Posts
Friday September 3rd
Maria & Chris
Chris is from England and Maria is from Sweden, but they met in New York City while working for the same company. They had been dating for a few years when Chris proposed to Maria outside of their favorite coffee shop in SoHo. Afterward, the couple celebrated at a champagne bar with friends. “I was literally on pink clouds for months after the engagement,” said Maria.
The wedding was held at Trollenäs Castle in Scania, Sweden. The castle dates back to 1386, and in the 19th century architect Ferdinand Meldahl renovated the building to look like a French renaissance castle. Today, the castle is open to the public for rent, and during the summer months you can take a guided tour. The couple chose England-based photographers Mark and Marianne Earthy to capture their special day on this majestic property.
On the day of the wedding, one of Maria’s favorite moments was getting ready with her bridesmaids. “Since they live in Sweden and I live in New York I don’t see them very much,” she said.
At the outdoor ceremony, Maria’s mother decorated the space with wild flowers. Guests sat on simple white chairs, which Maria called “an American Touch.” Chris said one of the highlights of his day was watching Maria walk down the aisle. “I loved the outdoor ceremony,” Maria said. “It was light, fun, relaxed and was amazing to see all our friends there.”
After the nuptials, guests went inside to the castle’s reception space. It was decorated with locally grown red roses and long tables with crisp white linens. “Swedish weddings have a lot of speeches and singing during the dinner,” said Maria. As each orator was announced, guests would dance on their chairs while a DJ played music.
Congratulations, Maria & Chris! For more of Mark and Marianne Earthy’s great work, visit their blog.
Thursday September 2nd
Regina & Marcio
Today we’re whisking you away to South America, with breathtaking pictures by Brazil-based photographer Giovanni Cristiano.
Regina and Marcio chose the St. Anthony Basilica church in Vitoria, Brazil for their wedding. The Hariton Nathanailidis & Violinos de Vitoria quartet, composed of a violin, piano, drum and saxophone, played while Regina walked down the aisle in a long white gown designed by Sonia Brides, and a cathedral length veil. Her perfectly coiffed hair was styled by Renato Siqueira.
When the couple was announced as man and wife, the guests cheered and applauded all the way to the reception. At the celebration, guests of every age danced all night long. We’re told that a guest even lost their shoes, one at the ceremony and the other at the reception!
The day after the nuptials, the couple had a “Trash the Dress” session with Giovanni. The session was held at Manguinhos Beach, in a stone house, located in Serra, Brazil. The session had to be quick, to catch just the right light on the beach as the sun was setting.
Congratulations, Regina and Marcio! For more for Giovanni’s stunning work, visit his blog.
Wednesday September 1st
This post is part two in our series of three features about photographers doing philanthropic work. Last week we covered Emma Dodge Hanson’s work for Adoptive Advocates International. Today we are covering Atlanta-based photographers Jacob Fu and Esther JuLee, of Esther JuLee Photography, and their relief efforts in Haiti.
Esther and Jacob had seen extreme poverty and destruction on past mission trips, but after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, they were shocked at how many people were left homeless or dead. At first, the couple could not financially rationalize a relief trip to Haiti. “But after a couple months of this unshakable feeling of wanting to go, I decided to give back my engagement ring to fund the trip,” said Esther. Jacob had proposed to Esther just two days before the earthquake. “This wasn’t the easiest decision by far, but I knew there was something much bigger than the ring, a much bigger story that would unfold from it all.”
Just two weeks before their wedding, Esther and Jacob went to Haiti. The couple was surrounded by devastation and poverty. It was hard to deal with emotionally, but they knew that the part they would play in this relief was important. They encountered a lot of tent cities, where entire populations of disaster victims lived in tents, and spent most of their time working with three different orphanages. They did maintenance work, played with the children, distributed food to villages up in the mountains, and worked with the women in the red light district. “In just one week, we fell in love with all the people we met on the trip and left a part of our hearts in Haiti,” said Jacob.
Esther and Jacob are pictured below with children they sponsored from Haitian orphanages.
Currently, Esther and Jacob are running a portrait special. All of the proceeds from this special will benefit another trip to Haiti in early 2011, and will act as a sponsorship to the orphans they worked with there.
Thank you Jacob and Esther, for sharing your story with us! For more information about Esther JuLee Photography, visit their website.
Wednesday September 1st
Today’s destination is beautiful! Bride Susanne and groom Thomas both look completely enamored of each other. I’m so pleased that Austria-based photographer Stefan Soeser shared these images with us.
Susanne & Thomas
This German couple decided to have a destination wedding in Italy. They held their ceremony at Landesfuerstliche Burg Meran, a royal castle built in the 15th century. Today it is used as a museum and civil registry office. It was a very intimate wedding with only 30 guests in attendance. Susanne wore a chic white dress, with her hair pulled up and accented with feathers. Her hair was styled by Habicher-Friseurs. She carried white flowers from Florale Werkstaetten. Thomas wore a sharp black tuxedo complete with bow tie.
Immediately after the ceremony, singer Kat Moore sang soul songs for guests before they moved on to the reception. “Kat Moore has an amazing soul voice and this created a very special atmosphere in contrast to the location with the alps and the country style of the region,” said Stefan.
The reception was in the garden of the Ansitz Pünthof. The Pünthof has a rich history. The construction of this building began in the Middle Ages on the well-known road Via Claudia Augusta which led to the North. In 1633,Christian Wolf settled with his family in the Pünthof. The Wolf family still manages the Pünthof and its lush orchards, historical farmhouse and vineyard. During the celebration, guests enjoyed a dessert buffet catered by Hanna Helia and dancing throughout the rest of the evening.
Congratulations, Susanne & Thomas! For more of Stefan’s great work, visit his blog.
