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Limestone Heritage Wedding – Waterfall Gardens

A truly unique wedding in Malta with both German and Nigerian traditions. Please scroll down for amazing images of the beautiful couple and their unbelievable party!

Located in the middle of Malta by the traditional village of Siggiewi, this beautiful venue is actually an old limestone quarry.

On ,normal’ days it is a museum showcasing the rich history of Malta and the ways limestone was and still is used in the country. 

The venue though closes its doors to visitors when there’s an event held there. 

Weddings at Limestone Heritage are held in the quarry area, but make no mistake, this is not what it used to be when the quarry was open and running, it is a beautifully designed space with 2 venues together. Don’t worry only one wedding can be held there at one time so the whole venue is yours if you book it. It is a large space but it can accommodate smaller wedding too. One of the weddings I photographed there had only about 50 guest and it didn’t feel like it was empty at all.

There is a grassy area with a beautiful tree where the ceremony or if you like the dinner can be held, and you can walk down a bit further in between olive trees to the Waterfall Gardens. At the Waterfall Gardens as you might guess from its name there is a huge waterfall. It is very impressive, it is sort of fake and can be turned off – more on that later.

There is even a permanent marquee for the not so ideal weather occasions.

Two thoughts about the venue: 

1. It is a very well organised venue with beautiful spaces in an enclosed area. You don’t have to worry about a long noisy party here. If you would like to have a view from your wedding venue then it is not the one for you though. The place has a nice feel to it, but no panoramic vistas.
2. The Waterfall Gardens area with the waterfall in the background is really nice however the waterfall itself is very loud in my opinion. You can actually turn off the waterfall so that the wedding is more peaceful like that especially if you have the dinner in front of the waterfall with speeches for example.

One of my best weddings I photographed in Malta was of Pia and Uzoma’s wedding.

It started with a pre-wedding get together on the Saluting Battery in Valletta as the couple had all their guest travelling from abroad, many from the US and the other half from Germany. Both days they had traditional elements from both countries, on the first day, the night before the wedding they organised the so called: Polterabend, the guests break porcelain to bring luck to the couple’s marriage. 

Wedding preparations took place in the beautiful Corinthia Palace San Anton Gardens, both the groom with groomsmen and the bride with bridesmaids were getting ready in the hotel.

The church celebrations were in Valletta in St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, it is a gorgeous not overdecorated very light church with beautiful columns making it picture perfect. 

As Uzoma is originally from Nigeria, the wedding day was very much influenced by Nigerian Wedding traditions. 

Amongst them was the so called Igbo Wedding Wine celebration whereas both the groomsmen and groom and then the bride with the bridesmaids enter the reception area in their traditional Nigerian attire, after which the groom sort of hides amongst the wedding guests and the bride has to look for the groom and offer him a glass of wine.

For the most amazing party pics from the night at the Waterfall Gardens please scroll all the way down!

More fantastic weddings from Malta 

Ta’Cenc Wedding Photography

Gozo, the little brother of Malta is a fantastic destination. A little island with rolling hills, many gorgeous bays and beaches, small villages with beautiful squares and churches. Ta’ Cenc Hotel Gozo is one of the nicest amongst the Gozo wedding venues. Gozo feels remote, yet it is well accessible with a short 20 minute ferry ride from the westernmost tip of Malta. 

Jake, the groom, also a photographer wrote to me about their wedding plan, and I couldn’t wait for their day to come. It is so nice to have the trust of a fellow photographer.

Jake and Jess rented a farmhouse and they invited their best friends to spend a week with them before the wedding day.

On the wedding day we met up in the farmhouse where they were getting ready and then we drove over to Palazzo Palina wedding venue which is the palace connected to Ta’ Cenc Hotel weddings.

The palace which was built in the 17th century has a large indoor and outdoor area. The wedding was held in June and the superb Maltese weather permitted  to have the day organised in the garden of the Palazzo. The civil ceremony was in a separate courtyard of the Palazzo from the rest of the evening. 

The venue is just perfect for a hot summer wedding! The courtyard has some nice trees and in the evening hours the light is really atmospheric.

The jaw-dropping Ta’ Cenc cliffs is just around the corner from the hotel so it is the perfect location to escape from the guests for 10-15 minutes at sunset. 

Wedding portraits at Ta’ Cenc cliffs: How to get to Ta’ Cenc cliffs?

From the hotel as you drive out you ll have to go around the village on the main road. On your left you’ll see Xewkija over the valley – it is a beautiful view of the whole village, and on your left there will be a small parking lot by the road. There isn’t  really a sign there, but you’ll see the path leading down to the cliffs. It is about a 5 minute short easy walk, and what will greet you is an over 100m drop and an amazing view over the sea and Malta to the left. Well worth the visit.

The little Copenhagen Elopement Guide

What is an elopement?

Originally it meant to escape and get married without telling your family and friends.

These days elopements are not so drastic, although this do happen from time to time, in most cases the families do know about it.

Reasons to elope

Couples wanting to elope chose this for different reasons. They want to go to a dream location where you cannot hold a big wedding, or they just want to be themselves and enjoy getting married on their own terms without the hassle of organising a big wedding.

Sometimes couples do include very few guests, like parents, making it into a micro wedding.

Also, sometimes couples organise a big party at a later date when they return home.

One more reason can be money related. The couples choosing to elope might not have the funds to organise a traditional wedding and they instead try to save up for other things in their life ahead.

If a big formal wedding is something you want to avoid, an elopement in Copenhagen might be the best and easiest choice for you.

Why should you elope in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen is a beautiful city. It is a modern and forward thinking capital. Architecture is fantastic, with both classic and modern buildings. Romantic canals and the vicinity of the sea makes it one of the most desirable destinations to elope.

• You don’t need your own witness. Let the registrar know that you don’t have a witness and they can sign your documents for you.
• Same-sex marriage in Denmark is allowed. In fact, Denmark was the first country to grant married status to same-sex couples in the world in 1989.
• Paperwork and documentation is easy and fast.
• easily accessible from all around the world.

The price of an elopement in Copenhagen. How much does it cost to elope in Copenhagen?

The cost of eloping in Copenhagen really depends on your budget. Apart from the official cost and administration fee you can go low-key or you can go all in.

I’m here  to help you as a photographer, and I can recommend you some of the vendors too, including make-up artist and florist.

Here are 2 examples of what you can expect to pay:

High-end elopement package

• Administration fee 217€
• 2-3 night in a hotel 1200€
• photographer 3500 €
• hair make up 250€
• bouquet and boutonniere 250€
• wedding dress and suit 4000€
• total elopement price ~ 8417€

Affordable elopement package

• Administration fee 217€
• 2-3 night in a hotel or Airbnb 600€
• photographer 1800 €
• hair make up 200€
• bouquet  180€
• wedding dress and suit 2500€
• total elopement price ~ 5497€

What is the ceremony like in the City Hall Copenhagen? (Radhus)

It is short (5-10 minutes) but sweet ceremony. It is possible to exchange vows and rings.

At the end you sign your marriage certificate.

To make it seem to last longer I recommend to take portraits in and around the building. It is a very beautiful building with many options.

More reading and info: Familieretshuset

Copenhagen Elopement Photographer

I was so happy when Anni contacted me to photograph their elopement in Copenhagen. I’ve known Anni and Luke for a while now, Anni is a cellist playing concerts all over Europe and Luke is an english teacher in an international school. They lived in Copenhagen for a while when Anni was studying and so when they moved to Budapest they decide when they get married they would do so in Copenhagen the city they both love. What is not to like about Copenhagen? Probably the best cyclist infrastructure in the world, many good cafes and restaurants, and of course the world renown Scandinavian design all makes the capital of Denmark a very pleasant and wanted destination among couples wanting to elope or getting married in Denmark.

Photographing an elopement in Copenhagen is fabulous. It is so nice and such an honour to share a full day with just a couple and no one else.

Wedding photography is all about trust, and it’s even truer when photographing elopements.

Copenhagen has a lot to offer, the City Hall (Radhus) is a beautiful building not only for the official ceremony but for some portraits too.

The wedding day

It was a beautiful day. We only had a few plans for after the ceremony, and we thought we’ll see how things are going and how much time we have to do things. We wanted to go to some of their favourite locations to take portraits, but before we did that, we stopped at the Mikkeller bar for a famous brew beer. After that we passed by the Copenhagen Botanical Garden and ended up at the Copenhagen beach by sunset, where Anni and Luke read out their personal vows to each other. This was definitely the highlight of the day, with the beautiful area, majestic light and emotions flying high too.

In the evening we went to the Meatpacking district and took some final portraits with the neon lights, which felt like we were in a movie. Here is to more elopements!

Hotel Chateau Bela Wedding – Viktoria & Brad

It is my absolute pleasure to share this Hotel Chateau Bela wedding from Slovakia. Chateau Bela was built in the 18th century and it was recently renovated. It is located in southern Slovakia near the Hungarian border. The hotel is surrounded by a forest on one side and it has expansive views over the nearby fields on the other. It is a fabulous setting for a wedding venue in Slovakia.

You can reach the reception through an atmospheric courtyard. The Chateau offers a spacious wedding ball room which is lit beautifully by natural light through the huge windows. Chateau Bela is such a perfect wedding venue in Slovakia. The whole wedding party can be accommodated at the hotel and there are different areas where  different part of the wedding day can be organised and held. You can have welcome drinks in a beautiful room connected to a terrace overlooking the garden with a lake. There is a small charming Chapel too attached to the chateau so there is no need to travel afar for a church ceremony.

Viktoria and Brad organised their wedding in Chateau Bela for a couple of reasons. Viktoria is originally from Slovakia. Though she didn’t grow up in Slovakia, she does speak Slovakian because of her mum. They both love classic buildings and they wanted their wedding guests (for many of whom came from overseas) to have and unforgettable experience in a classic environment.

They spent the whole day at the hotel, and whilst Viktoria was getting ready Brad welcomed the guests. There was such a positive vibe from the start with people cheering laughing and giving big hugs to each other. There were many friends who haven’t seen each other for years and now the got to spend a weekend at this magical palace.

Viktoria was not only gorgeous but she wore a stunning Hayley Paige wedding gown.

Their church wedding ceremony was in the chapel which is part of the chateau. The chapel was just big enough for all the about 90 guests. It was a beautiful and emotional ceremony after which we all walked back to the courtyard for dome family formals and group photos with friends. 

Taking the portraits of them was so easy. They look fabulous and their incredibly kind personality made this part of the day so enjoyable. We just walked down to the garden of Chateau Bela and stopped along the way a few times. We also took some portraits inside the chateau as we wanted to show more of the beauty of the interior too in the photos. 

The wedding dinner reception was held in the ball room of Chateau Bela. 

As I mentioned earlier Viktoria has Slovakian origins so they wanted to show some of the traditions of a Slovakian wedding.

Slovak Traditional Wedding Cepcenie Ceremony

The bonnet wedding ceremony.

It is an important folklore wedding tradition. It is held at midnight where the unmarried woman is welcomed by married women. 

The participants are dressed in traditional costumes and they sing wedding folk songs. The bride wears a wreath and it is replaced by a headband. 

Brad and Viktoria were one of the most welcoming couple I have met and I’ll be forever grateful for it. 

If you liked this story maybe you would like to see an other similar one .. click here for it.

Matthias Church Wedding Photography, Budapest

Certainly, the most important part of the day was the wedding ceremony in St. Matthias Church up in the Castle district. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves too much.

This is a wedding I am particularly proud of. Felicia and Fredrik are from Stockholm. They chose Budapest for their wedding day partly because Felicia has family roots here, and partly because of the beautiful views, locations and wedding venues Budapest offers.

They planned a big wedding. With many guests arriving from abroad, they organised a pre-wedding night get together in one of the ruin bars in the centre of the city. This was a great idea to meet and greet everyone and set the mood for the weekend.

Their wedding day started on the Buda side in an old beautiful villa – the Writer’s Villa. Most of the close friends and family members got ready there and that is where Felicia and Fredrik also had their first look.

As I mentioned before, their wedding ceremony was in Matthias Church. The church has a history of over a thousand years and even King Matthias had his wedding there.

This and possibly the best location in Budapest, makes it one of the most popular and best churches in Budapest in which to get married. It is surrounded with a beautiful square and narrow cobblestone streets. The view from just a few steps away is amazing. When you are up there, you are on top of Budapest.

Before the wedding ceremony began, the guests gathered in front of the church waiting for the bride to arrive. They all looked fantastically elegant as this was a black tie wedding.

The ceremony was beautiful in the old historical church and I loved seeing so many guests enjoying watching the couple exchange vows.

After the ceremony, they had a little, hour-long, reception on top of Fisherman’s Bastion to relax and to take in the beautiful panorama.

Following this event, the wedding dinner was held in Wenckheim Palace, which is mostly known as the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library. On weekdays it is the main branch of the largest library network in Hungary.

As typical of a traditional Swedish wedding, they had a very long dinner, which lasted around five hours. The dinner was filled with speeches from friends and family. This made an even very large wedding party, very intimate and emotional.