
Ivana and Till’s wedding on Chäserugg high above Walensee was definitely one of my favorite weddings last year. Of course, the location itself with a view over the entire Walensee at a good 2,200 meters is already breathtaking. With a panorama of six countries and also the modern and at the same time timeless architecture of the mountain station respectively the Chäserrugg Summit Restaurant of the star architects Herzog & de Meuron is exceptional.
Those who know me know that I have a great soft spot for weddings in the mountains. But and especially the way Ivana and Till celebrated their love is extraordinary: creative, individual and in the middle of an impressive high alpine mountain scenery.
Till’s three-piece, charcoal tweed suit in combination with the hat reminded me a bit of the Netflix series Peaky Blinders. The penny collar on his shirt, the bow tie, the burgundy socks, the brown leather shoes and the many creative details like the pocket watch finished off his great style. This is how a stylish man dresses. Ivana wore a rather simple yet feminin vintage wedding dress. The wild bouquet of flowers with lots of fall colors went wonderfully with the 20s style of the two. What a stylish couple these two are.
After getting ready in two separate rooms at the Säntis Hotel on the Schwägalp, they went up separately by cog railroad and gondola. Till arrived together with the guests and waited with anticipation for his Ivana, who led by the visibly proud father to her. The non-relegious wedding ceremony, spoken by master of ceremonies Thomas Förster, took place on the Roseboden plateau at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level. The wedding was musically accompanied by the Hamburg singer and songwriter Perry O’Parson, who played beautiful folk love songs, which perfectly suited the alternative wedding. The very romantic and individual free ceremony, in which the love story of Ivana and Till was the center of interest, provided for many teary eyes and countless emotional moments.
Immediately after the ceremony, the three of us went out to take some couple photos around the plateau before the two newlyweds rejoined the wedding party, which was already enjoying the aperitif in front of the Chäserugg restaurant. Ivana and Till also proved to have a sense of style when decorating the dining room for the evening. A big compliment on my part but also to the Blumeria in Marbach, which has put together an incredibly beautiful floral decoration. Even at a location where the transport is not so easy.
Before dinner started, I asked the groomsmen, if it was possible, to give me a few minutes during sunset to take Ivana and Till out for some more pictures. And as you can see, it was well worth it.
With the last gondola of the day I went back to the valley. Besides full memory cards, I took a lot of beautiful memories and an incredibly well planned vintage wedding with me. Thank you Ivana and Till, that I was allowed to capture your wedding day. Last but not least: Thanks also to Sascha Krämer for the recommendation.
When the inquiry from Sabrina and Sabrina found its way into my inbox, my heartbeat immediately started to rise. After all, it has been several years since I was allowed to photograph the last same-sex wedding of two women. I would really like to photograph more same-sex weddings to be honest.
Back then I was not allowed to publish the pictures of that wedding – because the two women feared a negative impact on their professional career. These things make me very sad – nobody should have to hide herself/himself and her/his love for her/his sexual orientation or even fear any negative consequences. The time is more than right, well , actually over-due, for “Marriage for All” in Switzerland. Love is a wonderful thing, a gift. Love should not know any boundaries, restrictions or gender roles – love should be free and beautiful.
Even happier was I to see how openly Sabrina and Sabrina live and show their love. Both Sabrinas are really great and lovely human beings. When we met in Zurich for a get-together, we talked about almost everything – but hardly about their wedding. The sympathy was immediate on both sides – which is why I was very happy about their booking. At the Love Session last autumn we got to know each other even better and the anticipation of their wedding in Eastern Switzerland became even greater.
What a great and beautiful late summer day it was:
After the first look directly at the Lake Constance we went to Villa Felber where the entire wedding took place. The moment when their two fathers saw them for the first time was simply wonderful. To capture such moments for eternity is not only very touching for me but also a great honour.
The no-religious ceremony was held by Anita Lusti – one of my favourite ceremonial masters – which was – as I expected – very personal and emotional. Not only the Sabrinas, but also many of the guests (and yes, me too) had to wipe the one or two tears of emotion from our cheeks. As emotional the ceremony was, as joyful and fun was the aperitif afterwards. All while the sun slowly set behind Lake Constance.
Both Sabrinas clearly enjoyed the time out during the couple photos. Although they didn’t want to stay away from their friends and families for too long, they were grateful for the few minutes of peace and intimate privacy.
The evening was filled with various contributions, speeches and (again) some tears of joy. The Sabrinas celebrated their love together with their dearest people until deep into the night. Without restrictions or limitations – just the way it should be.