Merry Christmas!!

What on earth happened to 2007? Where did the last 12 months just disappear to? Is it just me?! It must be a reality check to remind me to work less and smell the roses more!

Thinking back on 2007, I really have had the privilege of photographing some of the most wonderful and generous bride & grooms on the planet. 'Generous' in terms of their willingness to give me enough time to create beautiful pictures on their wedding day. And 'wonderful' because they just are!! And it's no wonder that I want to repay their faith and trust in me by working all the hours.

My favourite image of 2007?...close run thing but here it is. Thank you Rachel for being a supermodel! Expect the phone to ring because I'll be begging you & Ian to don your wedding attire again for a post-wedding day photoshoot (just to show my team how it's done). And without the pressures of a wedding day, it's going to be serious fun! I'm thinking of snowboarding or causing a clammer in the city with some glamorous B&G posing...you guys will rock!

If there's one thing that I've learned this year; it's that creating beautiful photographs is truly a team effort. Between the photographer & the bride & groom. With both sides giving their all. So here's my recipe for breath-taking wedding pictures:

(i) A relaxed, spaced out schedule on your wedding day created in collaboration with me! Give your photographer a decent swing at it - no-one can work miracles in 5mins (not even me) but I can get pretty damn close in 50mins. Let me offer my experience on what timings work (gleaned over 1000 weddings attended).

(ii) A talented and creative photographer who will give 110% of his heart & soul to you and your family & friends throughout your entire wedding day. I can guarantee you this one.

(iii) A willingness to try anything (allow yourself the freedom to simply have FUN, FUN, FUN, come what may)!!! Even if it's blowing a gale and blizzarding a snowstorm outside your Scottish castle - grab your champagne, grab your new husband/wife and grab your wellies - in whichever order you choose. We're going outside for the photograph of a lifetime! And each anniversary you'll look back in disbelief at that mad, wonderful moment when you both decided 'heck with the blizzard, it's our day, let's just go outside, have a snowball fight and dance in the white stuff'! And years from now, like when you have grandchildren, everytime it snows on Christmas day, only the two of you will know what you're smiling about.