In the longer days of summer, Mr and Mrs Fiamor-Young got married! It's been such a pleasure getting to know Alex and Klenam over the past couple of years - from walking around Rydal for their engagement shoot to all the lead up to the big day - their love for each other, their families and friends and life in general made for a fantastic day. Great to meet Jane Ryder Make Up, shoot at St. Thomas' Church Kendal again and see the stunning views from Helsington!  Congrats Alex and Klenam, and thank you for including me in your day! ​

Almost two months ago Matthew and Jessica got married!  During a December family shoot in 2021, I'd shot this fab couple before they were engaged and thought there was something special there.  It wasn't very much afterwards that a proposal happened! It's always extra special for me to capture images of people across the years and so I was particularly pleased when they contacted me about photographing their day.  And such a beautiful day it was at South Farm with lots of laughter, photos in bath-tubs, wisteria, caravans and a little bit of magic. How gorgeous do the beautiful bride and groom look? Congratulations to you both!

Goodness what a shoot this was!! Having run up and down Haystacks (apparently Wainwright's favourite fell), I was well warmed up by the time I met Kenji and Georgia on the shores of Buttermere for their engagement shoot.  Having met overseas, the couple were visiting Georgia's childhood home over the summer and decided to have a shoot during their visit.  We wandered along the shores of the lake, and I had a whale of a time letting them celebrate being them (and clicking away in the process).  Their joy and love for each other is so evident in the photos.   It's been a pleasure spending time with these two (from the shoot to their little messages on their slideshow!) and their prints are going to be boxed up soon.  I love my job!

In October 2021,  I had the immense pleasure of spending the day with Darryl and Naomi - along with family and friends - as they celebrated ten years of married life by renewing their vows.  By my height and my name, it's very clear that I'm a Guernsey girl (not a relative of Walter though!) and this beautiful family moved to the Lake District just before Covid from Guernsey too.  There's a small but strong group of islanders who have made Cumbria their home!  I'd not crossed over with Darryl and Naomi before (unusual in Guernsey circles!!) and so it was a double delight to meet them and record their day.  

The service - which was filled with celebration and warmth - was at St. James' Church followed by a fantastic reception at Woodlands Country House in Ireby.  The Etoile String Quartet played beautifully at both locations and after months of little or no live music, their playing added to the emotion of the day which was already full of so much joy and love.  If anyone is considering how to celebrate a marriage milestone, I can think of no better life and love-affirming way to do so! Congratulations Darryl and Naomi!

​With weddings feeling a little bit closer every day, it's a good time to celebrate them!  If you haven't seen it yet, the new edition of Your North West Wedding magazine is out and de la Mare Creative features on quite a few pages!  You can see images from the styled shoot I was involved with at Calthwaite Hall, a feature on the new Polaroid options in our wedding collections and a few of our favourite photos! 

Last September I had the privilege to be involved with a styled shoot at the beautiful Calthwaite Hall, shooting the 'behind the scenes' film.  It was a fantastic day and a great opportunity to be wedding'y' in the midst of this strange year!   Thanks to Annabel Candler and the whole team.

On a beautifully chilly day in January, Ben and Ailsa got married! We had a lovely wedding wander around the balmy Winter Gardens in Duthrie Park, Aberdeen. Lots of joy and beauty in these photos! Congratulations!

Just before Christmas we had the pleasure of spending a wintery day with these lovely people down in the South Lakes at St. Thomas' Church in Kendal.  The day was crisp and the atmosphere was joyful with lots of smiles and laughter! Congratulations to the lovely Mr and Mrs Theobald! 

It's been a busy two or three months leading to a very delayed 'Best of 2017'.  I almost considered leaving it until 2018 but there were so many lovely moments in the last year that I thought it was worth popping them up even if they are a little late.  Thank you to all those who have appeared through the lens of the de la Mare camera this year!
​

Starting with a stunning Couple's shoot for Simon and Bethany in January, following their London wedding, this year's weddings have been a joy! There's a couple in here too of Tom and Hannah's stunning Graphistudio album that arrived this year.  Congratulations one and all.

It's hard categorising photos - a few in here could fit into the lovely people section, just they aren't people! Getting out and about or shooting pets in the studio were some of the highlights of 2017, with another successful Pet Week in Angel Square and lots of opportunities for capturing nature.

It's been such a pleasure to work with lots of different local businesses and organisations again this year including the beautiful work of mj cabinetmakers, a stunning fashion collection, work for the wonderful Ullswater Community College (including a little bit of Joey Essex) and Eden Boutique and a project for Hospice at Home's 20th anniversary including a visit from The Duchess of Gloucester.  If you don't know about Hospice at Home, please check out their website - it's a wonderful charity.

Really, it's all about people.  Thank you to all of these people who spent a little portion of their 2017 with me as we preserved a few memories together.