A wedding videographers 2020
Crikey, this is a hard year to sum up.
I, with my partner, toasted in the new year from an oasis of a hotel in remote Namibia. We had forced ourselves to stay awake as we were exhausted from a long off-road drive to see cave paintings - this, by the way, is one of the most touching experiences I have had. We wanted to celebrate at midnight because 2020 was going to be awesome. We were already on a 4 month trip in a rented Hilux with a roof tent, making up a route through 6 countries, it was a big year for my business and I was looking forward to all the beautiful weddings I was filming. The idea of something putting all of them to a halt was not even an entity.
Now to bore with a few happy memories of Southern Africa before moving on to the more depressing part of the year.
In March, we arrived home from Zambia after a struggle with flights, just in time to hear Boris announce that ‘we must stay home'. I had industry friends having weddings postponed or cancelled until further notice and my heart was with my couples being faced with a big decision. Dates in my diary were crossed out almost by the day as I sent love and hugs (the ones you express over email) to couples coming to terms with not being married that year. I vowed to honour date changes and complete flexibility to help them as much as I could. But of course I understood that postponing a wedding was not the worst news in the world when many suddenly faced working from home and home schooling in spaces which weren’t designed to be offices or classroom. Many worried endlessly about parents and grandparents and prayed their homes remained a safe place and that they would see them again. Many, who put their hearts into their high-street store or restaurant, did everything they could to keep their small business going. I watched the news every night hoping for a ray of good news for those struggling, and hoping for an ounce or comfort somehow to those grieving. Many lost their jobs. I feel very fortunate to have picked up a job in Sainsburys which certainly helped keep me stay sane and feeling like I was being useful in some tiny way.
So what else did 2020 mean for me?
Podcasts - I lost my podcast virginity in May, to Theres No Such Thing As A Fish. I also regularly listened to Off Menu, Newscast, The Froth, Grounded with Louis Theroux as well as catching up on decades of Desert Island Disks. It wasn’t until later I was recommended The High Low, I loved Dolly and Pandoras discussions on literature, the news as well as television and film and anything else I also happened to be interested in. I cried when they announced that the next episode would be their last. In the space of 9 months I was truly hooked on Podcasts.
The news - Did everybody else become news addicts this year? Of course you did. It was dominated of course by the virus and Brexit, but I wanted to know everything. I learnt so much and I’m sure this year is going to produce a lot of virologists. I learnt the names of the broadcasters and correspondents for the first time and I found myself discussing vaccines over breakfast.
The crown - Thank you sister-in-law for recommending it. I have always been a royalist so I initially thought of watching something about our current queen who is still alive was odd. But with more spare time of my hands I subscribed to Netflix and got stuck in. The casting, the shots, the storylines all brilliant.
Being outdoors - Didn’t we all make the most of this. I have never seen so many people walk past my house with muddy boots and backpacks on. For me, the best thing to have come out of 2020 (it isn’t a difficult choice) is the appreciation of the great outdoors. In any weather, it is free art for everybody and there is a whole world - literally - to awe at and learn from.
It’s been a bloody tough year. But I do not end 2020 feeling low. I end 2020 feeling hopeful and proud.
Firstly, I am hopeful for the future of equality. There has been more talk of diversity than any other year I can remember in my life. As a confession I have not read any of the new literature which has erupted about race, but I plan to after so much recommendation. I am proud of my generation who has stood up for equality and made sure they were heard and it gives me massive hope for a multi-cultural and enriched future.
I am proud of all my friends. Each of them have either started a new business this year, made their business fit the current demands, picked up jobs the are over qualified for where needed, or just continued being key workers. And all of them have generally been positive and kind humans. Its no wonder these are my friends and I love them.
And I am proud of my boyfriends sister who did not buy one piece of clothing all year in a bid to do her little bit for the environment. First woman ever?
My hope for 2021 is simple: a year that it will be safe enough for us to hug the people we love and safe for us to celebrate life in the best way we as humans know how - a good old gathering with music, drink, food, beautiful clothes and dancing. Bring on the weddings.
Cheers to that lovely readers.
Happy to be back at the desk ready for 2021.