Wedding
A lagoon full of canals, pigeons and gondolas. A magical atmosphere on a november morning with a city awakening and a love in full bloom. A gentleness between two lovers who are about to become one.
An elopement in a city where every building seems to tell its own story. VENICE.
the talented vendors of :
dress Rembo Styling
hair jewelry Berkiva Designs
flowers Pretty Flowers Venice
stationary Viviane Lenders Design
I must admit I am not the most romantic person in terms of the classic and cliché romance. So you don’t get me with flowers on my bed or any other stereotype. But you do get me with emotions and words.
I cried my eyes out during the ceremony of Sara and Niels and thankfully I could hide myself behind my camera. The words they both exchanged made my heart melt instantly and the words of her bridesmaid couldn’t be more emotional and deep. I loved their wedding just because it was SO much of these two in everything.
Sara and Niels thank you for having me and for having a wonderful and carefree summer day by your side.
OMG. Is this real? Did this really happen? Gosh look at this ring at my finger. He proposed and I said YES. We’re gonna get married.
Where do I start? I got to do everything now. I’m gonna hop over to Pinterest and pin everything. Or shall I look for a location first? a dress? A date? A place?
Hell this feels like we’re never gonna get married. There is just SO much to do…
These were exactly the thoughts I had right after I got engaged. I stumbled from the happy all over phase into the omg I need two lifes to organize everything phase.
And I wished someone would have told me what to start with or how not freak out about too many options.
Now after getting married myself and attending all the weddings of my couples, I just want to assist all the future brides to be.
So here I go with my experience and my tips on what to do after your engagement.
don’t panic
At least try to. Your engagement is such a pretty thing which should not be replaced by fear or anxiousness.
think about what you like and what you don’t like, together
Get a clear idea of what you and your fiancé (isn’t this the best thing that you can call your partner like this from now on?!) like most and what really makes you happy. The goal is to find out more about your perfect day. The things someone else does or likes, are not supposed to be the same things you both like. And since it is your wedding, go for whatever the two of you like.
make a list of to all the do’s to get an overview
Write down all the things you need to get organized like location, photographer, decoration, dress, rings, cake (list to be continued for as long as you wish for). When we write down the things we have to do, they are not blinking in our thoughts anymore. You don’t need to think of your to do list permanently from now onwards. You need a plan and this is how you work off all the different points on the list.
reach out to vendors
Yes, there are vendors who are already booked out way in advance. And no it’s not your fault and you will find your partners nonetheless. Even when a venue is already booked out, they might know of another one who is similar and get you their details. Contact the people you really wanna work with, which have the same style and the same ideas like you. Check out Instagram and some hashtags to find your vendors. For example if you look for a light and airy dress, go check out the #bohobride or look for #fashionbride. Talk to people whose weddings you really liked and ask for recommendations. Have a look on wedding blogs such as Hochzeitsguide who feature vendors all over Europe. Trust your intuition and the feeling you have when you get to know someone. Ask all the questions you need to get answered to make sure you’re teaming up with the right ones.
find inspiration (but don’t get lost)
I love Pinterest and long before Pinterest was invented I had my own real pinboards at home with all these images cut off from magazines. I also use Pinterest for business reasons (click here for my boards) and I love getting new ideas and finding inspiration from all over the world. But, there is a real big but. Don’t get lost within all of this inspiration. Assumingly you only have one wedding to organize and Pinterest will offer you ideas for 928281 different kinds of weddings. So make sure you know what you want before heading there and pinning everything. Get a certain style your wedding should have and look for ideas within this style. The vintage decoration will not match the natural and fine art wedding and vice versa. So only start pinning when you’re know what you’re looking for. Otherwise you’ll get lost in the Pinterest labyrinth.
listen to your heart and enjoy
You’re gonna get married because of your two hearts in love with each other, so don’t forget about this reason during all the preparation going on. Listen to your heart, enjoy this special time in your life and just relax. There is no law how your wedding needs to be planned or done. It is just up to you. I loved the feeling of being engaged and could have imagined staying engaged a year longer before getting married. We also had issues finding the right location and right before we found our place, we already decided to postpone the wedding for one year, to make sure we’ll love it and have more fun on planning. We found our venue and loved it, but it would not have been bad for anyone to wait another year.
So, these are my tips for you and I hope that some of you will be thankful for hearing my experiences and my thoughts on planning your wedding.
Oh and I guess it is needless to say, that I’ll be happy to not only be your wedding photographer, but also assisting you personally all the way through this special time.
And now, let’s get married!
The wedding of Melanie and Thomas was one of those weddings which didn’t feel like work at all. It felt like joining a friends wedding and having a good time. The three of us quickly became friends after meeting for the first time. Dream clients I would say.
I joined Melanie for her final fitting of her wedding dress a few days before her big day and I already knew then, it’s gonna be real emotional.
I always get super excited during the getting ready part and I adore the anticipation coming up in the air. Nothing beats a bridal party getting closer to the time of the ceremony.
The ceremony was actually one of the most funniest and relaxed I have ever witnessed.
The team of the Baur au Lac in Zurich prepared a wonderful venue in their garden next to the Zurich lake.
Balloons in the colors of the wedding – red, rosé and white attached to horseshoes the brides grandfather created.
Tears, laughter and fun. And a couple fully in love having their best day ever. My heart is full.
I wanna redo this wedding over and over again.
venue Baur au Lac
flowers from the flower team of the Baur au Lac
decoration Fräulein K sagt Ja
Pronovias dress from Liluca
ring Tiffanys
suit groom and accessories Treger and Suit Supply
shoes Manolo Blahnik
Make Up Jesca
Hair Fabienne
I guess I have first heard of Grace Loves Lace about two years ago. Working as a wedding photographer makes you check out brands more often than normally and these dresses instantly caught my eyes. The easiness, modern but oh so special and delicate styles made me instantly wanna marry again (to the same husband, of course). Until now their brand was only available in Australia (where their origin is) and in California. Brides could order their dresses online which are shipped around the world. Which is indeed a very lovely way, but nothing beats a personal visit and trying on your dress live. When I heard about Grace Loves Lace coming to Europe and opening their first flagship store in London, I knew this would change the bridal game forever. Now the dresses and the store was only a short flight away from Switzerland and even more accessible for every bride to be. Last week I flew over to London to visit their store and shoot the interior and their dreamy dresses.
Let’s enjoy your tour through the London Grace Loves Lace store!
As Grace Love Laces says it best on her own, I’ll quote the theme of all bridal dresses:
Long live the woman who throws it all to the wind, chooses and follows through with conviction and zeal, who is reckless in her passion, nomadic in her joy, progressive in her beliefs, knows exactly what she wants, and always, always bets everything on love. The modern, free-spirited woman unbound by monotony and tradition. For the woman with style, substance and passion. She is the unique bride.When you step inside the store you instantly feel calm, inspired and relaxed. The feminine blush tones all over the store makes you got aaaaw and oooooh every second. There are five sections for every single bridal party with couches and different corners individually designed for taking time and actually enjoying trying on the dresses. The store includes breathtaking glass ceilings, exposed brick walls and chic copper hardware. When getting served macarons and rose colored champagne (look at the golden sparkle in the glass!!) you must feel like getting married is the best thing to do. The Grace Loves Lace has french lace exclusively from Calais, France and are customizing their wedding dresses in Australia. You will not find Grace Loves Lace products overpriced and swimming with the tide in any other bridal stores. This is the non plus ultra for me and the niche Grace Loves Lace is filling.
I can clearly recommend the dresses and the store experience of Grace Loves Lace in London. I would have love to shop my wedding dress here, when I got married three years ago. It is just a short trip away for your perfect dress and a dreamy day in modern London. Please make sure to book your appointment directly, before visiting the store as you are only able to have your private tour with a booking at a Grace Loves Lace stylist.
Grace Loves Lace
58/59 Charlotte Rd.
Shoreditch London
I’m a hard believer in screwing traditions. I will always encourage my wedding couples to go for whatever they want.
These two just nailed it. An intimate wedding in one of the most prettiest hotels in town.
dress by Dolce & Gabbana
location Baur au Lac Zürich
I know exactly how I felt after coming home the night after their wedding. Completely blessed. Ever since I have met them for the first time I knew they were special to me. We connected instantly. Their support was genuine. And all I could admire was their love to each other. The second I saw them on their wedding day felt like attending a friends wedding. We chatted so much during this whole day and it did not feel like work at all. Even their friends and their whole family were treating me like they knew me for a long time. If there is so much love, love can only be returned.
Elena & Andreas you know how much you mean to me. You two are the most caring, warm hearted and lovable persons. And it is clear to see that you are complementing each other. I cannot wait to see you again. Thank you for everything.
