INTIMATE REINDEER FARM WEDDING IN LAPLAND
Noreen & Paul
Starting from the inquiry
Noreen and Paul inquired in October with the dream of getting married in a reindeer farm the following December, leaving us with only a short time to plan not only their entire wedding, but also complete all the paperwork required for them to marry legally and have it recognized in their home country. We all knew the timeline was tight, but they were willing to take a leap of faith and trust that a little luck, and a lot of determination, would get us through the planning in time.
Their wishes were simple. In Noreen's own words, they wanted "no fuss, something special just the two of us, and we'll tell our family and friends when we get home."
We jumped on a video call so I could learn more about the day they were dreaming of. Above all else, they wanted an experience they would remember for the rest of their lives. Reindeer were high on their wish list, but they were worried about ending up in one of the crowded tourist attractions that have become so common in Lapland. I knew exactly what they were trying to avoid. Instead of a busy reindeer attraction, I could introduce them to the quieter, more authentic side of Lapland: a place where they could experience reindeer in their natural surroundings and enjoy complete privacy for their wedding.
Planning the wedding day
Planning an international wedding on a short timeline came with plenty of challenges for Paul and Noreen. I guided them through every step, helping with the legal process, recommending local vendors, and designing a day that felt personal to them. From navigating the paperwork to coordinating local suppliers and creating a seamless timeline, we worked together on every aspect of their day.
Their wedding began with a peaceful first look and legal ceremony at a secluded forest laavu, before we headed to a private reindeer farm where they met and fed the reindeers, enjoyed a traditional sleigh ride, and shared a cosy lunch in a log cabin overlooking the herd. Earlier that morning, I had collected a homemade lunch from a local chef, featuring creamy salmon soup, a selection of Lappish delicacies, and a beautiful gingerbread house as their wedding "cake". As evening fell, we captured portraits under the Arctic sky before they attended a blessing ceremony and ended the day with dinner in a glass igloo surrounded by forest.
The timeline
08:00 — Hair & Makeup artist arrives at your hotel
09:00 — Getting-ready photos (separately)
10:30 — Makeup & hair finished – Noreen gets into her dress
10:45 — Paul and the officiant walk to the laavu for the ceremony
11:00 — Noreen walks to the laavu – first look
11:20 — Ceremony
12:00 — Departure to the reindeer farm
12:45 — Arrival at the farm
13:00 — Reindeer ride & feeding
14:00 — Lunch in the log cabin overlooking the reindeers
16:00 — Night photos on the way back
16:45 — Departure to mass
17:30 — Mass
18:30 — Blessing ceremony
19:30 — Departure to the restaurant
20:00–21:00 — Dinner in your glass igloo
Review
It was the most incredible experience of our lives, and we honestly cannot imagine having trusted anyone else to help bring it all together. She gave us so much more than beautiful photographs, her experience, local knowledge, planning expertise, trusted contacts and genuine care turned what felt like an impossible dream into a reality.
When we first started talking about a reindeer farm wedding in Lapland, it felt like a dream that was almost too ambitious to pull off. We were planning everything from Ireland with only a short time to organise a legal ceremony in another country (...) After trying to figure everything out ourselves, we quickly realised that organising from abroad was far more complicated than we had imagined, and we needed someone with the right experience and local knowledge to help guide us. That was when we reached out to Marion, and from that first conversation, we immediately felt that we had made the right decision.
From our very first call, (...) Her knowledge (...) and her network of trusted local contacts gave us complete confidence that we were in safe hands. She guided us through every step of the planning process, from helping us understand and complete the official paperwork required (...) including the practical details around dealing with the local authorities, to recommending beautiful locations, planning our timeline, organising our incredible reindeer farm experience, and suggesting suppliers who perfectly suited the intimate wedding we had imagined. (...) Marion was brilliant at gently keeping us on track, reminding us when paperwork needed to be submitted, decisions had to be made, or bookings needed to be confirmed. She had a way of knowing exactly what needed to happen and when, without ever making us feel pressured. Her guidance and timely reminders took so much stress away from us and, honestly, we don't think everything would have come together as smoothly without her. Our day exceeded anything we could ever have imagined. Everything flowed so naturally that we were able to forget about all the planning and simply enjoy every moment together. Feeding the reindeer, exploring the snowy forests and exchanging our vows in such an incredible setting made the day feel truly magical, while still being relaxed and completely personal. It was obvious throughout the day how well Marion knew the area. She brought us to beautiful locations that we never would have discovered ourselves and captured the incredible scenery in a way that made every photograph feel special. Neither of us is particularly comfortable in front of a camera, but Marion made us feel completely at ease. She never made the day feel like a photoshoot or like we were constantly posing. Instead, it felt as though we were simply enjoying our wedding day together while she quietly captured the genuine moments, emotions and atmosphere around us.
When we received our gallery, we were overwhelmed. The photographs don't just show what our wedding looked like, they capture exactly how it felt. Every image brings us straight back to that day, from the excitement of getting ready, the peaceful moments in the snow, the laughter, the emotions and all the little moments in between.
If you're dreaming of an intimate reindeer farm wedding in Lapland, we couldn't recommend Marion highly enough. It was the most incredible experience of our lives, and we honestly cannot imagine having trusted anyone else to help bring it all together. She gave us so much more than beautiful photographs, her experience, local knowledge, planning expertise, contacts and genuine care turned what felt like an impossible dream into a reality. In fact, we loved our time and the memories we created so much that we are returning to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. That probably says more than anything about how special the experience was and how much the day meant to us. Thank you, Marion, for helping us create the most perfect day. We will always be grateful.
Noreen & Paul
