“The pictures you gave us are something we will cherish forever. They totally capture the sprit of our wedding. We had a perfect day, and we now have the perfect photographs to remember it by, thanks to you.”

Earlier this year I photographed a Swedish destination wedding in Sandviks. This beautiful wedding took place in the bride’s childhood home – a lakefront house surrounded by woodland, deep in the Swedish countryside.

Sophia and her three sisters grew up here, and the house is still home to their parents. It’s a place full of memories, which made this wedding extra special.

As this was a countryside wedding the vibe was very relaxed. We started with a rehearsal the day before, giving me a chance to visit the church and meet the priest too. Later in the day everyone took a dip in the lake, it was pretty cold but it was fun to join in!

The evening started with welcome drinks and a BBQ rounded off with an amazing sunset. Everyone was in such a great mood ready for the wedding the next day – no stress here.

For the wedding day the greenhouse had been transformed in to a bar, and a big marquee stood in the garden ready for the reception. Once everyone was ready we took a walk through the village down to the church. Seeing the whole party winding their way through the streets, with a pair of violin players at the front, was quite a sight!

After a wonderful and really emotional ceremony we walked back to the house led by the newlyweds. Drinks, hugs and lots of chat took place in the garden before the pretty epic wedding breakfast. It’s tradition in Sweden to have longer speeches; there were 8 in total during the meal.

Sophia’s lifelong knowledge of the area came in so handy for couple’s portraits. We were able to pick the best scenery for photos, and I know that having this in their photos will make the memories even more special for my couple. After plenty of photos, food and drinks it was time to party!

This wedding was like no other, having it at home meant the bride and groom could really relax, and there was no curfew for the party! A magical day with a loveliest of people.

Thank you so much to Sophia and Sipke for inviting me into their home for their wonderful day.