#ShareTheHonestLove

Unless you’ve been hiding under a huge pile of autumn leaves and you are anything to do with weddings then you will know exactly what I am talking about with this simply titled blog post. I felt it was probably about time, in my most busiest period, that I took some time to write about how – quite simply – OVERWHELMING it is that an image of mine started such a massive campaign and has struck a chord with so many. It started with Fetcham Park’s Laura Caudery on her blog here, and was quickly picked up by the media – on Love My Dress here (where it will now be a regular feature), Stylist magazine here and Brides Magazine here…. The instagram hashtag has gone crazy – just go along and type in #sharethehonestlove – go on do it. It’s amazing!

A little background is probably required. I am very fortunate to photograph many amazing weddings, and when I meet my couples I always talk to them how important it is to me that I capture the story of their day, the emotions, the love, the reason they are all there….not just the details. I like to think this is  why my couples have booked me. They have seen beautiful images of other couples that I have photographed and all the pretty details, but the images that they talk about and make them ooo and ahhh in the presentation slideshow are the ones that show the emotion. The dad seeing his daughter for the first time in her wedding dress, the bridesmaid welling up for her best friend, a mother proud of her son, a look of absolute devotion at the alter. And this is what the campaign wants to remind everyone, brides and wedding industry alike….

This particular photograph that started a global revolution (it will be) was at one of my weddings at Fetcham Park in Surrey. Probably one of the most emotional weddings I have been too. There were a lot of happy tears that day! Laura Caudery who runs Fetcham Park has became part of a very exclusive list – one of my best friends – and it all happened through a spot of networking on my part after I was fortunate enough to do a photoshoot there back in the venue’s launch days. I was then asked by Laura to photograph at her son’s 1st birthday party and christening where we got some very precious pictures of them as a family before very sadly her husband passed away only a few days later. Not only did that have a huge effect on me, after spending time getting to know them as a brand new family but as I already knew Laura and I were going to become firm friends. As a person with experience of huge grief myself I wanted to be there for my friend as much as I could. Fast forward a couple of years and she still hasn’t shaken me off and I absolutely love it when I work at Fetcham – not only do I get to work with one of my best friends but it is such a delight. Everyone is so very well looked after from bride, to guest to supplier. I am so very proud of her now for impulsively starting such a poignant campaign and so very proud it started with an image of mine. And although I have digressed, in short, she wanted to remind everyone, influenced by her own experience too, to keep in mind when organising a wedding what it is all about.

I wanted to share a few particularly emotion filled images of mine to promote the premise behind this campaign – so, when you are organising your flowers, favours, bridesmaid dress colours – don’t forget the real reason you are organising this special day….to marry the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. For better for worse, for richer for poorer….

Many thanks to my assistant photographer: Emma Brown