Gabriela Oswald

CRAZY IN LOVE. That's all I can say about this beautiful couple. They flew from New-York to get married in Switzerland by the beautiful Leman Lake. The whole day was an absolute delight to shoot. But this. This moment. By itself this photograph sums up the essence of their special day: passionate, sincere, uncontrived, joyful, modern. Initially, the esthetic in me was a bit annoyed by the smartphone in the bottom left corner of the frame. But then I thought, this was all part of the frenzy, and this picture shows all ingredients of a genuinely modern wedding. Loved it.

It rained the day before. It rained the day after. But on their big day, Magic was all around. Love was like an electric mist. Happiness came like a tsunami. I shot that particular moment at the end of the day, and it was a matter of 5 minutes or less. Both the bride and groom are photographers. And as photographers we all know that shooting photographers is a challenge. I am like them, maybe you are too: photographers don't like being shot. But after all, the bride told me: "You know, I said we wanted the romantic shots to be really quick and minimal. But his was the most magical moment of the day, and the only time we got to spend together just he two of us, like we were alone on this planet." I guess that feeling really shows in the picture.

They're happy, they're crazy in love, full of passion and energy, totally at ease in front of my camera, they're having fun, they can't help kissing and touching each other all the time, they're up for any pose I suggest. They don't care that I am there and that's exactly how I like it! So we're having a stroll by the Léman lake (Switzerland), and here is the boat garage door that I spotted the week before. Behind them a blue and white lively chevron pattern, the lines echoing their laughter and their smiles, in front of them a stunning view on the lake and the Swiss Alps making up for the most romantic scenery. A few rose trees along the way, and further down the way a lonely and romantic bench... Ingredients for a perfect romantic shoot on a perfect day in June.

When rain invites itself to a wedding, you have to think quick and be creative. For this romantic shoot I took the couple to an unexpected place, the Rolex Learning Center: the campus hub and library of Swiss Polytechnical School of Lausanne (by the Leman Lake). Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, partners of the Tokyo-based design firm SANAA, are creators nehing this unique architectural piece of art. Their building presents visitors with a concrete floor that slopes and swells like the surrounding Swiss landscape. Rounded openings here and there create intriguing light situations, while the curves create a soft geometrical environment. We took a number of shots under the building as the rain kept pouring. Suddenly the rain stopped for a few minutes, and we took advantage of that short time to play around the openings. Never mind my jacket, or my pants. I lay on the wet floor and ask the bride and groom to come near me facing each other. It was like shooting the Dark Knight falling in love with his Batgirl. Yes, while I was lying there, ignoring the raindrops starting to fall on my face and my lens again, I think the spirit of Christopher Nolan was surrounding us!

Imagine you shoot this beautiful couple. Imagine she is this irresistible Italian beauty, and he is this ultimate Latin. Imagine the passion they are sharing. And how stunning they both look on their D-day. And now imagine it starts pouring with rain… If you thought these two would fear the rain, you would be wrong. If you thought they would project less love and passion to the world around them, you would be wrong too. And if you thought they wouldn’t have fun together in the rain, again you would be wrong. «Singin’ in the rain» was written for this couple. Their smiles, their laughter, their love was only magnified by the dramatic skies and Leman Lake (Switzerland) scenery. My favorite rainy-day-bride-and-groom will have fun till death does them part.

I can’t think of a single bride on earth who wouldn’t get a little nervous in prospect of a rainy day wedding. But who said rainy day weddings photographs can’t be just as intense as the idyllic blue skies shots? Passion doesn't fear bad weather, nor does creativity. As the ceremony ended, the skies above the Leman Lake (or Lake Geneva, Switzerland) started to get darker and darker, until it literally started pouring with rain. I could see the disappointment on the bride and groom’s faces. But their love, their happiness and the infinite beauty of that day were way above the quirks of nature. As the rain calmed down, the panorama revealed its magic. The skies were as dramatic and the couple’s look at each other. The clouds were as soft and ruffled as the bride’s dress when she held it above the floor. The lake and the mountains were as mysterious and intense as the million feelings that seemed to run through the bride and groom’s bodies and souls. Soulmates. That’s all I can think of.