Amandine & Rauno
Today, let’s discover the beautiful wedding of Amandine and Rauno, who got married in a magical setting in Finland...
Photo credit: Niki Strbian Photography
The encounter :
We were both recently divorced and met on a dating site. Our little girl was born in February 2015, and Rauno proposed on August 1, 2015. Funny story—before our first date, Rauno was nervous because he didn’t know what to wear. I told him that as long as it wasn’t orange or purple, it would be fine. Of course, Rauno had two options, and they were those exact colors! When we first met, he was waiting for me at the tram stop near my place, and I immediately knew it was him because he was wearing... an orange polo! Since then, orange has been our color."
What stood out to them:
"My older daughters sang 'All of Me' by John Legend for us at the church, accompanied by a piano. It was beautiful, and everyone cried!
The venue :
We live in Finland, so we chose to get married on the fortress island of Suomenlinna, just off the coast of Helsinki. We instantly loved the reception hall for its uniqueness. The 'ruutikellari' is where soldiers used to store gunpowder. It's a room with no windows, old brick walls, and underground—a truly magical place! We also picked June 25, 2016, as our date because it was Juhannus (Midsummer), a very special celebration in Finland as it marks the longest day of the year. So, we had no night—quite a change for our guests from France and the United States!
Their inspirations:
"I fell in love with a dress I stumbled upon on Pinterest; it was love at first sight. In Finland, it was impossible to find this particular ankle-length Justin Alexander dress. So, I started searching abroad and finally found it in England. I had it altered here and replaced the back with a corset. I wanted a dress that our daughter could one day wear, too, and the ankle length makes that possible!
As for the color palette, we absolutely needed orange. My shoes were my second purchase, and the golden glitter color was inspired by them, while the fuchsia was chosen by my older daughters.
The bridal shoes :
Not being used to wearing high heels, I opted for the 6 cm heel. I hesitated a lot over the colors, but the team at Dessine-moi un soulier was fantastic and attentive. They sent me free samples, which helped me tremendously! I couldn’t visit the showroom since I was abroad, but that was probably a good thing for my bank account!
Her key vendors :
I used Etsy a lot. I highly recommend CZinvitations; Carly offers impeccable customer service! Our guests also loved the personalized place cards, which we had made by DotLaser on Etsy as well. For the bridesmaids and my maid of honor, the dresses from Chi Chi London are gorgeous!"
Amandine's advice:
"Don't try to plan every single detail! Yes, it’s your day, but it’s important to allow for some flexibility. Don’t skimp on the photographer—once your wedding day has passed, the photos are what will help you remember it. So, it’s worth the investment. For the bride’s shoes, dare to choose a bold color! It will also make them easier to wear again after the wedding.
