The Wedding

Finally, I bring myself here, to write this post about our wedding. In my mind this has felt like a big thing, something that is supposed to be so great. Or that I just have to know how to bring that loving warm feeling into this post, that I made it such a huge thing in my mind into a point it just made me procrastinate this.

But, I will let the pictures do the talking for me, mostly. I am ever grateful that I got to marry Jarkko in the presence of our loved ones. He has proven to be the most kind, forgiving and caring man I know. His love has made me feel safe in this world that is so unknown these days, and he has become my safe haven to go to when the storms of life hit.

There is no other person in this world that makes me feel like I am enough as much as Jarkko does. That love for me is simply given, not earned. That his love for me isn’t depending on what I do or who I am. It is like a piece of rock, exsisting here wheter I want it or not. Together we can face whatever this life will bring to us, the good and the bad.

One piece of advice really stuck with me that day - marriage is not staring at each other, but looking into the same direction. Going towards this life, our dreams and challenges, facing it all together. Even though I feel like the love we have for each other exists without our doings or not doings, or if we are deserving of it, it doesn’t mean that I take it for granted. Like every other relationship, it needs caretaking too. No plant grows without light, water and oxygen. I like to think that it is the same with love. Showing that love daily even in small actions, investing your time and having a good communication is the key.

So, our wedding ceremony was at this beautiful church in Sahalahti, where I have lived for a while in my childhood. The church has always been absolutely stunning in my opinion, with it’s warm beige tones inside, it’s old spirit and nature light coming in from the big old windows. We were wed by my grandfather, who is a priest (even though he is 89 years old, he still does these religious matters in our family, which I find absolutely beautiful). A church wedding was clear to us since faith is important to us both.

The ceremony felt so holy and the feelings were touchable. Happy tears were flowing down, when I walked the aisle to the altar to be given away to my husband (at that point to be), by my father. No tears were held back either, when our musicians, Elina Mäkelä and Anni Lassila, performed a song called “Vuodet vieriä saa”. It means may the years go by.

All the photos from the church and the ceremony were taken by our wedding photographer Tuomas Mikkolainen. He also took all the wedding portraits. So all the photos that have been in this post so far and the black and white one in the end, were taken by him. This is not a paid collaboration and I can personally recommend him if you have any need for a professional photographer. I will link his website here: https://nappari.fi/

After the ceremony, we drove to the wedding celebration place. For the celebration we chose an old village school also near to where I have lived my childhood. It was a bit small, but our around 50 guests fitted there just and about. With the help of our friends, and especially my bridesmaids mother, we decorated the place with a lot of spruce sprigs, candles and other lights, and some flower arrangements. When the evening got dark, all the lights made the atmosphere amazing.

Food was mainly made by us and our relatives, but also by our hostess. There were homemade meatballs with creamy sauce, chicken, potatoes and a salad buffet. For dessert there were wedding cake, chocolate cake, biscuits, buns and pies. In the late evening we had a cheese plate and fruits. We use alcohol quite mildly, and had none in our wedding. Instead we had a variety of sodas and mineral waters, and other beverages.

Our wedding celebration had a relaxed feeling to it, and there were some games, speeches and traditional parts such as throwing the bridal bouquet and cutting the wedding cake. Our friends also performed some songs and played piano. There was no rush and plenty of time to just talk with everyone and enjoy good food.

When it was time to call it a night, we then went to our Airbnb which was located in the same town, Kangasala. We were so happy and tired at the same time, especially me since I had woken up around 6:00 to get my makeup and hair done in time. My cheeks were on fire from the smiling and laughing all day, and legs and back burning from walking in heels - I almost never wear heels and I could notice that. Overwhelmed with all the love and hustle for the whole day, we felt grateful to just be in each others presence, and did so for the wedding holiday that followed…