Maarja-Liisa and Triinu have been friends for 18 years, lasting way more than an average marriage. They do all kinds of great things together. Since one of their favourite pastime activities is exploring and hiking around in bogs, our shooting location obviously had to be a bog as well. And as neither of them really qualifies as a “good girl”, we decided to go with a dark and witchy theme for the photos…
“I will follow you into the dark.
There has always been something fascinating about the darkness. Maybe it’s seeing things as they truly are - raw and beautiful. We have always believed it’s the same with us. Our true colours start to shine in the most silent and loneliest places, showing what we really are - wild and innocent at the same time. But what you don’t know…there’s a little bit of devil in our angel eyes and if you look closely you can see it in these you-will-never-really-know-me smiles.” - M&T
When Kadri wrote to me the autumn before her wedding and mentioned she was going to have a steampunk-themed reception, I almost screamed. Dress by one of my favourite designers! Victorian accessories! TOPHATS! What’s there not to love about it?!
“We met 5 years ago at his band rehersal. We started talking and soon went to Viljandi Folk. The rest is history.
He makes me laugh when I am mad. He pushes me to do things I am afraid of, but they actually benefit me. He makes me take risks. He makes me a better person. He completes me.
After all we have been through, all the good and not so good, I still would not imagine anyone but him by my side.”
“She makes me realise, I am not alone in my worries and my joys. She makes me stride to be a better person and actually want to reach my potential and not give up.
Even though we may see some things differently, we complete each other, creating a beautiful harmony.”
I am very, very, very grateful that you two chose me to photograph your most important day ❤
“Although we’ve been in love for centuries, we finally met each other in this life. After both being part of a film project, thanks to a warm summer day on 3rd of June we went to eat some ice cream. We sat on a stone by the seaside and made “jokes” about getting married. After 1,5 months we happily got engaged. Every morning we wake up, we keep falling in love again and again and again and again…” - A&M
“She is more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, hers and mine are the same.” - M
We had been planning this shoot with Adele and Markus for a while as Adele’s birthday was coming up. However, Markus wrote to me two weeks before that he wants to propose to her. For most people it would have been quite shocking but something inside me knew that it would be the right thing to do, and so we started planning.
Our initial idea was to shoot in Kakerdaja bog, but we wanted the proposal to be as private as possible and fortunately I knew another bog. We drove there with Markus in secret to decide the perfect location and how exactly to do it. I suggested we could place a bird’s nest on a tree and my florist friend Ahti was happy to give us a goose egg for hiding the ring inside. We also decorated a watchtower with flowers (thank you Marianne and Jaane for driving there at 5am just to set it all up!).
Now all that is left is the actual proposal. Since it is Adele’s birthday, we bring cake and sparkling wine to “have a picnic”. The shoot itself is light and happy but as we get closer to the bird’s nest the anxiety inside me grows bigger and bigger. I’m sharing looks with Markus - so is this it? With an excuse of “going to pee” Markus grabs the goose egg from a portable fridge while I divert Adele’s attention with the cake and he goes to hide it in the nest. He comes back, we shoot some more portraits and move along.
“It’s a bird’s nest!!! Look, an ostrich egg in here!!! Why are you guys not surprised? What’s going on…?”
He holds her so tightly, in a hug that feels like eternity.
Tears are flowing from her eyes, I’m surprised by how much my whole being is shaking, the air is vibrating from all the love that is around them. It truly feels like two very old souls have finally met. It is so powerful, overwhelming even, like lighting and fire and ocean waves all at the same time. I can only think of how lucky I am to be here to capture this. She says yes and they cover each other’s faces with tiny kisses.
Markus & Adele (future Robam family!)
Photography Siiri Kumari MUAH Maret Ubaleht Styling Adele Thele Kuusk Ring Eliise Maar Floristry Ahti Lyra / Masha Set design help Marianne Ubaleht & Jaane Tomps
