REETTA + YASSER

Eurajoki Häät | Irjanteen Kirkko Vihkiminen | Villa Lokari Hääjuhla| Rauma ja Euraoki Hääkuvaaja

Reetta and Yasser’s colorful countryside Eurajoki wedding at Villa Lokari might be one of the most heartfelt, joyous celebrations I’ve been part of.

Their wedding was filled with so many meaningful details. For example, the bride’s grandparents had passed away, but Reetta placed two string dolls on the front row of the church to represent them. Another interesting detail was the subtle use of lace in different designs, such as Yasser’s boutonniere and aisle markers at the church. This region in Finland, and specifically Rauma, is known for its long tradition in bobbin lace-making.

Eurajoki Häät | Euraoki Hääkuvaaja

The day started with a first look moment right outside Reetta’s parents’ home in Eurajoki, followed by a private civil ceremony in their living room. The ceremony took place in front of a beautiful Ryijy made by Reetta’s late grandmother. 

Ryijy is a woven Finnish long-tufted tapestry or knotted-pile carpet hanging. In fact, the name “ryijy” originated with the Scandinavian word “rya” which means “thick cloth”. Indeed, the decorative Ryijy rug is an art form unique to Finland. In the late 19th century, Ryijy rug weaving further developed as folk art.

Irjanteen Kirkko Vihkiminen

The day continued with a religious blessing at the Irjanne Church. Built in 1731 along the Eurajoki River, Irjanne church is one of the oldest wooden churches in Finland. In fact, a prayer room was present here as early as the 13th century. The building has a tiled roof, and the exterior walls are painted red. The belfry building served as a gatehouse for the churchyard. Above the aisle hangs a votive ship, a scale model of a ship donated to the church. In fact, this votive ship is one of the only two in Northern Europe featuring a paper mast.

A string trio played the church exit music. The piece Reetta and Yasser chose was from the original Alladin movie – “I Can Show You the World“. This moment was so beautiful, it even brought me to tears.

“I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us, “No”
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I’m way up here
It’s crystal clear
That now I’m in a whole new world with you”
– A Whole New World

Villa Lokari Häät

After the ceremony, a dinner reception followed at Villa Lokari. The evening was spent enjoying great food, games, and musical performance. Reetta is part of a folk dancing club. Her dancer friends performed traditional Finnish folk dances during the dinner.

Eurajoki Häät | Irjanteen Kirkko Vihkiminen | Villa Lokari Hääjuhla | Rauma ja Euraoki Hääkuvaaja

I recently reached out to Reetta to get her feedback on my work:
“I don’t even know where to start. Thank you for the photos! They were absolutely amazing, even more than we expected even though we knew they would be brilliant. Every photo was perfect. I’m so happy. 
We will have fun time watching the photos for a long time still. Thank you for doing so much extra for us when it comes to the amount of pictures in the album and the time you spent in our wedding. It was fun :) “ Reetta&Yasser 8.8.2020

Ceremony: Irjanteen kirkko, Eurajoki
Dinner: 
Villa Lokari Häät

Hand and Makeup: Nea Mäntylä – Kampaamo Jakonen | Wedding dress: Sincerity – Fiancee Turku | Bride’s Shoes: Caprice | Veil: Fiancee | Reettas ring: Olli Juhani Lindroos | Earrings: Mari Syren design Pori | Reetta’s golden wrist band is Reetta’s grandmother’s | Flowers: Floristimestari Kirsi Saarenpää | Catering: Fresco | Cake: Nana’s dream cakes | Band: Coners&Lovers