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Have you ever seen someone in a crowded place and felt a sudden tingle down your spine, a sense of immediate familiarity? You may feel unsure: have you met them somewhere before, or are you simply destined to know them? That was the question, the sensation, that sizzled in the air when Martina and Lin crossed paths one night while they were both out on the town. Lin was arrested by the sight of the lovely young woman, called by both her beauty and the pull of a memory he could not immediately place - and then it came to him: he had seen her a year prior, clad in a white T-shirt, her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail. From that moment on, Lin vowed to not let Martina slip away again, and six years later, they were organizing their wedding. There was no pomp or pretension about this wedding, only the couple's authentic selves; Martina and Lin chose to have the ceremony and the party at the same location, so the day flowed naturally, relaxed and easy. Their rustic, vintage-inspired wedding took place largely in the open air, the sun shining on the bride's joyous face, the gentle breeze whispering its blessings. Everywhere around there was the touch of love, for Martina had planned and decorated the entire wedding herself, with the aid of her dear friends. Her deft hands had adorned the candle sticks and vases with pretty ribbons, and her cheerful nature could clearly be seen in the way the photo booth was decorated like a cozy living room, complete with a sweets table full of cookies and candies. Martina even chose to eschew formal shoes for her favorite footwear - sneakers - opting for a beautiful pair of custom-made, prettily-decorated sneakers from shoe designer Shuz. The black and white photos from this shoot are, I feel, evocative of another time, of dreams and memories - the perfect complement to the finale of the ceremony, whereupon a very special memory was honored.As the lights dimmed down, everyone lit up sparklers to represent the shimmering light that was all around them, but not seen: the loving spirit of Martina's mother, and all the joyful memories associated with her. Such is the true magic of marriage: it binds families across the years, transcending time and change. 
Recently I had the great pleasure of shooting the wedding of Paula and Antun—who you may remember from this post—the star-crossed lovers who overcame distance to find one another in the lush hills of Croatia. Just as the tangerine trees grown by Paula's family blossom, ripen, and bear fruit, Paula and Antun's love has gone from trembling bud to bold, nourishing colour, culminating in them being wed in Konavle, near Dubrovnik. Konavle, like Paula and Antun, is both lovely and traditional, with centuries-old streets and pristine nature all around. The couple were wed in a small, intimate ceremony in an old stone church, before moving on to a dinner party at the Konavoski Dvori resturant. This restaurant, which abuts an ancient mill that straddles the clear, cold Ljuta river (one Croatia's cleanest and most beautiful mountain streams) was rich in traditional, home-cooked food and fine wines—the perfect fare to toast a love as real and robust as Paula and Antun's. During the ceremony I witnessed Paula—dressed in a stunning vintage style, right down to her perfect shoes and bouquet—being given away by her father, in a scene so elegant and moving it could have been taken right from a classic movie. No one at the wedding held back; emotion poured more freely than wine, as Paula's father gave his cherished daughter over to the embrace of her devoted suitor. In this day and age, when so many people try to come across as being “cool”, downplaying what they feel and putting up an iron guard of modern, jaded cynicism, the emotion of this beautiful family seemed like a miracle from another time. In the vivid beauty of such open love, I was reminded that to show unrestrained emotion is to express the glory of nature. It is to become one with the joy of a river flowing unhindered, the leaping antelope, the wildcat at play, and the sun that rises in a cloudless sky. Nature is, after all, not self-conscious; it does not apologize for its power or its honesty, just as great love ought not. This was a particular treat for me as capturing raw emotion is, of course, what makes a photograph powerful! 
He saw her in a Soda bar one hot summer... She was different, but yet, so simple and beautiful, wearing a white shirt and a bun on her head. She was drinking beer with a straw. They exchanged few glances and smiles, but nothing else happened. Next spring, lady Destiny interfered once more to unite this soul mates. They met again, but this time, he decided to be braver. He approached her and that is the moment when their story begins...          
 Prošli vikend sam imala prilike boraviti na predivnom imanju Višnjica nedaleko Slatine. Skriva povijest staru više od dva stoljeća, a proviruje iza perivoja prekrasnih starih lipa i kestena, visokih borova, javora i duda. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last weekend, I had an opportunity to stay on a gorgeous Višnjica estate. It hides a history of more than a two centuries old, and it peeps out of beautiful gardens of old lindens and chestnuts, tall pines, maples and mulberries.  Imanje se može pohvaliti bogatom ergelom koja broji oko 70-ak konja. Jedna od konjušnica je uređena kao izložbeni prostor, a tematika se mijenja otprilike svakih 5 mjeseci. Imala sam sreću da sam zatekla ovakvu postavu, po mojem mišljenju savršenu za romantično rustikalno vjenčanje. Naprosto sam uživala fotografirajući! :) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Višnjica has a rich haras with 70 horses. One of the horse stables is decorated as an exhibition area and the theme is changed every 5 months. I was lucky to find this setup, which is, in my opinion, perfect for a romantic rustic wedding. I really enjoyed photographing it! :)     |
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