3 Olaf Street, Athenaeum Hotel, Chateau Soulac, CHESHIRE, Chester Town Hall, Culzean Castle, CUMBRIA, Destination weddings, Engaged!, FRANCE, Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool, Inspiration & ideas, IRELAND, Iscoyd Park, Kilshane House, LANCASHIRE, LONDON & HOME COUNTIES, MERSEYSIDE, Mitton Hall Hotel, Normanton Church, NORTH WALES, OXFORDSHIRE, Rutland, Sandhole Oak Barn, SCOTLAND, SHROPSHIRE, Soughton Hall Hotel, Flintshire, Tatton Park, The Athenaeum, The Belle Epoque, The big day, The Lodge on the Loch, The Louise Blouin Foundation, The River & Rowing Museum, Wedding Venues, Weddings Claire Penn 3 Olaf Street, Athenaeum Hotel, Chateau Soulac, CHESHIRE, Chester Town Hall, Culzean Castle, CUMBRIA, Destination weddings, Engaged!, FRANCE, Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool, Inspiration & ideas, IRELAND, Iscoyd Park, Kilshane House, LANCASHIRE, LONDON & HOME COUNTIES, MERSEYSIDE, Mitton Hall Hotel, Normanton Church, NORTH WALES, OXFORDSHIRE, Rutland, Sandhole Oak Barn, SCOTLAND, SHROPSHIRE, Soughton Hall Hotel, Flintshire, Tatton Park, The Athenaeum, The Belle Epoque, The big day, The Lodge on the Loch, The Louise Blouin Foundation, The River & Rowing Museum, Wedding Venues, Weddings Claire Penn

2013: a year of firsts....

Those who have succeeded at anything and don't mention luck are kidding themselves. ~ Larry King

I have been VERY lucky.  Last year was an incredibly busy one and whilst I DID work my butt off, lady luck was definitely helping me along.  : )

It was a year of some pretty huge 'firsts' for me....my first ever published wedding in 'Wedding' magazine;  my first real wedding features on Rock My Wedding, Rock and Roll Bride AND Love My Dress;  my first nomination for the Wedding Industry Awards 'Best Photographer' which gained me a Regional Finalist shortlist spot and some incredible feedback from my couples; and my first 'destination' wedding in Ireland (if that counts!) followed by another in France which also meant my first time driving a left hand drive car - scary times.

So yes... an absolutely mind blowing year for the business but a tough year in many other ways.  Some days it's still hard to believe I pulled it off!  But I did and now I'm excited and looking forward to this new year.  I have reached and passed my target for the year with so many incredible weddings & awesome couples booked in and I've still managed to organise my time wisely so I get some weekends off to catch my breath, have a lie in and spend time with my husband (and the new hound!).

Anyway, I won't harp on but THANK YOU to my wonderful husband and incredible friends & family who listen. love and generally put up with me, to all my sha-mazing friends in the wedding industry (Clickers, Baconeers, Guilders, Light Loungers) and my brilliant brilliant couples both those from 2013 who quite frankly rocked the SHIT out of their weddings and those for 2014/15 who I trust will do the same!

Here are some of my favourites.  I'd get comfy if I were you, you're going to be here a while.  Those that make it to the end, there's bottled water and those silver foil coat thingies...

Read More