The Wedding Industry Awards 2018 | Wedding Photographer of the Year Regional Finalist!
Yippee, I did it! On Monday I found out that I've been shortlisted in the South East Region for The Wedding Industry Awards 2018 Wedding Photographer of the Year!
Us creative types aren't always the best at blowing our own trumpet, so I hope my regular readers won't mind me taking a break from my usual wedding blog format to share my exciting news with you all. The Wedding Industry Awards (TWIA) is one of most well respected awards in the wedding industry, and the South East Region is one of the most competitive in the UK, with the heavily subscribed photography category fiercely contested!
Why am I excited to be a TWIA Regional Finalist?
One of the key reasons why TWIA is held in such high regard within the industry is that the award is based on actual client feedback, and is in no way a popularity contest. The only people who are eligible to vote are the entrant's own clients from the previous 12 months of weddings. The judging process is also designed not to penalise companies such as mine, which choose to focus on delivering a high level of customer service to a smaller number of clients. Instead of being just about numbers, it's about the quality of the feedback and the percentage of clients giving that feedback.
Voting encompassed a wide range of criteria; in addition to voting on the quality of the images received, my clients were asked to vote on all aspects of the service provided - both on the day, and in the lead up to and after the wedding. As such, achieving Regional Finalist is an especially lovely way to receive recognition of the service I provide directly from my clients.
Time to ditch the sensible shoes!
The next stage in the competition is the South East Region Awards Evening, which will be held at Blackstock Country Estate (a stunning wedding venue I've had the pleasure of photographing at) in East Sussex in about three weeks' time. Now it's down to the judges, who will be scrutinising each of the finalists beyond the scoring, looking at the comments made by clients, the quality of our work and how we run our businesses. And whilst it would be fantastic to win an award, I am realistic about the quality of the competition and happy to have got this far.
I'm just as excited to simply be letting my hair down with my wedding industry friends, after what's been an incredibly fun and busy season! Not least because two of my good friends and talented industry colleagues have also made the finals in their respective categories - Claire, a celebrant at Creating Ceremony and Kim, of Kimberley Louise Makeup. Time for me to swap those comfy Clarks for heels and get a little glammed up for a change!
A big, big thank you to all of my lovely clients
To any of my clients who are reading this, here's another chance for me to give you a big, big, thank you for your vote. It means a great deal to me, and I can't wait to receive all of your voting comments (at least, those of you who chose not to remain anonymous!) once the competition is completed.
Getting married and would like to know more?
Please do get in touch and let me know all your plans! If I'm still available on your date, I'll ping you over a brochure with all the info on pricing and the service I provide. If not, I'll happily recommend another local photographer for you to check out.
Jenny x
