Four weddings in 5 weeks leading into Christmas has meant too little attention to this blog: my apologies to everyone for that. To make up for the quiet weeks I want to offer a few images from those busy days. That's a "thank you" to my lovely brides and a gift of beauty to all my readers.
Two of these recent weddings were part of the "Second Time Around" series - we think people who choose to remarry, especially a little later in life - are a very special group, and we think very carefully about their photography and how it should be managed. The more mature bride has a different kind of beauty and qualities that set her apart from the more typical twenty-something bride, and she deserves to have those qualities displayed and recognised. 
Couples in this situation also have different attitudes and expectations to those entering into marriage for the first time, but they come to a "new" marriage from many different places in life - from divorce, from widowhood; with wonderful past relationships and from social and personal tragedy. Often there are adult children from both sides whose feelings have to be considered very carefully. That also affects how we approach our role in recording their wedding day: it is a special responsibility to the families as well as to the couple.
Of the remaining three weddings, there is one I am sad to say I cannot share with you. Like many Asian brides I have photographed, Amisha and her family value their privacy so much that they are uncomfortable to have any photos online. That's a shame from my point of view, because despite her reservations about how she looks in photos, she was one of the most beautiful girls I have had the honour of photographing.
The other two have caused me a bit of grief in the wedding fraternity--
Unlike some of my colleagues, I will not include photographs of professional models in my portfolio. There isn't anything wrong with the practice, but all the photos that appear in this blog and in other sites I contribute to are from real weddings. The trouble is that I have been having trouble convincing some people that Chantelle and Michelle are not professional models hired for a "wedding shoot". They are not - but I have to admit it is very easy to why I have been "accused". So here they are - new brides, second-time brides, some traditional and some unconventional and all very special.
They and so many other have made 2010 a wonderful year to be a wedding photographer. I am taking a break now - no more bookings until mid January. Plenty of time for family and friends and the busy-ness of Christmas and the New Year holidays. The kids will be coming home (all 6 of them) with their husbands, wives, girl-and-boy friends, and all the grandkids, too. Michael has already moved back in, Jeanelle arrives this afternoon and by Boxing Day we will be pretty well crowded out. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Work was never so tiring as holidaying, still I'd not miss it for the world.
To my readers, followers and friends, I wish you a joyous Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
David
