I’m really amazed to say that for a second year running I won both the 2025 South East Wedding Photographer of the Year award in November and then picked up the 2025 UK Wedding Photographer of the Year Highly Commended award at the Wedding Industry Awards national finals in January!
2025 South East Wedding Photographer of the Year
So back in November I travelled down to Sussex for the South East final with Tom Cawdron and James Richard. These two are good friends of mine and I also mentored them over the years too. Both these chaps received highly commended for the South East Region before I picked the overall winner award. I think I might have been even happier for Tom and James than I was for myself! I felt like some kind of proud Dad (although I’m definitely not old enough to be their Dad… maybe older Brother…) Needless to say it was a very happy car ride back to Kent (getting back at 1am!) Here’s some of the images from the night…
2025 UK Wedding Photographer of the Year Highly Commended
Much like in 2024 I went into the national finals not expecting much and knowing that another finalist was one of my photography heroes! The amazing Chelsea Cannar got the overall UK win and I was very happy to get runner up spot. Chelsea is one of the very best documentary wedding photographers and a lovely person too. After hanging out we now want to photograph a wedding together! I was also very happy that both of us being ginger picked up the awards (the haters at my secondary school take note please…) Here’s some of the images taken by Matt Rock and and my friend Colin Lavery
I’m so pleased that the wedding industry is still prizing documentary photography. I’ve never changed my honest, documentary, storytelling approach to photographing weddings. I’ve never wanted to change to fit in with industry trends or to chase fads. Documentary style is still very much alive and kicking! I wanted to thank the Brides & Grooms for voting for me and for trusting me to photograph their wedding days. It’s a huge honour. Thanks to the judges as well, there’s some of my photography heroes in that bunch too. Well done to the other winners and finalists. I’m undecided whether I’ll try again for 2026 but for now I’m very grateful.
