2021 and 2022 – Best Wedding Photography

Hello and welcome to our review of 2021 and 2022. It’s been two unforgettable years for us and the wedding industry. It was the busiest 18 months of our time as photographers – and the best, too. Below you’ll find some of our favourite images from this unique and wonderful time. The images we’ve chosen chronicle our story as wedding photographers over the last two years, as well as celebrating so many wedding days. Thanks so much to all our couples and their guests for letting us capture these magical moments; no image would exist without you.

The importance of weddings and wedding photography

Back in 2020, it seemed as if the earth stood still. The Covid 19 pandemic stopped life as we knew it and as a result, weddings were restricted in numbers and for long periods they weren’t allowed at all. We photographed just a handful of weddings in 2020 (one pictured below).

As photographers the time away from shooting weddings gave us the opportunity to reflect on the importance of what we do. Then, in July 2021, with the pandemic receding, weddings were permitted again – those vibrant, emotional, beautiful, social celebrations of love returned. Slowly, the rules started to disappear. The social distancing signs began to fade.

Since then, we have sensed a change in how people value the wedding day – less measured by how much is spent and much more by the meaning of the coming together of families and friends. In many cases people had been kept apart for long periods during the pandemic, and while the ceremony – civic, religious, neo-pagan or humanist – remains the centrepiece, the social gathering seems more meaningful, much more than just a party.

New beginnings

For us, the biggest moment was away from work when in July 2021 – the same month that we returned to photographing ‘big weddings’ – we welcomed Hugo into the world. A wonderful, beautiful, beguiling little boy (just like his brothers). Our family life is perfectly busy, made complete by our three boys. Here is Hugo, saying “Hello”, to the world (and his mummy) 18 months ago.

Rangefinder Rising Star, National Wedding Photographer Of The Year and all that jazz

Awards certainly aren’t everything. Making work that speaks about us as artists and people, making work that our couples love – that’s the important thing. However, we’ve worked so incredibly hard over 2021 and 2022. Winning many of the biggest awards our industry offers gives us an enormous sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, as we look back on all the weddings we’ve documented. Also, wedding photography awards have been important for us – not just for promoting our work – but for bringing us into contact with and learning from other professionals. They have have helped us to develop as photographers – they’ve connected us to people all over the world. We’ve made so many good friends through awards.

At the beginning of 2022, we were named The Wedding Industry Awards National Wedding Photographer Of The Year. It’s the biggest award of our career and one we are incredibly proud of. We still pinch ourselves thinking of that night, Hollie going up on stage to collect the award at the Underglobe Theatre in London. Our names joining some legendary figures in the photography industry as the overall winners of the Wedding Photographer Of The Year. Having won the award, we have since ‘retired’ from entering the TWIA awards. There is no bigger award to win and we’re now happy to be TWIA judges ourselves – we’re so excited to see next years entrants. You can see our TWIA award below, sitting on some book shelves. It stays there, unless our four year old gets it down to involve in his games – he is very careful with it (most of the time!)

We were delighted to win more awards over the last two years. We’re really proud of our achievements – a few in particular. First of all, back in 2021, we were named the Photographers Keeping It Real Photographers Of The Year. Photographers Keeping It Real celebrates the best in unposed wedding photography, so to be named their overall Photographer Of The Year was an incredible honour.

Then, at the end of 2022 wedding season, we received some amazing news from the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) – we discovered we were the Top Ranked UK photographers in both of their awards. First, Patrick was the top ranked UK Wedding Photojournalist for the second year in a row (and number four in the world). Then, Hollie was ranked as the top UK Artistic Guild Photographer (and number 11 in the world). To be the Top Ranked UK Photographers together, across both sides of the WPJA (both the Photojournalists and Artistic Guild) was a real honour. Synergy or serendipity? We’re not sure – perhaps a little of both! But mirroring each one another’s achievements in the WPJA made these two awards particularly special. Also, we were both ranked in the Fearless Photographers Top 100 Photographers In The World two years in a row, appearing in the Top 50 in 2021. We appeared on the Professional Photo Magazine list of Top UK Wedding Photographers for the first time, too

In 2022, we both appeared on the This Is Reportage (TIR) Best Storytellers Of The Year list and both appeared on the list of Top 10 UK Wedding Photographers. Patrick was named as one of the Top 10 Wedding Photographers In The World by TIR as well. We love This Is Reportage and all it stands for – promoting the best in artistic reportage photography. So, this Is Reportage awards always mean so much to us.

Last but definitely not least – at the end of the year, Hollie (pictured below!) was named one of Rangefinder Magazine’s Rising Stars Of Wedding Photography. Within the international wedding photography industry, the Rising Stars list stands above all other awards in terms of prestige. Only a very select number of wedding photographers ever appear on the list – Hollie had to keep checking the email to believe it was true. It really was something we’d never expected – and it was the perfect end to two incredible years.

Presenting at the NineDots Gathering

In 2022, we were given the opportunity to talk at the NineDots Gathering (an international wedding photography conference held in London). It was a whole new experience for us and one we learned so much from. We loved meeting so many photographers from around the world and found the whole conference inspiring – thanks so much to Andy and Rahul of NineDots for making us a part of it. We also continue to write articles and reviews for publications including Shotkit and SLR Lounge. Being able to present to – and engage with – other photographers is something we really enjoy. We’ve found it so fulfilling – giving back to (and learning from) our amazing community. Here’s Patrick presenting our talk at the NineDots Gathering (with apologies to Henri Cartier-Bresson for the bad pun). Image courtesy of Emmie Scott.

Documentary Wedding Photography Is Art

All the images we’ve chosen in the blog are unposed, taken without any direction from us. This is how we always work. We show people as they really were at that moment – we don’t impose ourselves on the day. This ‘documentary’ way of working suits us as people and as artists. We recognise that our images are both social history and art. Wedding photography is, for us, an accessible art, an art for everyone. One of our key themes in our NineDots presentation was: “be an artist”. This message is one we carry everywhere – this mantra informs how we work at every wedding.

When choosing a wedding photographer, you choose a photographer – an artist – to record the most important moments and little details of the biggest event of your life. You choose a photographer for their style and their approach – the way they see the world. As the American photographer Elliot Erwittsaid: “Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” For us and our couples that is meaningful art – art to hold onto and treasure forever, art that will form part of a shared family heritage.

Who needs sleep anyway?

As soon as weddings returned in July 2021, the world of the wedding industry exploded; it was without doubt the busiest ever time for all concerned. Scheduled weddings and postponed ones – alongside new bookings – had to be fitted into an incredibly hectic and exciting 18 months.  We were stimulated by the challenges to be flexible, to be creative and value the celebrations we were part of. Alongside our peers across the industry, we rose to the challenge. As we heard time and time again from other wedding suppliers: ‘who needs sleep anyway?’

2023 – another incredible year to look forward to

It’s been lovely looking back on 2021 and 2022. But what of 2023? Well, it’s going to be another incredible year. We know that from the locations we’re visiting and the people who have chosen us as their photographers. It will be a return to ‘normal’ too, for the wedding industry as a whole. So, a few less weddings to fit in this year, but no less love for what we do. So many new people to meet, new places to visit – so many new experiences. We can’t wait!

The best wedding photography of 2021 and 2022

However now we look back one last time, at the last two years. Emotional moments, poignant moments, funny moments – the big moments and the small details. Huge celebrations – a little chaos and so much fun – to beautifully intimate ceremonies. It was a pleasure to photograph them all. Thanks to all of our couples for choosing us to document these moments for you. Hollie & Patrick x

Wow – an incredible two years!

We hope you enjoyed scrolling through some of our favourite images from the last two years. All images taken by – and copyright of – Hollie and Patrick Mateer (edited by Hollie). We shot these images at amazing weddings which took place all over the UK in 2021 and 2022. Also included, a few images taken when we assisted our good friends Dave Scholes and Barnaby Staniland (thanks for having us along Barney and Dave!)

Seeing more of our award winning photography

This blog covers only a small selection of the amazing weddings we documented in 2021 and 2022. If you’d like to see more of our work, we have lots of useful links. You can see a selection of our awards winning photos here. Then, there’s our reportage details blog here (details captured in the context of a wedding day). Or, our best wedding reception images, our best confetti photos or best getting ready images. We have also collected lots of ceremony images here – and wedding speeches here. Lastly, our best party and dance floor images here. All of these blog links cover images photographed in 2021 or 2022.

Want to know more about what we do?

We’re pretty much booked up for 2023. However, if you’re looking for your photographer for your 2024 or 2025 wedding and you love what we do, we’d love to hear from you! You can contact us here. We look forward to hearing all about your plans for your day. Also, if you’re a fellow photographer and want to learn more about the mentoring and education opportunities we can offer you, please just drop us a message.