Hiroshi and Larissa are going to have their baby girl, Lily, in July.
They decided they were going to get married in May, and they wanted to do it in Vienna, where they live, but due to pandemic backlog at registry offices, there was no space at their preferred registry on the date they had chosen. So they had their ceremony in Graz, a town around two hours from Vienna, early in the morning.
The morning preparations were really quick as the timelime was quite tight, but the magic was definitely there.
Hiroshi was radiant and kept smiling and singing - the bride and groom are both opera singers - which made the morning really delightful. I took a few shots of Hiroshi getting ready, then I went to Larissa, the warm spring light glowed on her face and her mother helped her get into her beautiful maternity dress.
The couple met in the reception of the hotel we were all staying at, just before walking to the registry office, and they had the most stunning first look I ever was lucky enough to photograph. They embraced, they smiled, they kissed.
We walked to the registry office, and Paul, one of Hiroshi's best friends (also an opera singer), sang beautiful melodies during their ceremony, making the tears surface even before the vows.
And then they were married. We walked towards a cafe where they had an informal wedding breakfast, and then we drove all the way to Vienna. I was a little worried about Larissa as she was doing all that travelling on her wedding day and expecting, but she was extraordinarily patient and strong, she never complained once even though the day must have been very challenging for her.
We drove to the spectacular Schonbrunn's palace and we spent some time doing couple portraits. The light was like something out of a movie, they were a dream, madly in love, and all was perfect.
Their small reception was at an austrian restaurant - Weingut Feuerwehr Wagner - and from there the magic really started. Larissa's dad started playing the accordion and the couple's first dance was a waltz that had them spinning around surrounded by the awe of their guests. Then, at the meal, the bride and the groom started duetting opera songs. Lots of people from other tables came near us to have a peak and listen to the beautiful music. It was one of those evenings were the atmosphere is just perfect, and unrepeatable.
Small weddings are not really small. They're so full of emotion that I always feel extremely lucky to be a part of them.
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