Why I Became a Specialist Handfasting and Pagan Wedding Photographer UK
I have not always called myself a Specialist Handfasting and Pagan Wedding Photographer. I used to simply advertise for outdoor weddings.
That’s all I had to do for ‘my people’ to be able to find me.
Then covid hit, and everyone wanted to be outdoors. And the whole vibe of outdoor weddings changed completely.
Previously the reserve of those with a deep love and respect for nature, getting married outdoors had suddenly become the most elegant and fashionable choice.
From Outdoor Photographer to Handfasting and Pagan Wedding Photographer UK
So I had the idea of creating a styled photo shoot with and for suppliers like me, who wanted to continue to serve our people.
I found…well, veeeery few.
There are plenty of fabulous alternative wedding suppliers, but most are style based, like boho or goth. And while I loved them and their work, it didn’t feel like there were any wedding suppliers really serving our values, spirituality, and religious path.
Why Pagan and Wiccan Weddings should be served much better
Paganism and Wicca* are a fast growing group, but still just a small part of the population. So it is no surprise that it is still quite hard to find our own amongst all the wedding suppliers.
However, I totally get why couples want pagan suppliers.
Paganism is still very little understood amongst the wider public. From blank stares to outright misunderstanding what it is, all reactions are possible.
I believe that couples looking for wedding suppliers deserve better than having to explain themselves and their path over and over again.
I Believe You Deserve Suppliers Who Get You
Yes we are a minority, but we are also an incredibly fast growing minority.** And we deserve to be served by wedding suppliers who understand us and our needs.
I know photography is my work. And I understand that it is supposed to be ‘just a job’.
But it’s not!
There are actually few people in the wedding industry who it is just a job for.
My couples are important to me.
I not only want my couples to have a fabulous set of photos at the end. I also want them to have the best, most relaxed experience creating their photos. The way you achieve this, is to work with what we call: your own tribe.
And well, my tribe is the pagan community in all its colourful and magical expressions. These are the people I feel at home with, these are the people who I understand. And who in turn get me.
What Happened Next on My Journey to Become a Specialist Pagan Wedding Supplier
So I went looking for other specialist pagan wedding suppliers… and found a very small number.
It is a very friendly and inclusive community, but there are too few!
And that is how I started to specialise to serve the community I deeply care about, the community I am part of, and I became the specialist Handfasting and Pagan Wedding Photographer I am today.
I Am Here To Make Your Pagan or Wiccan Wedding Planning Much Easier
I am here for you!
While I appreciate that there are many expressions of our paths, I speak your language.
I understand the elements of a handfasting, what they are and what is important. Regardless of whether your ceremony is obviously pagan or more generic to be more inclusive for your non-pagan guests.
If you would like to find out how I work and know whether I might be available to cover your handfasting or pagan wedding, please drop me a message via my contact form.
I Got Something More for You
If you are wondering which pagan wedding traditions you can include without your non-pagan guests noticing, check out my blog 5 Beautiful Wedding Traditions of Pagan Origin.
And if you are just looking for something that explains what paganism is to your guests, I find the definition and description in this article about Pagan Pride helpful.
If you want to go full on with pagan traditions at your handfasting, you might be surprised to hear that you can have a legally binding pagan handfasting in the UK and some other countries, as I explain here: Is a Handfasting Legally Binding in these 8 Countries?
Bright blessings,
Handfasting And Pagan Wedding Photographer UK and EU
* I know some wiccans identify as pagan and some don’t. I refer to us as one group and call it ‘pagans and wiccans’ here, because this is how the split occurs in the census.
** While in the 2011 census in England and Wales (sorry, I don’t have the figures for Scotland or Northern Ireland) there were 68 000 people identifying as pagan or wiccan, by 2021 this number had risen to 87 000. That’s more than a 25% increase.
