What a whirlwind of a weekend we had for this fantastic wedding in Fjällbacka Sweden. Hanna & Mattias tied the knot at the Stora Hotellet in the centre of the village overlooking the beautiful Swedish West Coast. We flew into Gothenburg and took a 150km road trip up the coast through Västragotaland to this stunning fishing village which was called a paradise on earth by non other than Ingrid Bergman!
This area takes its name from the large rock mountain that characterises the village and up which we climbed on the day before the wedding to get an overview of the location. On this first day we had every kind of weather from stunning sunshine to clouds, rain and stormy seas which made it quite difficult to predict what the weather was going to be like for the day itself. In fact, it was looking quite dodgy on the morning of the big day with rain and wind predicted but luckily that was soon to change! We started off in the summer house owned by Hanna’s parents who come form this part of Sweden. I arrived to a very busy cabin with lots of family bustling about and having loads of fun getting ready. Hanna & Mattias’ two children and their cousins were very excited to be flower girl , page boy and bridesmaids!
As the ceremony was going to be at 4pm Hanna and Mattias had decided to have some couple portraits beforehand so we head off to the nearby shore and then on to Fjällbacka village itself where the church was also located. Now we had some luck with the weather, the clouds parted and we got some beautiful light for the pictures at the coast and around the village. I loved the small red fishing cabins that are so typical of the area and made a very stunning backdrop for the photographs.
Soon it was time for the ceremony and we all walked back up the hill to the church. This church is absolutely stunning and like no other church I have photographed before. It was built in the neo gothic style in 1892 from granite taken from the area and rises high above the village with stunning views of the archipelago. The inside of the church is simple, colourful and beautiful, with lovely light and a photographers dream church. So I was very happy!
The ceremony went without a hitch. The children walked down the aisle with the bride and groom, and friends and family contributed with readings and songs. Mattias is a long time singer in a choir and he performed a surprise song for Hanna which was very moving and definitely brought a tear to the eye! A group of their friends also got together to form a mini choir for a brilliant performance at the end of the ceremony. Hanna & Mattias walked out of the church to much applause and a very long line of enthusiastic confetti throwers and bubble blowers! There followed lots of hugs and congratulations and a few group shots before everyone walked the hundred yards down the hill to the hotel for the wedding breakfast.
I have to say one of many things I love about Swedish wedding is their wedding breakfasts. They put so much effort into these events with so many contributions from family and friends. Anyone and everyone can make a speech. They also do skits, small performances and games that involve the couple and the audience. I particular enjoyed the game that involve the enthusiastic waving of serviettes, which was great for the photos! Also the game when signs were raised behind the couple saying for example ‘you have been on holiday with the couple’ and then everyone in the audience that this applied to had to stand up and the couple had to guess what the sign said. This was a blast and had everyone in great spirits. I was also so impressed with the food. This was probably one of the best meals I have ever had at a wedding. We had fish dishes which were cooked and presented to absolute perfection.
After the wedding breakfast all the guests moved into an adjoining room for the party and dancing. Hanna & Mattias had a lovely looking wedding cake that appeared impossible to cut but tasted great! Soon everyone was about ready to hit the danceflloor. Hanna & Mattias and many of the guests certainly knew a few danceflloor moves and Mattias was swinging Hanna around in style. It was sad that this absolutlly brilliant day was coming to an end. All in all it was a brilliant and perfect Swedish wedding. One of the most enjoyable weddings I have ever photographed with such lovely people and a fabulous atmosphere. A huge congratulations to Hanna & Mattias! Please see a selection of images from the day below.
If you are planning a wedding in Sweden check out some of my favourite images from Hannah and Mattias’ day below. For more information about my photography style please see the Approach page and the Portfolios page or feel free to get in touch below. I’d love to talk to you about your plans for your upcoming wedding day and see if I could be the photographer for you.
Wedding in Fjällbacka Sweden
Do you need a photographer for your wedding in Sweden? I love photographing Swedish weddings and I’d love to hear more about your day! I photograph all sorts of weddings from the most lavish events to intimate home weddings and would be very happy to offer you a no obligation chat to talk about your requirements. Although I am a wedding photographer in Yorkshire, UK, it is very easy and cheap for me to fly over to Sweden. I also arrange appointments to meet in person at my studio in Pudsey if you would like to look at sample albums. Please visit the contact page if you’d like to be sent my online brochure. You can also email kirstyds@gmail.com or call +44 07564 953262.
