For Mocha Tree Studios, 2020 started off promisingly with a fantastic wedding show and a photography award from the Ottawa Wedding Awards in January. In February, we went on a brief vacation in South East Asia. When we came back, ready to take on the wedding season, talks of a lockdown started in Ottawa and thus our long struggle with Covid-19 began.
The wedding industry, like many event-based industries, was and continues to be hard hit by the pandemic. Many of our couples were forced to postpone (multiple times for some) their wedding to 2021 or cancel it altogether, unable to celebrate the kind of wedding they have been planning for months or years. Many of our peers were forced to lay off staff or closed off their business entirely, unable to keep up with operating costs and the uncertainly that comes with almost-weekly changes to restrictions and regulations. From these perspectives, we can honestly say that we will not miss 2020 and we cannot wait to move on from it.
But there is always a silver lining. Many of our couples were still able to celebrate their unions, albeit smaller and distanced. We were able to spend more time outdoors, having our weekends now free. We were able to take a break from business, including from social media, from the daily grind that comes with managing a business. And we were able to focus on mental and physical health that often takes a backseat during a busy wedding season.
As we look to 2021, we are hopeful that it will be a hundred-folds better than 2020. As always, we want to say thank you for your continued support. We cannot express enough how grateful we are to have such wonderful couples and industry peers who inspire us with their resilience during these tough times.
Now, on to the yearly stats! This year is neither as fun nor as impressive as last year’s, but still important to keep stock! Below are some notable figures from 2020 for both photography and videography.
15 weddings for photography, videography, and live streams!
43 weddings postponed to 2021 (*sad face*)
1 Ottawa Wedding Award.
Too many Netflix shows binged.
If you're feeling up to it and for comparison (also, if you're longing for pre-Covid times) you can visit our Year in Review for 2019, 2018, and 2017.
As always, we will end our year with some of our favourite photos and videos from 2020. The caveat: we are still finishing some wedding from November and December, so those will be included in next year's review. Also, note that these are totally subjective. There are no set criteria for these selections, these are just photos and videos we as a Studio like for multiple reasons, including quality, composition, the feeling they evoke, the memory of the moment. Particularly of note this year are the facemasks that many of our couples donned this year at this wedding, so keep an eye out for them.
Engagement
Lets start this off with Melanie and Nicholas’ engagement session up in their cottage on the Quebec side. The sun was still fairly high at this point, but the view of this romantic lakeside boat ride was all the more beautiful. We want more of this scene for sure!
Wedding Details
We’re combining wedding details and dress this year as these two shots come from one wedding. Check out Alisha’s beautiful dress and jewelry before her walk down the aisle.
Getting Ready
Payal being helped by her mom and aunt get ready in this beautiful traditional attire was magical. Every piece that adorned her on her wedding day was so exquisite. This photo takes the cake, for sure.
Wedding Ceremony
This photo of Kaylyn and Dan’s wedding ceremony captures the 2020 wedding season so well: intimate, distance, outdoors. While these two had to forgo their big celebration this year, we are still very honoured to have been part of the select few who witnessed them tie the knot.
Bridesmaids
These goddesses were radiant on Briana’s wedding day. We could not have asked for a more thoughtful, amazingly fun, not to mention, gorgeous group of ladies to spend the day with!
Groomsmen
No nervousness here from Chris, with this photo of him and his groomsmen taken just before the ceremony at Bean Town Ranch. He did tear up as he read his vows to Cassandra though.
Bride’s Portrain
The dress, the bouquet, hair, make-up, pose and expression. All these elements just came together for this beautiful portrait of Briana.
Groom’s Portrait
A quick snap of Matt taking a break from the photoshoot. An accidental portrait of a very handsome groom in his traditional attire.
Wedding Party Portrait
The threat of rain after the ceremony forced us to retreat indoors for our bridal party photos. It turned out to be a nice, cozy space for many of our wedding party photos, including this one; one of our favourites this season.
Couple’s Portrait
Cayci and John’s wedding was one of the first weddings we shot after the first lockdown. This portrait of their has all of the elements we want in our photos: nature for a backdrop, a bit of moodiness, a bit of romance.
Who let the dogs out?
This year, we didn’t see very kids at weddings, but we saw many dogs. Some walked down the aisle, others just wandered on begging for wedding food with their puppy eyes. But there is one thing we can all agree on: they are all adorbs!
Humour
Alex and Trevor were one of our couples who decided to forgo their big wedding celebration for an intimate one this close family only. These two photos capture how much fun these two are to photograph!
Emotion
We usually choose a crying photo for this category, but since we probably have a lot of that in 2020, we though a more fun one is required. Here is a photo of Adam elated upon opening this present of Kraft Dinner and wine from his parents!
First Dance
We are a sucker for first dances, and this slow dance and intimate moment shared between Brianna and Blake had us all crying. Gorgeous!
Masks all around
2020 weddings would not be complete without the stylish masks that all our couples and their guests donned on the wedding day. Here are the top three! Although I do have to note that Payal’s gorgeous close-up portrait with her mask that matches her attire is our number one here!
Wedding Video
Brianna and Blake had their ceremony outside in pouring rain. That alone is enough to put a dampen on anyone’s day, let alone a wedding day. But not these two. Watching their wedding video again shows us how perfect they are for each other!
Sneak peek Video
Whether it is video or photo, sneak peeks are important to us to bridge the gap between your wedding day and when you get your final product. Sarah and Chris’ sneak peek brings back all the feels from their special day.
Engagement Video
A couple of Frenchies, a brand new home, and an adorable couple. What else can you ask for in an engagement session? Samantha and Jacob’s in-home engagement session was so fun to shoot, we can’t wait for their big day!
