And all the colors in “Life of Pi” movie are real. Surreal.

We spent the last days of our adventures in Tanzania in Matemwe, a beautiful white sand beach overlooking the Mnemba Island. We chose this spot for a more quiet stay and for the snorkeling around the Mnemba Atoll where they promise the best snorkeling spot in Zanzibar. And it did not disappoint. It was more than I expected. Much, much more.

One day I hope to return and photograph a wedding on Mnemba island.
Or a honeymoon session on the shores of Zanzibar..

The post Mmemba Island // The white sand shores of Zanzibar.. appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

Back in 2011 at Jenny’s wedding in Kulosaari, her cousin Eva caught the bouquet.

This winter I had the delight of documenting Eva and Nicolas’ elegant winter wedding which took place at Hilton Kalastajatorppa. The ceremony was held outside, in a white gazebo facing the sea. It was especially beautiful as, though the weather was rather warm in the weeks before, there was still much snow around and the sea was frozen.

There is something very special about celebrations in which friends and family scattered all over the world gather together to celebrate a couple in love. And for those who have not been to Finland before, experiencing a winter wedding in Helsinki must have been quite an event. Eva took care of so many details for the wedding, creating the perfect setting. Their wedding was wonderful in so many ways and an amazing privilege to be a part of.

Many thanks to Hanna, who second shot with me on this day – you’ve been an amazing support on such a challenging day. Thank you for fighting the cold together with me.

Here is the story of Eva and Nicolas’ winter wedding:

Thanks Maria! You are amazing, so very very talented! Nicolas and myself are very happy to have chosen you to photograph this big day.
We appreciate all the effort you have made for us.

Lots of hugs,
Eva

Ceremony and Reception: Hilton Kalastajatorppa

Hair and Make up: Mariana Fevre
Wedding dress: Justin Alexander
Groom’s Suit: Kees Van Beers
Flowers: Penttala Floral Design
Cake: Kakkugalleria
Orchestra: Tessa Virta
Stationary and Wedding Design Concept: Paper Shop

The post Hilton Kalastajatorppa Häät // Eva + Nicolas // A Winter Wedding in Helsinki appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

Helsinki Old Church, a tandem bike, guests arriving by boat, party at the lovely old Villa Andania in the Kallahti peninsula forest, and a wedding dress that makes me think of Audrey Hepburn. A wedding from which I drove home feeling happy, contempt and grateful for getting to work with something I am truly passionate about, for my couples who see the value of photography, and for the beauty Finnish of weddings.

Ceremony: Vanha Kirkko
Reception: Villa Andania

Makeup: Nina Orell
Hair Stylist: Esa Kokko and Tella Rossi-Kokko from Hair Club Esa Kokko Oy
Wedding Dress: Morsmaikku
Shoes: Minna Parikka
Veil: Morsmaikku
Rings: Sandberg
Earings and Bracelet: Ti Sento
Groom’s Suit: Frakkipalvelu Nam
Flowers: Pirjo Koppi
Catering: Theron Catering
Cake: Theron Bakery
Band: Hook
Stationary: Wedding Paper Divas

The post Villa Andania Häät // Liisa Lotta + Mikko // Finnish Forest Wedding appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

Ceremony: Villa Vuosanta

Makeup: Leena Ek Kamppamo Luova
Hair Stylist: Taiju Huttunen Salon Virho
Wedding Dress by Finnish designer Lilli Norio
Bride’s Shoes: Unisa
Bride’s rings: Sandberg
Bride’s jewelry: Aurora Helmi
Groom’s ring: Kalevala
Groom’s suit: Alessandro Zegna suit  + Schoffa button shirt
Groom’s shoes: Hugo Boss
Bridesmaids dresses: Your Face
Best Men suit: Armani  + Roberto Taddei (Italy)
Flowers: Kukkakauppa Stenius

The post Villa Vuosanta Häät // Simone + Emilia // Finnish Italian Wedding appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

About a week before their wedding, LiisaLotta and Mikko came Kaivopuisto park on their vintage tandem bike for a short pre wedding introduction session.

The post Kihlajaiskuvaus Helsinki // LiisaLotta + Mikko // Engagement Session appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

This spring I have the privilege of photographing a wedding in Paris in May. I will be spending two weeks in France – Paris, Nevers, Lyon and possibly some other places along the Loire river.

I will be available for a limited number of couple sessions or documentary sessions and if you are interested in booking a session in Paris or other place in France, get in touch and we’ll check our schedules.

Share this news with your friends if you think they might be interested in a romantic photo session on the streets of Paris.

The post Paris Wedding Photographer appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

Here are some images from our adventures.

Pomelo.

Turmeric.Lemongrass.Fresh ginger. I tasted it. It was indescribable. Cacao.Cinnamon. I munched on this as well. Cardamom.Vanilla. Most expensive spice of Zanzibar as it ripens only once a year in September. Coffee.Curry.Pepper. And the interesting thing about it is that all green, black, red and white pepper are the same plant but the process of production is different.
Green pepper = green, unripe peppercorns, treated in a way to retain the green color.
Black pepper = green, unripe peppercorns, cooked in hot water and dried in the sun.
White pepper = the seed of the peppercorns, the darker skin being removed. Quite a laborious process which leads to the white pepper being most expensive.
Red pepper = ripe peppercorns.

Clove.Coconut!

The post Stone Town Wedding Photographer // Spice Tour and a walk in town appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

The post Helsinki Kihlajaiskuvaus // Heli + Juho // Pre-Wedding Session appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

It was 4.30 in the morning when Emmanuel proposed  to Laura in a bright colored hot air balloon floating above the Nile river. This experience was so special, they designed the wedding details with the hot air balloon theme in mind. “Choose your cloud” said the seating chart, as each table was given the name of a cloud. And as Emmanuel is French and Laura is Finnish, they also wanted to combine Finnish and French details in a mix of Finnish food and French wine.

One of the coolest thing about their day was that Emmanuel’s family and friends who came from France and Germany all stayed at the Martinpiha cottages on Lohjansaari island. I was present already in the morning as the ceremony site was being set up and the guests were getting ready.

It was truly a blessing to get to know Laura and Emmanuel and be present at their wedding. This is the story of their wedding day.

 

- Tell me about how your wedding day has been. What were the best parts of your wedding? The best memories?
The wedding day was an incredible experience with an amazing amount of stress but where everything went well. The weather was unbelievably great, after a lot of rain, and we stressed that all would fail. But we were blessed with a great atmosphere in a sunny and green setting, with a wonderful group of people from many different countries and cultures, and a great party to boot. The best parts of the wedding were the ceremony in the garden with the singer and the speeches, the entrance in the dinner hall and all the surprises planned for us, and the party that followed.

- What were your expectations regarding the wedding photography? What were you looking for when searching for a wedding photographer? Why did you choose me?
Our expectations were very high on the photography, because we had decided that we absolutely wanted both a photographer that could fit in well with our spirit and with the event, and pictures of a great quality that we could look back on in the future with pleasure. Some friends had a bad experience with their photograph and we were determined to find a great one a long time before the wedding. In a photographer we wanted to find an eye for the picture, but with the ability to see the magnificent details, and capture emotions in a vivid, in a very cinematographic way.  We chose you because during the häämessut 2011 we saw many photographers and a few of those looked promising, but your example book were really amazing, and the pictures on the preparation of the wedding brought tears to Laura’s eyes. We then talked to you and took an interview with you.

- Were your expectations met?
Yes, I believe that the expectations were met. In the wedding, you were everywhere but not visible (or not more than needed) and didn’t have a negative impact on the flow on the wedding (nobody was just posing and everybody was natural), and the result of the picture was really amazing, with everybody commenting that they loved the pictures. The book that you designed for us after the wedding was also very satisfactory and will be cherished.

- In what areas did I meet or exceed your expectations?
Photo quality, knowing what you wanted, knowing what to ask of us and direct us when we didn’t know what to do in the posing pictures.

- What can you comment regarding your experience regarding the initial meeting, the booking process, correspondence, conduct, attitude, attire, professionalism? What can be improved?
The initial meeting was surprising, going through all that we were interesting in and our sense of humor, and how we saw our couple, union and wedding event, and what we wanted from it. With those information I think you saw pretty clearly what you wanted to do with us in terms of mood, and it showed in the wedding itself. The booking process was very easy and straight forward, though since the booking, the detail of the offers seem to have changed twice but you honored the original deal nonetheless. Professionalism was top notch and very satisfying.

- Are you satisfied with the quality of the photographs in terms of artistic expression?
Yes, very much. All of the pictures were amazing.

- What was the response/reaction of your parents and your friends when seeing the images?
Very satisfied and very congratulatory on the quality of the pictures (some were jealous comparing to their own).

- What did you most enjoyed about working with me?
You knew exactly what you wanted and you were not scared to force it to happen. I also appreciated that you seem to enjoy the party and the spirit a lot, and stayed with us so long, giving us the chance to have amazing party pictures we had not hoped for.

- Are you happy with the choice you made for the final package? Was the package you chose suitable to your needs?
Yes, that package was ideal for us, with a very good time span and a lot of pictures, plus the 2 albums.

- Has the quality of the products I offer (albums, fine art prints, etc) responded to your wishes?
Yes, all the products were of great quality, especially the albums and their design which took a lot of time to finalize.

- What would you tell to another couple who was considering Maria Hedengren Photography for their wedding?
Definitely yes, go for it.

The post French Wedding in Finland // Laura + Emmanuel // Lohjansaari appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.

In March this year, Rufus and I traveled to Africa for the first time. We visited Dar Es Salaam, Morogoro, went on Safari in Mikumi National Park and spent the last week relaxing on Zanzibar island.

I decided I was not going to bring my big camera along on this trip. Though I have a really good insurance and had no worries of my DSLR being stolen, I felt it was too intimidating to take it with me. So I borrowed a Sony DSC-RX100, which I found to be an amazing little camera to have. It might just be the best pocket size camera there is, giving me all the flexibility I needed with manual exposure. I particularly enjoyed the large aperture, a feature I think is rather rare for pocket cameras. And most of all, leaving my “work” camera home felt more like a vacation.

Here are some images from our adventures in Mikumi.

The post Tanzania Wedding Photographer // Safari in Mikumi National Park appeared first on Finland Wedding Photographer | Häävalokuvaaja Helsinki.