My first Latvian wedding
A short insight into photographing a modern Baltic wedding.
Being a European wedding photographer means shooting lots of variations regarding traditions and cultures. I’ve developed a unique style of reportage style wedding photography, whilst still retaining some of the more traditional values based on each country.
There are plenty of different wedding traditions in the British culture, which still make an appearance in modern weddings in some shape or form. But what about a Baltic wedding, or a Latvian wedding in particular? The Eastern and Northern European nations are very rich in culture, mythology and traditions. I have just returned from shooting a wedding in Latvia, and while the end result is that two people become as one and pledge their love to each other in front of family and friends, the way the day unfolds is very different.
First of all, the morning began peacefully, by shooting the bridal preparations. I say ‘peacefully’ loosely, because tying the bride’s dress proved a task to test the patience and teamwork of the whole family!
Whilst in the UK the bride would not normally see the groom until the ceremony begins, this time the groom arrived with his party outside the flat, where he met the first of several obstacles before marrying the love of his life.
One of which is to resist the charms of two other ladies who insist they will make a ‘better’ wife than the girl he has chosen, another one is to ‘haggle’ his way into the home by offering sweets and drinks, while proving his worth riding a wooden horse, in this case, along the hallway leading to the brides flat. These tasks are set by the ‘witch’ of the day who is the ‘events planner’.
The prospective groom having passed on all the offerings and still insisting to see his bride, is then rewarded by all concerned, toasting the forthcoming wedding with drinks and treats.
The ceremony was held in a picturesque church, that unsurprisingly attracted a group of curious tourists who peeked inside as we waited for the last few guests to arrive. The ceremony was beautiful, with prayers, vows, and more flowers than anyone could ever imagine. Once they are officially ‘wed’, guests congratulate them with bouquets of flowers, which means the couple leaves the church with enough flowers to fill a small floral shop.
Then, it is time for the traditional things, like throwing the confetti group shots, very much like in the UK! Beautiful and gloating couple in front of a historical venue — what’s not to love! So, is this the time for the couple to sit down, have a drink and relax?
You’d assume so but no chance!
After a brief rest, our next stop was a gorgeous old bridge across a river, all surrounded by masses of forest, where the happy couple had to throw a key to their new happiness over the edge, one never to be found. One thing very noticeable was how the nearby community (whether tourists or locals) all wished happiness to the couple whenever they passed them by and every single car made the same message by honking the car and waving. And I mean literally every single car!
What’s to follow? Visiting a local point of interest — a site of caves, small bridges and park. This time we began by smashing some pottery, as both the bride and the groom revealed an embarrassing secret of something they have done in the past. Then, the groom carried the bride across a small bridge whilst saying out loud one pet-name for his bride with every step he took. If you accidentally repeat the same one? Too bad, take a step back and come up with a new one!
Finally, we finished with the groom burying a bottle underground that contained small messages written by the couple of what they wish to achieve in their first year of marriage, a small touch yet so meaningful and intimate.
As we arrived at the venue, a large guest house next to a small lake, the couple still had a few tests before they were allowed to actually sit down and put their feet up! Gifts, such as confectionary and alcoholic drinks, is customary for newlyweds to offer to anyone who might stop them on the way before they’re allowed to pass through. Inside the venue the couple’s parents lit one candle each, then for the couple to use the two to light their own candle, a symbolic way of beginning a new family.
The food, the dance and the music all intertwined in the beautiful evening as the sun began to set. We still managed to catch a few shots of the couple just before the light turned dark! A wedding day this long and full of various ‘challenges’ for the new couple to do is not something as customary in England, but we all have our own beautiful traditions, we make new ones constantly but in the end we all end up saying I do, we kiss and we celebrate.
