Cozy chapel / Capilla acogedora

This wedding was planned at a beautiful hacienda that has multiple gardens and many special places to take advantage of for an event, including a gorgeous and cozy chapel for religious ceremonies if needed.

The wedding happened in the afternoon. After the ceremony, a cocktail was offered in one of the gardens, followed by the reception in the main area of the hacienda, where a delicious mexican banquet was served.

For the ceremony decorations spheres of white roses and foliage were used. And then for the reception, spheres of white feathers were hanged from the trees.

The gardens, fountains, architecture, pool and various other elements that the place offered made the wedding and its ambiance splendid.

Esta boda fue planeada en una hermosa hacienda que cuenta con diversos jardines y áreas especiales a las que se puede sacar mucho provecho.  Entre estas, se encuentra una capilla divina y muy acogedora, en donde se llevó a cabo la ceremonia religiosa. Esta opción de tener la capilla en el lugar de la fiesta facilita a los invitados no tener que trasladarse a otro lugar al terminarse la misa.
La boda fue al medio día, y tras la ceremonia, se llevó a cabo el enlace civil en otro de los jardines, seguido de un cocktail, y mas tarde el banquete que fue muy mexicano.

En la decoración destacaron las esferas de rosas blancas y otras de follaje para el pasillo de la misa,  y en la entrada a la fiesta y los árboles que rodeaban esta área las esferas fueron de plumas blancas.

Los jardines, fuentes, alberca y diversos elementos del lugar hicieron que la boda y la vista del evento fueran espléndidos.

Silver & White wedding

This wedding took place at night in the middle of a beautiful grove.
The decorations were in cool colors, white and silver tones, that contrastes brilliantly with the lighting, which was in very warm tones.
Several elegant details set this wedding apart, among them were the centerpieces which were unique lamps with little bulbs spreading out like flowers. Another special touch was that, as the bride's family is Italian, the caterer (Truffade Gourmet) focused on cuisine with an Italian spirit. This spirit could be seen from the welcoming cocktails of Spritz Aperol to the main banquet which consisted of a Caprese salad with prosciutto, Carpaccio with arugula and Parmigiano,  and as the main course a filet marinated in red wine accompanied by asparagus, portobellos and risotto ai Calamari.

To help the festivities along, there was also a party cart on the dance floor that served up alcoholic shots in extra large syringes. Later in the evening, the same cart was used to hand out slippers to the ladies to give them a rest from their high heels.

Esta boda se llevó a cabo por la noche, en medio de una frondosa arbolada. La decoración fue muy fria, en colores blancos y aluminio, contrastando totalmente con la iluminación del evento que fue en tonos muy cálidos. 

Varios detalles caracterizaron a esta boda, entre ellos que los centros de mesa fueron lamparas estilo medusas.   También que, debido a que la familia de la novia es italiana, en la recepción se ofrecieron "Spritz Aperol", como bebida de bienvenida, y el menú del banquete, llevado a cabo por Truffade Gourmet, fue también italiano; "Ensalada caprese con prosciutto", "Carpaccio con arúgula y lajas de parmigiano" y como plato fuerte "filete al vino tinto acompañado con espárragos, portobellos, y risotto al calamar".

Para amenizar, llevamos nuestro carrito de shots, en donde se sirvieron perlas negras en jeringas extra grandes que estuvo circulando por la pista de baile.   Mas tarde, en este mismo carrito se ofrecieron pantuflas para las invitadas que no paraban de bailar.

Countryside wedding

Enjoying nature and feeling relaxed. There is something about weddings in Haciendas and old-time ranches that just make everybody feel comfortable.
This wedding took place on a ranch in the state of Jalisco. The ceremony, as well as the reception, were held at the gardens of the house in the shade of trees.
For decorations, some Mexican details were added, such as customized shot glasses with the initials of the groom and bride, as well as centerpieces made from cacti, peppers, and flowers.  Mecate (thin organic rope) was used to wrap the napkins and hold the name cards on the tables.
For the central tables, which didn’t have enough shade, we placed blue parasols.
The wedding ambiance was fantastic. Mexican weddings tend to last a long time, often until the next morning. The organizers were prepared for the long night with a selection of snack stands (Ice cream, corn, potatoes, pop corn...) to keep the guests content in the late hours of the party.

Hay algo en los eventos en el campo y en haciendas que nos hace sentir agusto y relajados .

Esta boda civil, se llevó a cabo en un rancho en Jalisco.

La Ceremonia Civil y la fiesta fueron en los jardines de la casa en medio de la sombra de los árboles. Para las mesas con menos sombras, se colocaron sombrillas.

La decoración fue muy campirana, con caballitos rusticos de tequila personalizados con los nombres de los novios,  los centros de mesa llevaban nopales y pimientos ademas de flores y cebollines.

Las servilletas fueron decoradas con mecate.

El Buffet fue mexicano y por la tarde se ofrecieron diversos puestos de snack para los invitados (Espiropapas, esquites, papas, nives de garrafa..)

Wedding in Mazatlan

Mazatlán is nestled along Mexico’s Pacific Coast offering tropical sea and sandy beaches.
Its people are friendly and very welcoming.  It is one of the best options if you want to experience a real Mexican city while being on the coast, with its busy port, and very few international tourists.
One of Mazatlan highlights are the "Pulmonias"; open-air taxis, where you can enjoy views of Malecon while taking a ride.

The following wedding took place at the Mayan Palace Resort with an ocean front ceremony and reception.
A boat decorated with sea-shells, was filled with ice and local beers to welcome and help cool off the guests as they arrived to the reception.
At night, the party was illuminated with torches, candles, and a great beach fire.

Esta evento, fue una boda civil que se llevo a cabo en el Mayan Palace de Mazatlán. Tanto la ceremonia como la fiesta, tuvieron una hermosa vista  a las playas sinaloenses, y en su momento  el  espectacular atardecer en el mar.

Algunas particularidades de la decoración en esta boda, fueron los diversos barriles y lanchas. Estas decoradas con motivos marinos, llenas de hielo y cerveza "Pacifico", para refrescar a los invitados.

Otro toque divertido es que la novia lleguó a la boda en una "Pulmonia" decorada.

Wedding photography - Vilhelm Sjöstrom

The writer is a full-time freelance photographer, who pursues his income around the World - be it corporate assignments, running his studio in Helsinki, Finland or travelling to his favorite destination - Mexico.

Wedding documentaries

Wedding photography divides us photographers into two camps: Those of us who enjoy wedding assignments, and those who do not pass on an opportunity to earn some income. Neither group is better than the other, but they both look differently on their work as wedding photographers.

I love wedding documentary assignments. I know some photographers frown upon this testimonial, and think I'm not honest when I say so. How could it be true, when compared to the average commercial photography assignment, weddings involve proportionally more work, serving less experienced clients, that are often under stress, and pay the photographer less than corporate assignments - how can it be more rewarding?

For two reasons,

Number one: In the World of corporate photography, receiving a payment (without involving lawyers or accountants) is the equivalent to an email stating "here is your compensation for fulfilling your contract duties". Payment doesn't translate as "thank you". Those two words are almost extinct in today's world of commercial photography, where fees are shrinking and copyright is more often breached. Some may think that paying thousands of dollars to a wedding photographer is "thank you" enough. In reality, the honest and happy "thank you" is worth to us photographers so much more than the photo fee - simply because a satisfied client happily will show the photos to a friend (who is getting married). You are the best (and often only) marketing we can afford!

Number two: Most people who deliver services to wedding couples; catering, wedding planning, dress and costumes, entertainment, facilities, ideas, gifts... All these professionals receive their "thank you" during the wedding day. The wedding planner is a small exception, they aren't thanked until a few days after the wedding.

What distinguishes us photographers from the other people who made the most important day in your life memorable, is our ability to deliver memories that never fade. We are in the business of selling you memories. Emotional images, that trigger in you fond memories of that day.

With all due respect to everyone else who helped to make your wedding so memorable - 10 years from now it wouldn't be a memorable day if it weren't for the photographs. Five, ten, even fifty or more years from now; every one of you and your family (even those not born at the time) can re-live that special day. Even when you grow old, your grand-children will remember how you looked on that day.

That is why I love this job. How could I not, when the portfolio photos on my studio wall every day greet me with smiling clients, portrayed on the most important day of their life.

Helsinki, January 2011

Vilhelm Sjostrom

Freelance photographer

For bookings, please contact [paulina@grupochalita.com]

http://www.mustavalkoinen.fi

(website text in Finnish, photos in International)

Gazebo

As part of the rentals we offer, we have an ornamental gazebo, which is composed of a metalic structure, cupola and ivy.
It is most often used to decorate the altar where the ceremony takes place. During the reception, it can also be used to mark the entrance to the event, or even, as you will see in the following pictures, to place above a dining table to frame it.
This event happened on the Pacific Coast. It was distinguished with Mexican colonial style with Barrocan motifs and vintage lanterns as center-pieces.

Como parte del equipo que tenemos en renta, contamos con un gazebo (kiosko) para decoración.  Esta formado por una estructura, cúpula y enredaderas metálicas como podrán ver en las fotos.

Es normalmente usado durante las ceremonias para enmarcar la mesa del civil o el altar en caso de ceremonias religiosas.   Durante la fiesta se utiliza para indicar la entrada al evento o también para encuadrar la mesa principal.

El evento mostrado en estas fotos, tuvo lugar en el Pacífico.  Se distinguió por el estilo colonial con motivos barrocos.  Los centros de mesa fueron faroles decorados con flores y enredaderas.

Wedding in Guadalajara

  The wedding took place on a beautiful afternoon in a lush garden with palm trees, agave plants (plants with which tequila is made from), ponds, and a tented pavilion for the reception. The size of the wedding reception was 550 guests. Given the beautiful surroundings, the decorations were kept minimal and classic with soft tones.

Special attention was given to the the entrance from the garden to the tented reception area where the guests transition from vibrant greens to elegant white. The families of the bride and groom used this special entrance to greet the guests as they moved into the reception.

Esta boda se llevó a cabo en uno de los lugares para eventos mas distinguidos de Guadalajara.  La fiesta fue al medio día,  en uno de los jardines, rodeada por una vegetación exuberante que incluye palmeras y agaves, asi como diversos estanques.

La boda fue planeada para 550 invitados.

Debido a la belleza del lugar, la boda fue de un estilo muy clásico y se mantuvo en colores claros, destacando en la entrada a los toldos, una recepción minimalista, decorada con telas y orquideas, lugar donde la familia de los novios recibió a los invitados.