Liisa & Rauno | A Grand Wedding in Tallinn & Ravila Manor Cattle Castle
Liisa’s First Impression of Rauno
" I first heard Rauno’s name during middle school, when I used to attend academic competitions and his name was always at the top. It seemed that, unlike me, Rauno was really good at those competitions. A few years later, around 2007, an event was held at the Pärnu Concert Hall to honor the city’s top achievers. I was working there that day as a customer service assistant and watched the whole program from the central balcony. When the award for Pärnu Student of the Year was announced—and it went to Rauno Siinmaa—I felt this warm sense of admiration; the award had definitely gone to the right person. Even though I had no connection to Rauno at that point and we had never even spoken, I still remember that feeling vividly to this day."
…and what Rauno remembers
"The first school day of September 2007 began with an English class. I was standing at the classroom door chatting with classmates who had continued on from middle school with me. From time to time, new faces appeared from around the corner of the hallway—our new classmates.
Of all the new faces, I only remember one. A girl who, the moment she appeared in the corridor, looked about half a meter past me and spotted the only familiar face she knew. A massive smile lit up her face—the biggest I had ever seen. This smiling girl turned out to be a very friendly girl named Liisa. We didn’t talk much during the early years, but her warm smile kept drawing me closer over time."
“This smiling girl turned out to be a very friendly girl named Liisa. We didn’t talk much...”
Wedding photographer: Valdur Rosenvald | Rosenvald Photography
Second photographer: Mailis Vahenurm
Host: Andres Torm
Wedding planner: Egerta Mändmets-Reisberg
Video: Urmo Lamp
Preparation location: Rataskaevu 16, Tallinn
Ceremony & Venue place: Ravila Karjakastell
Pastor: Peep-Ain Saar
Bride’s hair & makeup: Merili Pikk
Bridal bouquet & wedding flowers: Egerta.ee
Bride’s dress: Veronique salong
Wedding rings: Front
Groom’s suit: Suitup
Catering: Põhjala Catering
Band: Dreamers
DJ: Mihkel Eller
The Beginning of Liisa and Rauno’s Journey Together
After high school, Rauno went to study in England. During his school breaks when he came back to Estonia, he always tried to gather the whole friend group to do something together. At first, we managed to meet up as a group, but over time fewer people showed up, and eventually, it naturally evolved into just the two of us going to theaters and cafés. What began as coincidence turned into intention—we stopped inviting others altogether. Each walk through Tallinn’s Old Town after a theater night or coffee outing got longer and longer, and eventually it became the norm to head home with the first morning buses.
Whenever it got cold late at night or in the early hours, we knew exactly where to go for some warm cocoa—Tommi Grill, where we ended up many times. These long walks eventually led to our first kiss, which happened on one of the Old Town viewing platforms.
“Each walk through Tallinn’s Old Town after a theater night or coffee outing got longer and longer, and eventually it became the norm to head home with the first morning buses.”
In May 2016, we found our own little “nest” on Tuukri Street. The following period of relationship-building was full of shared renovations, furniture-building projects, community activities in folk dance at the Vironia society, and volunteer work on our housing board. In April 2019, Albert joined our family and brought light and joy to the rather dark Tuukri apartment.
With the arrival of COVID, we discovered that a two-room apartment wasn’t ideal for remote work or Zoom meetings—since toilets and bed corners aren’t the most ergonomic of workspaces. After a few months living with Liisa’s parents, we moved out of Tallinn to the edge of Salmistu, where Harald joined us in February 2021. As Rauno’s Cambridge math says: 2 + 2 makes one wonderful family.
“As Rauno’s Cambridge math says: 2 + 2 makes one wonderful family.”
Name one of your partner’s quirks.
Liisa: An unstoppable optimism when it comes to trying out new and interesting products, always believing they might be good. For example, if a product called “water kefir” appears in the store, Rauno will, of course, reach for it and add it to the cart.
Rauno: Constant planning—there must be a plan for everything before we can actually get started.
What are you addicted to in the other person?
Liisa: The hugs—so warm, comforting, and safe.
Rauno: The spark that lives inside Liisa, which constantly pushes us to try new experiences and enjoy life!
What annoys you about the other person?
Liisa: I still haven’t received a valid explanation for why all the ceiling lights in the house have to be on in broad daylight—and why they’re left on when leaving the room.
Rauno: When normal people go to bed at night and turn off the lights, they go to sleep—not start talking about the day’s events or sharing random thoughts.
What’s a phrase from your partner that still sticks with you?
Liisa: “Okay, I’ll do it tomorrow!”
Rauno: “Did I already tell you what I was thinking?”
Liisa (also): “Yeah, I’m coming in just a sec!”
Who wears the pants in the relationship?
Liisa: I prefer dresses more!
Rauno: I do, since Liisa mostly wears dresses.
What will your retirement years look like?
Liisa: I believe we’ll travel a lot, read books, and just enjoy life. At the same time, I think we’ll still do a bit of work—gotta keep the mind active. And we’ll watch the grandkids. Rauno thinks we could play tennis or golf together. I’m still thinking about that.
Rauno: Very youthful—we’ll play a lot of tennis or golf. Liisa thinks we should do folk dancing together. I’m still thinking about that.
