Few people roamed the streets..
The air is amazingly refreshing..
And the cold wind that brushed me by..
Just reaffirmed that I am on a real holiday even though we have got loads to do.
Accompanied Tuuli for her bridal makeup at Katajanokka street.
The neighborhood in Helsinki near the City, houses a richer community.
This was the only time that Tuuli could use the "red umbrella"..
Raili Hulkkonen
A famous makeup artist that does makeup for celebrities for shows like Dancing with the Stars..
You can see the evident funk in her :)
Her makeup space looked like a usual Takashimaya beauty counters..
Numerous brands of makeup for her clients to choose from.
Tuuli during the makeup process.
The makeup was sooo naturally and tastefully done that it was almost barely there but it definitely enhanced Tuuli's features.
*****
Back at the restaurant
The hair stylist came and the brothers and sisters met for the first time.
All of us helped out with the event without any assigned duties..
Close friends, loved ones helped in one way or another..
No overlapping of duties, no clash of interest :)
Decorations on the tables were a mixture of Ikea flower petals and dried flowers we flew in from Daiso.
The seating plan, in Finnish.
The name tags were a personalized gesture from the couple..
Accompanied by wedding favors..
Favors that were DIY with sweets flown in from Sg..
Rabbit sweets, durian sweets, Japanese rice crackers..
Placed in translucent pouches separately sourced from the sweets.
This is a result of that little production line we formed at Tuija's apartment the previous day :)
We prepared key notes..
For guests to pen their thoughts..
On this big day
And the window sills were not spared of the pretty pink petals :)
Summer weddings..
Awesome.
*****
Before I finished doing up the tables..
I had to go up to the bridal room a few times to check if Tuuli requires any other stuff..
If she had more requests on the deco.
To capture as much pictures as possible.
And at the same time,
To ensure Mommy gets to give her the "present" the minute she was done.
Illari also prompted me to get ready for their little wedding shoot in the woods..
Took a quick lunch that almost left me out of breath..
... ...
Finnish meals always have salmon in them..
Finally mommy took out the necklace that was quietly sitting by the corner.
A surprise well received.
This was a result from the few communications on Skype with Don :D
Cannot help posting this up..
Tuija is so cute..
Tuuli bought her gown from White Link Singapore a year ago..
And painstakingly hand carried it back to Helsinki all by herself.
Mommy and I had nothing but pure admiration for her steadfast determination.
It paid off, really.
Her gown is gorgeous.
*****
All done up and it was time for the groom to meet the bride for the first time in her gown..
*****
Photo shoot was just a distance away..
The nature reserve was fuss free..
No travelling needed, no application and admin fee required
Anywhere, anytime.
And best of of..
They produced the best pictures you can ever ask for.
Illari is a professional photographer :)
*****
Rushed back to the restaurant..
Dumped my stuff and grabbed the bag of clothes..
And off I shoot off to freshen up.
The guests were already waiting..
The Finns are damn strict on punctuality..
One stark difference between Chinese and Finnish weddings..
In a Chinese wedding,
We thank the guests for coming towards the end of the night.
A Finnish wedding?
We thank them before lunch began.
An extended family :)
We had some free time from the vows to the lunch..
So we had to take more pictures of this real life Barbie Doll :P
The Siblings
The turnout
Not sure if this is a Finnish thing..
But these weddings consist of two hand bouquets.
One to accompany the bride even during meals..
The other..to throw.
This was the first.
So freshly artistic..
Some family time
The Brothers
The Tea Ceremony
The VIPs
Speeches are gave in a casual manner.
Illari will start the speech before the appetizer
Followed by Tuija after the main course, translated by Tuuli's cousin.
Then it was Daddy's turn slightly before the dessert
Followed by Don after the dessert.
Thereafter..
Don and Tuuli's friends clinked their forks against champagne glasses whenever they like to speak :)
Daddy had spent the quiet night before at Illari apartment's balcony drafting out the speech.
After all those struggle..
Guessed that was the moment when he realized..
Don has finally grown up :)
The most memorable speech of the day..?
It was Tuuli's childhood friend who gave a short speech followed by a Finnish acapella for the newlyweds.
So exquisitely beautiful that brought tears to many guests' eyes..
Mommy's vegetarian main course
Medium rare lamb as raved by all the guests..
After the main course,
Time for the couple to cut the cake..
Whoever gets to slice the cake first will take command of the household..
Guess who got it? :P
Then it was dessert time for the guests..
Gluten-free mousse cake.
*****
*****
The Finnish definitely loves dancing :)
As supper is being served..
I took a breather outside.
Seurasaari has a different feel altogether at midnight..
Albeit cold..
The ambience warmed our hearts..
I'm missing this restaurant already.
Sakura in Kyoto and Osaka
Skiing in Hokkaido
Skiing in Switzerland
Midnight sun in Norway
Museums and artifacts in Rome
Manchester in London
Windmills in Holland
Dairy farms in New Zealand
Niagara Falls in Canada
Maui beaches in Hawaii
Beaches in Maldive Islands
