HELSINKI, FINLAND
60.1699° N, 24.9384° E
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Carolina contacted me an early summers day in June to ask if I might be free to photograph her and her fiancee’s upcoming intimate family wedding in Helsinki. What she didn’t know, was that I had by a coincidence been introduced to Sam, her future husband, just a few days earlier. He had told me that he was getting married, but as the wedding would be in just a couple of weeks, I didn’t even try to give him my best sales pitch. I was pretty sure they already had a photographer. When Carolina then contacted me, I just couldn’t resist to say yes to this lovely couple, even if I had filled my quote of weddings for that summer. It was just meant to be.
Carolina is a painter and Sam’s from New Zealand and used to run the Helsinki based eatery Hello Darling. They met trough a mutual friend that did the interior design for the eatery. On their wedding day, I began by documenting when Carolina was getting ready at home with her bridesmaids. In the bedroom corner there was already a crib, as they where expecting a little girl later that year. On Sams bedroom table a love letter was waiting for him. Carolinas studio is also located in their apartment, and when you see her beautiful paintings you understand exactly how she chose her wedding dress; a powder-pink dream from a boutique in Helsinki. It is the same color as her beautiful pastel paintings and looked like it was just meant for her to wear.
The wedding took place at Villa Kataya. I don’t know what part of their day that was the most beautiful- when they recited their vows to each other during the wedding ceremony, or when they let the godfather-to-be reveal the sex of their baby for everyone during the dinner, or when they danced their first dance together while the everlasting midsummer sun shone in and filled the room with a golden light.
Although it was the smallest and most intimate wedding I have ever documented, it was also one of the most emotional. I don’t think one cheek was dry at the end of the evening, not mine at least. There was so much love and happiness in the air that day, for Carolina and Sam, for their love. Their wedding was something very special for me and I feel incredibly honoured to have had the task to document it trough my eyes.
-Johanna
Carolina and Sam’s wedding was published in Blomstrande Bröllop, a new Finnish-Swedish wedding magazine. A big Thank You to Blomstrande Magazine for featuring me, I am so happy to be apart of it! You can buy your own copy of the magazine here.
Photography – Johanna Rosenlew Photography
Wedding Dress – Pronovias via Valkoinen Elefantti
Venue & Catering – Villa Kataya, Helsinki
