I knew this wedding was going to be amazing from the first time I met Judith and Melanie. We had agreed to meet in Aarau for a drink and to get to know each other. Usually, these meetings last for about an hour. With these two, we noticed it was getting late and when we checked the time realized that we’d been talking for almost three hours. They told me their engagement-story, which should honestly be made into a movie and even before that had already stolen my heart. So I couldn’t wait for their wedding day to come. Also, because they had something very special planned for their guests which I have never seen at a wedding before and probably never will. But before I get to that, I really want to give you a quick summary of the proposal. Because it tells the story of who these two are better than I could.
So Judith and Mel met while Mel was studying to become a policewoman in the same place where Judith worked. They were both in relationships and often ended up having couple-dates with their respective girlfriends. Those relationships ended but all of them stayed in touch and a while later Judith and Mel both realized that what they were feeling was more than friendship. Just to put things straight right now: They are still on great terms with their exes. So much so, that both of them were at the wedding. 😉 One day, Mel was working while Judith helped her sister-in-law with picking out wedding bands. Mel’s sister was getting married, too, and had set up an appointment at a jewelers in the city Mel worked at. After that appointment, Judith and Mel’s sister went to a café to hang out and wait for Mel do be done with work so they could spend the evening together. But everything took a turn for the worse when Mel’s sister went to the bathroom: Suddenly two policemen entered the café and after a quick glance at Judith started approaching her while talking into their intercoms. They came up to her and asked her to come with them. Judith was shocked and tried to explain that she wouldn’t, that her sister-in-law was just about to come back and that she didn’t do anything wrong. She demanded to know what was going on but the policemen insisted and took her into the policecar where they explained that the jeweler Judith had just had an appointment at had reported a theft and the description of the culprit fit her. Judith was panicking and tried to explain that her girlfriend was also police and she could definitely clear up the misunderstanding, she hadn’t stolen anything! The policemen weren’t having it and took her to the station where they put her into an interrogation room.
Judith didn’t have to wait long before the policemen came back. This time they were laughing and told her not to worry, everything had been organized by her girlfriend, she had wanted to give her a special city-tour which they we’re going to take her to now. This time, Judith got to sit in front of the squad car while the policemen showed her the sights of the city, stopping at a famous church where the sister in-law was waiting for her. Just then it started to dawn on Judith that this wasn’t just a normal city-tour she had gotten. The stairs up to the church-spire were lined with rose petals and when she got onto the platform, Mel was waiting for her. I cannot imagine how emotional that moment must have been but I’m sure not much beat the view they had from up there, all by themselves. Mel asked Judith to marry her and Judith obviously said yes.
Which brings us to their wedding day. A day that by far surpassed all my expectations. Yes, it was raining and the reception could not be held in the beautiful courtyard of the Kommende Hitzkirch, where they had originally met, but that did not dampen the mood. Judith and her maid of honor were totally relaxed while getting ready in the cellar and when Mel first saw her bride her teared-up eyes made everyone forget the rain outside. The ceremony was literally magical: One of their friends told their lovestory as a fairy tale, complete with a magical unicorn and I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a personal story being read during a ceremony. Nobody had expected that so the emotions were all over the place.
Because it was still raining after the ceremony, the guests simply decided to welcome Judith and Mel in marriage by throwing rice on them in the hallway instead of outside 😅 That’s how relaxed everyone was and during the reception people we’re taking selfies, chatting and generally enjoying themselves while there was a small surprise waiting for Judith outside: She’s an avid rider so her horse-club had organized for her horse to be brought to the reception-location so Judith could have her other favorite (next to Mel) there as well on her wedding day. But that wasn’t all of the surprises for the day - far from it. The next one was one from the couple for the guests: Because the evening celebration took place in a castle and they had time to spare to arrive there, Judith and Mel decided to have their guests compete against each other. In air-rifle-shooting. Yes, you read that correctly! All the ladies in their pretty dresses and the dapper guys went to a quick stop that was supposed to be a place to get a drink and snack and whoever wanted got to shoot air-rifles under the instruction of the local air-rifle-club. I don't think anyone had expected that, either. That was a first for me, too, and of course I didn’t let the chance slip to try and shoot the heart-shaped targets myself 😂 I am a good shot, usually. Not so much with air-rifles. But it was definitely fun and probably something I’ll never get to do at a wedding again. Feel free to prove me wrong, though! I love individual ideas!
Before the wedding, both Judith and Mel contacted me because they had a surprise planned for the other. While Judith had a special wedding dress, that could be changed from a long into a short gown, Mel had organized a horse carriage for Judith. This had been an idea they had originally had for their wedding but cut it because of budget reasons. Both brides wanted to do the big reveal during our shoot, which was set in between locations. So here you see that I am much more than just a photographer: Because nobody was to know about any of the surprises I had to thread lightly while talking to people indvidually and always had to keep in mind who knew what. While we were driving to the location I was constantly talking to the cabby, telling him where to meet, telling him we were running late while calling Mel in the car behind me to tell her everything was set and to tell her to tell Judith I was calling because I had remembered a great spot for images so she wouldn’t get suspicious. So yeah, I might have been driving a little too fast with two policewomen in the car behind me because I didn’t want the horses to start getting restless. And because I knew that there wouldn’t just be one but two surprises to take away from the time for our shoot. Sorry, Mel! 😂 It was so much fun organizing everything, though, and in the end it worked out perfectly. Because that “beautiful spot” I had so conveniently remembered during our phone call (and which technically didn’t exist) turned out to be an incredibly beautiful home with a gigantic flower-arch. My cover wasn’t blown thanks to that! I mean what were the odds?
So to keep the rest of the blog short, I’m sure you’re eager to get to the images, I’ll do a quick recap of the rest of the day: Both girls were overjoyed with their respective surprises (one maybe a tad more than the other because there were horses 😅) and enjoyed a quite carriage-ride to the castle. In the meantime, I ̶r̶̶a̶̶c̶̶e̶̶d̶ drove back, got changed while still on the parking lot, ran up the steps and was in time to capture the happy couple making their fairytale-entrance. It was truly wonderful. And after a few more family-pictures and a quick couple’s shoot my job for the day was done. Which was also the reason I had changed at all, I usually don’t do that. But Judith and Mel had invited me to stay in the evening and celebrate with them as a guest, not a photographer. I was sitting at the table with their close friends (and exes!), our table was probably the most fun and entertained everyone when we started our impromptu 90s-popsong-charade. As a little thankyou to the couple, I prepared a small slideshow with quickly edited pictures of the day that we showed while Judith’s sister sang to it. That moment gave me goosebumps! You can still see it in my Instagram-highlights, if you want to. I still decided to get the camera out for the cutting of the beautiful cake Mel’s sister had made (during which Mel managed to break the knife…) and a few magical minutes of the first dance.
I guess by now you realize that this wedding has me all happy and giddy. I just want to thank my wonderful, crazy-in-love-couple for putting their full trust in me to capture their wedding memories forever. And for having me there not only as a guest, but also as a friend.
Location: Kommende HItzkirch & Wasserschloss Wyher
Dress: Anais Bridal
Bridal shoes: Rainbow Club
Suit & Shoes: Wilvorst
Rings: Acredo
Pearl bracelets & earrings: Perlenatelier im Park, Elisabeth Käppeli
Flowers: Priska Röthlin, Blumen Röthlin
Cake: the bride’s sister
Make-up: Olivera Antic
Hair: Petra Hurschler