Best wedding photography of 2016 by Martin Bell Photography

2016.

366 days.

8784 hours.

52,7050 minutes.

37 weddings.

14,458 images produced.

1 new and beautiful addition to my ever growing family.

Wow, where to begin with this year?! It has been full of wonderful moments both professionally and personally but I think the highlight (and a tad selfish here) has to be the birth of my second baby girl – Connie. She entered the world two weeks early and just before my wedding season really kicked off – to many of my couples relief 😉 She brightens my mood every day and seeing my eldest – Hetty – bond so beautifully with her is truly wonderful. I love you both ‘to the moon and back’.

Professionally – what a fantastic year!!! I have photographed a total of 37 weddings across 5 counties producing 14,458 wedding images to very happy couples – wow, that’s a lot of photographs! Without a shadow of a doubt 2016 has brought some incredible moments and whilst putting this annual blog post together I was able to reflect on just how amazing it has been. It has made me realise, as every year does, that I am incredibly thankful for a lot of things and I must thank a few people who have made this year what it has been. To the wedding suppliers I have worked with for making my photographs look so much better. Thank you. To the amazing venues I have worked at – it has been a pleasure to work at some of the largest Hampshire wedding venues as well as venues further afield. Thank you. To the many wedding guests I have met along the way – you have made my job all the more easier and given me moments that all my couple will look back on to remember their special day. Thank you. But most importantly there are people who put their trust in you as a wedding photographer and believe that you are the one to make their whole wedding look amazing. To capture moments of their wedding day which bring back the emotions they felt in an instant. To my wonderful couples from 2016, you are incredible people and I cannot thank you enough for the trust you bestowed in me and for the incredible time I have spent with you. You have all been amazing and it has been a pleasure to work with you and document your story. Thank you. I must also say a personal thank you to my incredible wife – Christie – for the endless support and belief in me. You are truly amazing and I am so thankful that you are in my life.

With regards to the photographs for this blog post there isn’t a perfect strategy for choosing the perfect collection and these aren’t necessarily the best wedding photographs I have ever taken. They do however summarise everything that 2016 has represented for myself and the wonderful weddings that I have documented. I have had favourite images that I have shot throughout the year and these always come to the forefront of my mind when compiling this post but it is only when cycling through all of the photographs from the past year that I realise how many perfect moments that I have to choose from. The collection below documents this year perfectly and I hope you love my story of 2016.

And what for 2017?? A year full of anticipation and hope as we go into new territory. A year with new resolutions, and quite probably broken resolutions if my past years are to go by 😉 A year where I will grow further and adapt to the ever-changing world around me. My plan – sit back and enjoy the ride because I have no doubt that it is going to be a good one.

Merry Christmas everyone and I wish you a very happy and fulfilling 2017.