Mariana & Eduard | Sincere Wedding in Leigo Talu & Sangaste Castle
The love story of Mariana and Eduard
We met during a bachata dance practice session at the Latin Passion dance studio on September 11, 2019, in Tartu. A practice session is where dance enthusiasts gather once a week to rehearse what they’ve learned in classes. Neither of us remembers who started the conversation, but it happened near a cork noticeboard. Mariana had just returned from an exchange semester in Spain, and her languages were all jumbled up. The situation was made more complicated by Eduard’s brown eyes and dark hair, which added a touch of mystery to his origins. It took a few sentences before we realized we were both Estonians and could comfortably speak in Estonian. An awkward and comedic beginning.
On the noticeboard (where we were standing), there was an ad for a Valentine’s Day dance event in Tallinn. If you went as a pair, you’d get a €5 discount! No sooner said than done. At the end of that same week (February 16–17, 2019), we participated in those dance classes in Tallinn together.
“The situation was made more complicated by Eduard’s brown eyes and dark hair, which added a touch of mystery to his origins. It took a few sentences before we realized we were both Estonians”
Wedding photographer: Valdur Rosenvald | Rosenvald Photography
Second photographer: Sirli Lanemann
Host: Jakob Gill
wedding planner: Triin Kask
Video: Timo Arbeiter
preparation venue: Sangaste loss, Valgamaa
Wedding reception: Sangaste loss, Valgamaa
Venue: Leigo talu, Lutike küla, Valgamaa
Pastor: Kersti Kattai
Bride’s makeup: Kseniia Sauk
Bride’s hair: Kseniia Sauk
wedding flowers & decorations: Triin Kask
Bride’s dress: Looris pulmakleidid
Wedding rings: Kochut
Groom's wedding suit: Küütri rätsepp
Wedding cake: Toome Kohvik
Catering: Triin Laks
Band: Kassett
DJ: Janek Tennosaar
After the event, on the evening of February 17, we drove back to Tartu, and during that 180 km journey, we fell in love. The Tallinn-Tartu trip had never passed so quickly, and it was almost sad to arrive. Afterward, we spent several months as dance partners, went out for coffee frequently (though Mariana didn’t drink coffee at the time), and only then did we dare to share our feelings with each other. The conversation in which we decided to enter a relationship happened again at a dance event, this time in Latvia, on May 4, 2019.
We got engaged on November 6, 2023, in Western Australia, in a beautiful park at sunset.
“The Tallinn-Tartu trip had never passed so quickly, and it was almost sad to arrive.”
We are a perfect match: Mariana is talkative, ambitious, and always has some crazy idea up her sleeve. Eduard is more balanced, calm, and has a knack for seeing the big strategic picture. This dynamic is reflected in our wedding photos – we support and help each other to achieve our dreams.
For example, the idea of using toy swords in our wedding photos came up the day before the wedding, and they were borrowed from Mariana’s nephews.
It was extremely important for us to organize a wedding surrounded by our loved ones, friends, and family. There had to be a wedding car procession and plenty of dancing – we made no compromises on these details. That’s how the bride’s hairstyle got windswept while driving from Leigo to Sangaste in the car procession, and we danced until five in the morning.
The emotions on our wedding day were so intense that even two months later, it’s indescribably hard to look at the photos or read the guestbook – our bodies struggle to process those overwhelmingly positive feelings. A heartfelt thank you to Valdur and his team for capturing those moments so authentically.
“I’m starting to get nervous now,” said the bride, Mariana, to Valdur 30 minutes before the ceremony. At that moment, we were in the middle of a field, having just crossed an electric fence to take a few more photos. This moment illustrates that the right wedding photographer doesn’t just take beautiful pictures but also supports the couple on their special day and calms them when needed.
“The emotions on our wedding day were so intense that even two months later, it’s indescribably hard to look at the photos or read the guestbook”
