UK Wedding Photographer of the year
This year has been an absolute whirlwind already (it's only January) it still feels so surreal to have been named the National Wedding Photographer of the Year at The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) 2025. It's both a dream come true and a reflection of years of passion, hard work, and the encouragement of my wonderful couples and industry friends.
The Decision to Enter
It all started late last year when I finally decided to go for it. I'd heard of TWIA (some of my favourite photographers had won in previous years), but I'd always thought it was purely a numbers game; whoever got the most votes would win, etc. After chatting with fellow photographers and digging into how the awards work, I realised it's about the quality of feedback from couples, not just the quantity of votes. So, I paid the entry fee and gathered my courage to email all my eligible clients ("A small favour..."), and was blown away by how enthusiastically they filled out those forms—no hesitation, just loads of support and kind words. "We're crossing our fingers" and "You deserve this" were some of the lovely replies. Alongside these client feedback forms, we also had to curate and submit 10 of our strongest images/ images that we felt show off our unique approach and style (I've included my final selection at the end of this blog post). Alongside those images, we also had to write a lot of answers about various aspects of our business, why we work the way we do, what drives us, etc, all while making sure these answers aligned with our visuals. Essentially, it is a lot of admin for a Dyslexic person with an attention deficit! Luckily, I'm also an extremely persistent person, and all those stars are aligned in time for the deadline.

Regional Success & Nine Dots Fun
First came the regional finals. I was over the moon to win for the North West, even though I couldn't attend the ceremony in person. That didn't dampen the excitement or stop the fun! I got to celebrate at the Annual Nine Dots Gathering Event with some incredible wedding photographers, complete with karaoke and prosecco and just before they announced me as a speaker for the next year, a pretty perfect way to toast a big milestone.
The Main Event: January 22nd
Then, it was onto the national awards at the Underglobe in London on January 22nd. The venue was more imposing than I expected—there were even acrobats performing while we waited for the big reveal. I headed there with my TWIA "date," Olly Knight, who ended up getting Highly Commended (go, Olly!). Meeting up with the other national finalists before the ceremony was a highlight too, the camaraderie in this industry never ceases to amaze me.




Gratitude & Going Forward
When they announced I'd won, I was so overwhelmed! I felt immense gratitude for everyone who's backed me: my incredible couples, my industry pals, and all the mentors who helped me grow. This award is owed in part to all the relationships, experiences, and stories that have shaped my work.




I want to send a huge thank you to each and every couple who's entrusted me with their memories. This win is a celebration of you—your warmth, your stories, and the magic you bring to my photography. I'm so thankful for couples who let me work my way, with no limitations, and let me share in their personal joy.
So now it's time for the rest of 2025, I'm not even sure how I can top this, but I couldn't be more excited to keep creating, telling stories, and pushing the boundaries of what I can do.
With love,
CHELSEA X
P.s. - the Images!
Alongside my written submission I also had to select 10 images that best showcased my unique approach and style. I've used a few of these images for various submissions over the years including this first one that I felt most strongly showed my approach and also may stand out from the crowd for being a little bit - Marmitey! I hope you like my image selection and enjoyed reading all about my TWIA experience.









