Jenna Woodward Blog

[jennawoodward]

January

I can't believe how long January has felt. Not in a bad way, we've just crammed a lot in!

Welcoming in the New Year in The Alps with my family. Check back over my blog if you want to know more about our adventures. I love the mountains.

Devouring the Divergent books. We watched the film over Christmas, having somehow missed all the buzz over summer, and I finished the books a couple of weeks after that. I was totally addicted! Definitely give them a read if you're looking to get totally sucked in to something. I cannot wait for the second film to come out in March!

Enjoying being by the seaside. Such pretty light.

Re-living one of my favourite childhood memories. A trip to the farm! Ewan and his mum and I got a little bored one day so we went to visit the animals. Of course.

Cross-stitching my way to happiness. You guys, I bought the biggest and prettiest cross-stitch while we were in France. It's definitely going to take me a while to finish but it's so therapeutic. And yes, I am secretly an old lady.

Bird-watching in one of my favourite spots.

Checking out Cabana, one of Leeds' newest restaurant offerings, for a friend's birthday. Pretty tasty! My main course didn't thrill me hugely, but any restaurant that serves cheese stuffed dough balls to start and nutella stuffed dough balls for dessert is a winner in my books.

Baking so many cookies. If you're looking for a good recipe, the one from the Ben & Jerry's ice cream recipe book is by far the best one I've ever tried! Although I obviously substitute the nuts for more chocolate ;)

Celebrating the wedding of one of my oldest friends. Such a perfect day! The first time I've been a guest at a wedding since the first wedding I photographed too!

Bridesmaiding my socks off. In a fabulous red dress.

Solving Cluedo murders with friends and munching on yummy curry.

Eating mushrooms on toast. A lot.

Photographing our first wedding of 2015!

Ordering lots of exciting album samples and packaging. And my new personalised stamp!

Listening to the new Bethel album. Another beautiful one.

Making the most of the home comforts in snowy Buxton.

Slipping about in snowy Leeds. It has been seriously chilly these last two weeks. I am very grateful for my huuuge scarf.

Driving across lots of snowy hills and valleys.

Catching The Mockingjay in the cinema just before they stopped showing it!

Fighting a nasty cold.

Buying the Sharpies I've been crushing on for months now. Finally had an excuse to get them!

Getting addicted to Candy Crush. Uh oh.

[jennawoodward]

Thankful Thursday

Hello! I'm writing to you today from under my warm, snuggly blanket, as the snow is drifting down outside my window. Which easily leads me into:

This week I am thankful for...

... cookies made from leftover christmas chocolate

... making progress with our wedding scrapbook

... pizza and a good catch-up with lovely friends

... our first wedding of the year going smoothly

... cheap comfy hotels with free breakfast

... beautiful Newcastle winter sunshine

... mushrooms on toast

... the very kind wedding car driver who went to fetch my camera bag when I left it behind!

... long lie-ins

... squirrels chasing each other up and down trees

... food shopping

... catching The Mockingjay in the cinema just before they stop showing it

... discovering my new found love for brussels sprouts

... a beautiful new Bethel Music album to listen to

... nice hot baths

... aromatic, veg-heavy thai green curry

... walking up to another day of beautiful snow

(If this is your first Thankful Thursday, check back here to find out what it's all about!)

[jennawoodward]

Winter In The Alps // Part Three - Yvoire

As I've mentioned before, if you're in France, you don't want to waste all your time skiing!

So we took a drive over to Lake Geneva to explore the medieval village of Yvoire. Bundled up in as many layers as possible, we stepped out into the blustery winter's day and headed towards the lake.

It was so cold and windy that the water spray from the lake had completely encased the waterside in a layer of thick ice.

Crunchy! And slippy. More than one of us definitely took a tumble... And it definitely wasn't me and Ewan... (OK, it was.)

These little ones were desperately trying to huddle away from the cold...

And they weren't the only ones! But the sun was shining beautifully, and we came prepared! Some more than others...

But sometimes you just can't fight the wind!

We headed away from the blustery lake, and started to weave our way through the little streets.

This top ^^^ is my current favourite thing in my wardrobe.  Who would think you'd find anything with the phrase 'Expect nothing, Appreciate everything' on it in River Island? That's pretty much my life motto! But I did, and I love it. You can find it here if you love it as much as I do.

And just look at these shutters! So perfectly french.

Walking around Yvoire is really like stepping back in time.

You occasionally glimpse a sight of the castle or the church by the lake, gleaming in the sunshine.

And before long, you'll find yourself back at the lake again. It's only a small village after all!

There wasn't too much going on in Yvoire while we were there, due to it being winter time. But just imagine this place in summer! Strolling the warm streets, sitting in the village square munching on crepes and ice cream, before taking an afternoon swim in the sparkling waters of Lake Geneva. Heaven!

I guess I'll just have to come back one day...

Part four coming soon!

[jennawoodward]

Thankful Thursday

This hasn't been the easiest week for me, but through whatever life throws at me, there are always, always things to be thankful for. And finding them has lifted me. I'm not saying that it's made everything better and easy. But there is perspective. And sometimes that's half the battle.

This week I am thankful for...

... having a good book to distract me on a chilly train ride.

... getting sparkly Shellac nails for free! (bridesmaid perks)

... seeing my bestie filled with joy and excitement by her surprise wedding campervan.

... witnessing the beginning of a perfect new union.

... attending a wedding as a guest and not a photographer.

... living alongside my friends as they parent their beautiful son so well.

... flat shoes when my feet just can't take the heels anymore!

... catch-ups with high school friends.

... quality time with my lovely Rae of Sunshine.

... the perfect wedding present. Snow!

... well-needed lie-ins.

... thai green curry at the end of a long day.

... the comfort of my parent's house.

... new colourful pens.

... sticky toffee muffins from where I used to work. Still SO good.

... receiving my favourite of my Granny's paintings. Such a perfect reminder of what a wonderful person she was.

... big snowflakes, slowly dancing down.

... heavy snowfall, turning Buxton in to the perfect winter scene.

... chickens dashing through the snow.

...beautiful skies over rolling snowy hills.

... being followed through the snow by the friendliest sheep.

... taking the scenic route.

(If this is your first Thankful Thursday, check back here to find out what it's all about.)

[jennawoodward]

Winter In The Alps // Part Two - Skiing

For most people, a trip to The Alps in winter means only one thing. Skiing.

For my family, that's probably not the main reason we go, I think we just love being in the snowy mountains. But that's not to say we don't ski (or at least try to).

I mean, it would be rude not to, right?

And so, we set off in to the snow once more...

As we reached the highest point of the mountain pass we decided it was time to pop the snow chains on to the little car. Harder than it sounds (not that I was involved in trying!!).

So while this was happening I went for a little wander around the village.

But we were soon back on the road. I will never tire of driving around such beautiful scenery.

And soon enough we were arriving in our first ski resort of the week. Les Aillons-Margériaz.

Look at all those cute little chalets on the mountainside! Perfect place to stay.

After 10 minutes of getting lost we found the ski hire shop, and before long we were kitted out and ready to go! Anyone that's been skiing before can tell you that it's not the comfiest gear to wear, but that wasn't keeping these two down...

My dad, uncle and brothers are all pretty good at skiing, so they headed straight up to the top.

That's the slope there on the bottom right ^ So gutted I didn't make it up there!

However, it's fair to say I'm not the world's greatest skier (largely due to my fear of speed!), and it was the first time for Ewan and my brother's wife, Jo, so off we headed to the nursery slope!

That conveyer belt thing was so great. If only we could have them just in general life. Although I think Ewan got a little too excited about it...

Luckily he didn't take anyone's eyes out, and the lesson began! My brother, Jake, and I did our best to teach Jo and Ewan the basics...

And eventually Dad came along to correct all our mistakes!!

But we were soon good to go and advanced to the next slope!

We braved the drag lift, with just one minor tumble for the newbies.

And we were off again! Although, there's always time for posing. Naturally.

Totally fitting the cool skier stereotype.

But no day on the slopes is complete without the après ski...

The best chocolat chaud of the holiday for sure! And clearly it was worth a picture...

Definitely time to call it a day.

Les Aillons-Margériaz was a great place for beginners, with a couple of good nursery slopes, but we were after something a bit more intermediate-friendly for the rest of our skiing time.

So we spent the remainder of our week's skiing at La Féclaz - France's oldest skiing resort!

The grown-ups left us to our own devices this time though... Always risky.

Chair lifts are probably my favourite part of skiing. I love the gentle motion as you sway over the snow below.

And you usually can't beat the view from up there either.

I had one near limb-crushing chair lift experience, but was saved by a slightly aggressive french man just in the nick of time so all is well. My love affair with the chair lift shall continue. And I have learned my lesson not to loiter too close to those things!!

It's a pretty good view from the top too!

La Féclaz has a few nice blue (intermediate) runs, including an extra long one that we really enjoyed.

We wound our way down the mountain, through snow frosted trees.

We each had one or two (or twelve) spectacular falls along the way...

But the views and the sunshine made it worth it... I'm actually quite proud of myself for not crying when I went flying in to the forest and straight in to a tree.

And when our knees couldn't take it anymore we hit Le Saint Jo for a steaming cup of chocolat chaud. And of course Jo needed this picture...

As well as being our favourite place to ski of the week, La Féclaz is also such a lovely little town to potter around in the evening. Lots of little shops and cafes to nosy around. And you might even spot a husky sled or two!

Definitely well worth a visit if you're ever in the area!

Part three coming soon...

[jennawoodward]

Thankful Thursday

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the first instalment of my new weekly blog feature called Thankful Thursday. It's fairly self explanatory.. Every Thursday I'll be sharing a few of the things I've been thankful for during the week.

Gratitude is a really big thing for me, as it is for lots of people I'm sure. I find that everything in life is so much easier to handle, and stays in much better perspective when I'm actively trying to be thankful to God for all the little (and big) blessings in my life. It slows time down a bit, helps me to live in the moment and take notice of the things that are happening to me or passing me by.

About a year ago I was feeling fairly low and read a beautiful book called 'One Thousand Gifts' by Ann Voskamp, which introduced me to the idea of listing things you're thankful to God for, and the power in doing so. I'd really recommend reading it if you're interested in this topic. Being more thankful has really awoken me to the abundant graces and blessings around me and brought so much more joy to my life. I'm well into the thousands now and it's so amazing to flick back through them all.

I figured it was time to share the joy a bit though, and so Thankful Thursday came to life...

I'd love you to join me (and the rest of the world) and share what you're thankful for today or this week by leaving a comment or sharing on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook with the hashtag #thankfulthursday. You might be surprised by how much it lifts your spirits to notice just one thing you're grateful for that you might not have noticed if you weren't looking for it. Or even if you don't want to go public with it, maybe you could start your own Gratitude Journal!

So here goes. This week I am thankful for...

... full on belly laughter with friends

... glowing fox eyes in the darkness

... a sunday morning full of extra healthy cooking

... the comfort of time spent with old friends

... the kitchen window sill full of plants

... the freedom to take afternoon naps when I'm feeling poorly

... the snoozing squirrel, sitting on the branch curled up in a ball

... not having appendicitis!

... kind doctors and nurses

... free healthcare

... exciting parcels full of pretty paper and stamps

... the smell of freshly baked cookies

... the friendly gas man

... the three fat pigeons sitting in the tree

... really tasty curry

... early morning snow!

... greaseproof paper

... watching the sun rise from the warmth of my bed

... living in a country where I am free to talk about being thankful to God.

[jennawoodward]

Mr & Mrs Hart // Wedding

It was such a joy to be part of this wedding!

We arrived at the stunning Denton Hall through the misty morning and joined Kate & Pete as they were getting ready for their day, surrounded by their families and super team of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Pete soon headed over to the church for the ceremony and was followed by the beautiful Kate in the lovely, if slightly small, wedding car!

After a joy-filled and moving ceremony, led by Pete's Dad, in Ilkley, everyone headed back over to Denton Hall for the celebrations!

The room was dressed beautifully by the friendly people at Boxtree Events, and everyone laughed and munched their way through the evening before joining together in one of the most energetic ceilidh dances we've ever witnessed!

Kate & Pete, it was a real honour to be part of your day. You guys are so great and we wish you a marriage full of laughter and adventure! 

[jennawoodward]

Winter in The Alps // Part One - Annecy

Ahh the mountains! I am so in love with them and always have been.

Ewan and I were incredibly blessed to be treated to a lovely winter holiday with the rest of my family over the holidays this Christmas and it was a breath of fresh air.

It's a bit of a resurrected family tradition as my lovely Grandparents used to take us every other year, but this year my parents generously decided to take us all out there again. What a pair of babes!

There's far too many pictures for just one blog post, so here's part one. Grab something warm to sip and get cozy. You could get chilly just looking at these pictures!

I don't think anyone can resist a good cloud shot right?! Plus Ewan got pretty excited about this...

Cockpit shot!

We flew to Geneva and met my family at the airport as they had driven out. By the time we arrived at the chalet it was dark, so we ate some late night spag bol (which possibly tasted better than any spag bol ever before, but that could have been the hunger...) and headed to bed.

We woke up to this...

Pretty amazing right??? Just being near snowy mountains was probably my holiday highlight. They just make me feel more alive.

The place we were staying was called Le Chatox, in a little village called Le Chatelard in the Haute-Savoie region of France. I'd definitely recommend staying there if you're looking to visit the area! You can find it here - http://www.lechatox.com/

With tummies filled with croissants and pain au chocolat (another reason to love France) we set off in the snow for our first adventure...

The closest big town to us was Annecy, and we spent a good few hours strolling around there throughout the week.

No matter where they are though, my brothers are always ready for a snowball fight...

On the first day we visited, the Christmas market was still up so that was a definite bonus! There's nothing more festive than the smell of mulled wine in the air.

We couldn't resist a bit of cheese! But then, who can?

It's such a beautiful town. It's actually pretty big, but it has an old part that makes it feel small and quaint and lovely.

Alongside the rows of colourful houses with shuttered windows and little cobbled streets run lots of canals, making it feel like a french Venice, but with less tourists.

We stopped for dinner in a tiny rustic restaurant, carved into the arches of an old crooked building.

And what followed was possibly the cheesiest meal I have ever had the joy of eating. The French really know how to do cheese. They also really know how to do waffles.

I could probably eat waffles all day every day. Waffles, waffles, waffles.

But I definitely shouldn't.

By night, the city transforms into a sparkling maze of little streets, all the lights reflecting in the canals.

Wandering the streets at night is just as pretty as it is in the day time, although even chillier!

Annecy definitely won my heart, and I'd love to go back again one day. Even if it was just for the waffles!

Part two coming soon...

[jennawoodward]

Matthew & Rebecca // Engagement Shoot

What a beautiful, sunny morning! Totally made the 8am start worth it.

Matthew & Rebecca live down in London but they made the trip back up to their family homes in Yorkshire for this shoot. We met them bright and early up at the Otley Ridge.

We watched the sun rise, cracked icy puddles and crunched our way through the frosty moorland. A perfect winter engagement shoot! We can't wait for the wedding in February.. Not long to go now!

[jennawoodward]

Bonjour and Happy New Year!

I’m writing today from the heart of the French Alps. In a rocking chair, I might add. What place could be more perfect for reflecting on 2014 and dreaming for 2015…

Pretty epic right? This year has been a big one for us, with a whole lot of learning. It’s been our first full year of marriage and our first full year of running a full time wedding photography business.

This is 2014...

Learning how to be thankful for all the things life throws at me.

Experiencing the joy that thankfulness brings.

Befriending wonderful new people who’ve become my favourites.

Mourning the loss of Ewan’s childhood home in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, as his parents made the big move to Portsmouth.

Watching the squirrels and birds playing outside our lounge window.

Nesting in our flat. It’s so cosy now.

Strategising for the next year of business.

Photographing 20 weddings and a big bunch of engagement shoots. We had such awesome clients this year! Thanks everyone!

Baking and cooking up a storm.

Quitting eating sugar. And then un-quitting. Maybe we’ll quit again next year! I’d love to, if only I could find the will power.

Exploring Tenerife, Paris and The Alps and feeling very blessed to get the chance to.

Travelling around the UK for work and for fun. The Cotswolds, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon and Formby beach were my favourites.

Editing photographs like a crazy woman.

Making our first wedding film.

Becoming an Auntie and uncle again! Welcome to the world beautiful Flora, you are so very loved already.

Dreaming of blogging.

Which brings me to 2015…

YEY! I’m so excited for this year. I have many dreams and ideas for what I might get up to, but the first one to share is about this blog.

I started this blog in the spring of 2011 when I first picked up a DSLR camera. For a long time it documented my journey into the world of photography, before evolving into a blog full of the shoots and weddings of our clients. I’ve loved what it’s been so far, but over the past few months I’ve been finding myself desiring to write about other things.

The client blogs will, of course, continue (and if you have the willpower to scroll back far enough, the start of the journey is still there too!) but I’ll be widening my words to whatever else takes my fancy as well. For now I’ll be posting about our life, our adventures and our photography, but in time there might be some recipes and craft ideas too! You can use the category headers in the sidebar to just look at one specific section if you’d like.

I can’t wait to get started on this new creative outlet, and hopefully it’ll make this blog more interesting and varied for you all to read too! Win win.

But for now… HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! See you in 2015!

[jennawoodward]

Mr & Mrs Pouncey // Wedding

This was our last wedding of the summer season! If you can call October summer anyway... And it was my birthday too!

After a lovely ceremony in Shipley we headed over to the beautiful venue Rachel & Tim had chosen for their reception. Set in the heart of the Dales, just down the road from Bolton Abbey, the views from the Devonshire Fell were stunning. The perfect backdrop for a Yorkshire wedding.

Rachel & Tim, thanks for having us at your wedding! It was fun, relaxed and beautiful. Everything a good wedding should be!

[jennawoodward]

Hannah & Matt // Engagement Shoot These two are so much fun! We met them at Hannah's house up in Newcastle and headed to the beach.  I haven't been to Newcastle for a few years now, but it's one of my favourite cities so it was lovely to be back. We arrived at the beach, dodged a couple of waves and set to taking pictures. Just a few minutes in and they were off for a paddle... In the middle of December... A couple after my own heart, although they're definitely braver than me! They danced in the ocean, made their mark in the sand, clambered over rocks and watched the sun set into beautiful pink. Hannah & Matt are completely lovely and were such a joy to photograph. They definitely made our job easy, and I think it's clear from the photos just how in love they are. Plus they took us for fish & chips afterwards! What more could you want from a photo shoot? Matt & Hannah, we so loved getting to know you and we cannot wait for your wintery wedding in just a few weeks! Bring on the cocoa ;)

[jennawoodward]

Mr & Mrs Shao // Wedding

It was such a joy to be a part of Wei & Rebekah's special day. I could write all about the little details of their day, but what stood out to me most was how it really felt like two families joining together, not just two individuals.

From start to finish, Wei & Rebekah's love for their family and friends shone through and it was a privilege to witness the way they honoured those around them.

Rebekah & Wei, thank you so much for inviting us to be your photographers. You were beautiful, and so was your wedding! It was so fun to be a part of it.

[jennawoodward]

Elle & Dave // Engagement Shoot

On a chilly day in November we jumped in the car and headed down to Nottingham for a very Christmassy engagement shoot.

Elle & Dave came up with the wonderful idea of shooting at the Christmas market and going for an ice skate! To begin, we met them as the sun was setting and went for a wander around a few streets with pretty doors and walls - two of my favourite things!

We then made our way over to the Christmas market. So many yummy smells! We browsed the stalls and dodged excited children before heading over to the ice rink. After a few minutes of waiting and boot switching, Elle & Dave took to the ice! Photographing people ice skating in the dark is definitely not the easiest of tasks, but it was so much fun!

We can't wait to photograph Dave & Elle's wedding in the summer! It sounds like it's going to be extra pretty, and it will be so lovely to witness the day their long distance relationship becomes a marriage.

[jennawoodward]

Mr & Mrs Morris {Wedding}

Laura was one of the first lovely people I met when I moved to Leeds, so now, over 5 years later, it's an absolute joy to share her wedding pictures!

Josh & Laura are quirky and fun and completely made for each other. Their wedding was filled with loving friends & family, beautiful sunshine & colour and lots of bike references! I couldn't think of a more perfect day for the two of them.

The cactus house at sunset was my personal favourite bit!!!

Josh & Laura, thank you so much for having us as your photographers (and guests!)! Your day was fun-filled and beautiful, as I'm sure your marriage will be. Wishing you lots and lots and lots of love xxx

[jennawoodward]

Richard & Rachel {Engagement Shoot}

As we drove over to Derbyshire to meet Richard & Rachel, little raindrops began to fall... But we wished them away with all our might and luckily the skies cleared up and we were rain free! Unusual for an autumn day in Derbyshire.

Richard & Rachel took us to explore the Black Rocks, near where Richard grew up - I can't believe I've never been there before! So pretty, and so close to where we grew up too. It's fair to say none of us really had any idea which direction was the right one for pretty much the whole shoot, but we had fun nonetheless!

As we scrambled over rocks and attempted to work out where to go, we got to know Richard & Rachel and they told us all about their wedding plans for March - it's going to be so lovely! We're looking forward to it already.

[jennawoodward]

Mr & Mrs Higham {Wedding}

On a rainy day in September, surrounded by her family, a big fluffy cat and one very cute baby, Rachel got ready for the excitement that was just a few hours away...

Andy & Rachel were married within the beautiful walls of Harrogate Registry Office before they headed over to Roundhay Lakeside Café to celebrate with all their friends and family.

The rain clouds even made a swift exit for our little portrait session round the back of the Harewood House grounds in the early evening. Such a lovely day!