 years now and was ready to hang up his hat for good. We shared stories of weddings gone by and I listened to Nick’s exciting retirement plans.
I have the joy of working with so many fantastic, hand-picked suppliers at weddings, however sometimes you do meet some who don’t appreciate the privilege of their role in someone’s special day. Nick and I were so aligned in our views on how grateful we are to have been able to turn our passion into a career, and for it to be meaningful to someone else. I hope that one day I’ll have the fortune of looking back over 450 weddings like Nick, filled with fond memories and hilarious stories to share around the dinner table.
If you’ve made it this far in the blog, thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with me; I’ve really enjoyed recalling so many of the fantastic memories from the year. I’m looking forward to resting up over the Christmas break, before hitting the ground running next year! See you on the other side!
