Lapland Wedding Photographer Kittila
Destination Wedding Photography // Lapland Snow Village Wedding of Nico and Rik
Where do I even begin with this one?
I met Nico and Rik on 20th July 2012. I remember this because it was when I was photographing Tima and Gary’s wedding in Knutsford – Rik was Gary’s best man that day and I sat at Nico’s table for dinner. I just thought they were utterly brilliant, hilarious people madly in love with each other, and I told them in no uncertain terms that whenever they get married, I wanted to be there.
Well I was there. I was right there in the Ice Chapel of the Snow Village just outside Kittila, Lapland on the evening of Monday 13th January 2014 when Nico walked in to marry Rik. She had just arrived on a reindeer led sleigh ride with her mum by her side and Rik was standing, tears in his eyes, wearing his military number ones, as she took her place proudly by his side. That moment right there will live vividly in my memory for a very very long time.
In fact, the whole weekend will stay with me forever – Nico and Rik made me feel like an old friend, more than just a wedding guest, and much more than just their wedding photographer. They made me part of their wedding adventure and for that I am bowled over and truly, truly thankful. I stayed with them, their parents and closest friends in an incredible castle lodge at the Snow Village and it was an amazingly brilliant experience from start to finish – seeing the Northern Lights on our first evening, announced by the waitress as we ate dinner, followed by a mad scramble to get outside as soon as possible to catch a glimpse of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Amazing. What a memory that is.
It is just so humbling to be invited into peoples lives in this way, and made to feel so welcome. I often am guilty of taking this job a little bit for granted I think, but I genuinely find it incredible that this is what I get to do for a living, whether it’s Lapland or closer to home, and I thank Nico and Rik for giving me this experience and I wish them all the happiness in the world for a long and happy marriage ahead.
Here’s their adventure in a few photos.
Lapland. I miss you already.