Helloooo! My name is Juliette , I’m an Irish photographer and have lived in Iceland just shy of 7 years now.
My exciting journey with Pink Iceland began when I met the wonderful photographer Kristín Maria. I came to a crossroads in my life where I needed to either study photography or shadow a professional photographer. So she kindly took me under her wing and taught me so much about photography, I’ll be forever grateful to her for that!. Kristín trusted me to help her second shoot a few weddings with her and it turned out we’re a pretty great team and the best of friends. After a while I was ready to fly on my own and have been working alongside Pink Iceland since 2016!
I was a bit apprehensive about becoming a wedding photographer as I come from Ireland where traditional Catholic church weddings can be quite stiff, restrictive and uncreative and I found the photos to be just really dull! But then I came here and saw the countless creative ways of having weddings here OUTDOORS in the stunning Icelandic nature which sparked my interest. There’s so many different types of wedding ceremonies possible here to cater to people’s wants and needs so I also love that versatility.
I felt like I was meeting old friends when I met the team at Pink Iceland for the first time. They’re all so down to earth, fun loving and so knowledgeable in their own fields. I love how personably they interact with their clients and really make people feel listened to & special. Even though Pink Iceland literally worked on hundreds of weddings they still go into each wedding with the same energy, enthusiasm and passion as if it was their first every time.
I am so grateful that we get the opportunity to work with adventurous couples in the most beautiful locations IN THE WORLD!! From the depths of glacial ice caves right on up to beautiful mountain tops surrounded by waterfalls.
As the Icelandic weather can be also unpredictable it’s so much more comforting working with Pink Iceland knowing that if option a) isn’t possible then they will always have an option b) or c) that will be just as beautiful and unique. But with unpredictability can come GREAT things! Dramatic weather generally produces dramatic photographs so we try to embrace that as much as we can. Icelandic landscape never looks the same with the weather and light so it’s always a new experience.
I try to make a bond with the couples I work with so they feel comfortable and trust me to shoot what can be super intimate and private moments during their wedding day. I tend to shoot mostly in a documentary style but will guide couples a little during the photoshoot part of the day if needed. Weddings are so emotional and it’s my job to capture that range of feelings which will be remembered forever in a wedding album. My favourite thing is to be able capture the moments the couple wouldn’t necessarily see with their own eyes and present all the big and small details in a beautiful visual story.
Every wedding is different and fun but of course there’s certain memories that stand out. I’ve yelled “STOP THE CAR!!” a few times because there happens to be the most beautiful rainbow, sunset or horses being ridiculously cute at the side of the road. We’ve witnessed a lot of funny things over the years. Some of note being:
- A cat and dog jumping on a couple and photobombing them while I was taking shots of them sitting down on the grass - A bride tucking in the skirt of her wedding dress into her leggings while crossing a river (so badass!) - A couple falling on ice and uncontrollably laughing. -Multiple grooms drying out their shoes with the heater of the car because they underestimated the speed of a wave! - A guest having to leave a church during the ceremony because he got a fit of the giggles. - A horse thinking a brides hair was hay and started eating it. - Once a tiny little fly got into the grooms eye as his bride was walking down their outdoor aisle and totally stole her thunder - I’ve also seen people just remembering that their rings are in the car during the vows! The list goes on. There’s never a dull day!
My favourite place in Iceland is the Westfjords. It is truly stunning, such raw untouched beauty and calming energy. It also has different wildlife to the rest of the country. Last year I saw whales swimming in the sea from my car! I was told once Irish people used to rule up there hundreds of years ago so maybe that’s why I feel so connected to it. Snaefellsnes is my close second favourite as its not too far away from Reykjavik and is like a mini Westfjords!
To all the couples out there reading this: have the wedding YOU want not what your family wants for you and make sure you choose a wedding photographer that fits you and your style as these photographs are for life and will hopefully be passed down through the generations and need to aptly represent your personalities.
Julie