2020 – well, what can I say…2020 didn’t quite pan out how any of us expected it too! After postponing and cancelling lots of my booked weddings for 2020, Sian and Andy were my first couple to go ahead with their Covid secure Barns & Yard wedding! This was quite a daunting prospect for them, the venue, me, and all the suppliers involved.

This was my first time photographing a Barns & Yard wedding: a luxury barn wedding and events venue at Hanley Hall in Worcestershire, surrounded by the Malvern Hills.

I did a few getting ready shots of the girls before the ceremony…all masked up of course (which I found out is a complete nightmare when you wear glasses!)

All the stunning flowers at this Barns & Yard wedding were by Jenny Fleur Florist, who also decorated the barn, which looked amazing inside ready for the Covid secure socially-distanced ceremony!

Andy the groom was looking rather dapper, along with his elbow-bumping (no more hand-shaking obviously!) best men as they greeted the guests, whose numbers had to be reduced to less than 30. Little did we know earlier in the year that there would be no more big weddings for a LONG time.

The guests were entertained by talented pianist Jake Henry.

Sian arrived in her wedding car with bridesmaids, flower girl and her father to walk her down the (very short!) aisle where Andy was nervously waiting.

And so the ceremony was under way with all guests socially distanced in their bubbles. This was before the law changed later in the year which meant all guests had to wear masks.

The ‘reception’ in the courtyard was also very different – at this point in the pandemic no food or drink could be served, so the guests had to awkwardly say their congratulations with none of the usual hugging and whilst clutching their own bottle of water!

It didn’t stop the fun & laughter though.

A video had been put together for Sian & Andy from guests that were no longer able to come to their wedding due to the new Covid rules.

We were allowed to do socially distanced group photos, and I could take some photos of the gorgeous couple Sian & Andy by the stunning lake.

We are now all beginning to get used to all these new Covid rules & regulations, but for my first Covid wedding, Sian & Andy made their very special day really good fun to photograph and I wish them all the best for the future. As long as we can all still laugh in the face of a Pandemic I think we’ll be OK!