December is the time when we not only prepare for the most beautiful and family-friendly holidays of the year, but also look back on what we experienced during the year. Both individually and all together. This has also been a really exciting and interesting year for those working in the wedding industry, so

until the end of the year, LĪGAVĀM.LV will share the opinions of TOP wedding experts about this year and hopes for the future.

Wedding photographer Kristīne Grīnvalde says "My year 2016 was wonderful not only because I enjoyed working with the coolest couples with whom we were really on the same page, together we experienced both rain and storm, sun and heat and various charming moments, but also I was honored to photograph a pearl and gold wedding, which proves that love for 30 or even 50 years truly grows and flourishes like a beautiful flower. It inspires to believe in great and true love, which, carefully guarded and nurtured, does not rust over the years."

Looking back on what has been done this year, Kristīne is very satisfied with the project "Wedding gift or colorful dreams awake" jointly implemented with Līgavām.lv, when a bright and unforgettable wedding was presented to one happy couple by the cooperation of TOP wedding professionals. "I was most fascinated by the preparation process - "dreaming" of this wedding together with like-minded people and reading the couples' stories, I let out a lot of emotions through myself, a part of me is and will remain inside it! As well as the joy of new friendships that blossomed in the process! Although a lot of time and resources were invested, it was very exciting to implement something so ambitious and unprecedented in Latvia."

In Latvia, with all its Nordic thinking, weddings are characterized by more muted tones - gray, green, brown, beige. Kristīne is glad that

world trends are gradually coming to us, where soft pastel shades are already a thing of the past, and our brides are more and more daring to dream of brighter weddings.

"Since colors really inspire me as a person and as a photographer, I am happy about this trend!"

Latvians are traditionally used to celebrating weddings in a large circle of relatives and friends, more and more often, and this year especially, many couples chose to hold an intimate celebration only for themselves, or to gather all their loved ones at the ceremony, but to continue the wedding day as a couple. Kristīne shares "Since we got married as a couple ourselves, and without telling anyone, leaving for another country, this format of wedding celebration is very close to me. When photographing a wedding, I enjoy a fun party from the bottom of my heart, but

weddings for two (or four with ushers) have a special charm, intimacy, such celebrations are 100% for the couple, their holiday for themselves...

On the one hand, such a wedding format is also an opportunity to realize some dreams that would not be included in the budget when organizing a larger wedding."

Kristine's wish or idea for next season's brides - set up your wedding preparation diary!

The memories of the wedding day will remain in emotional photos, but the preparation is also such a beautiful process that should be remembered when you invest your heart and soul over several months in creating something common and magical. In a diary specially dedicated to this time, you can describe your dreams about the day you would like it to be, the first thoughts/feelings that came over you after the proposal, stick a strip of fabric on the wedding dress, a sample of the wedding invitation, a special wish for your parents, what to say on the wedding day... In today's fast-paced electronic world, tangible things have more and more value. Returning from the honeymoon, turning the pages and returning to the feelings of the months before the wedding, years later they will be even more special feelings that will be difficult to recall without writing them down...

Preparation as a series of small celebrations … wedding celebrations … family celebrations … life celebrations …

The proposal has been received, the magic word "Yes" has been said, have you thought about how to make the time leading up to the wedding special? Kristīne is convinced that in order to fully enjoy such a beautiful day as a wedding, you need to celebrate not only the wedding, but also the preparation for it! "The wedding day flies by at the speed of the wind - this has been recognized by almost all couples, so when planning this exciting event, don't just enjoy the search for the venue, choosing the dress, and a million other things, but

make the preparation process many small celebrations, so that the wedding will not be like one moment, but the culmination of a beautiful celebration over several months."

"Learning to celebrate life is a beautiful idea, which is not so easy to realize. We celebrate our wedding, the birth of a new family, but that's just the beginning. Nereti plānojot savas kāzas, pāris nevar izšķirties par dažādām lietām, vietām utml., taču šie sapņi nav jāatmet – sviniet ģimeni! On the wedding day, we give each other a solemn promise, words and thoughts have great power,

celebrate your family's 5th, 10th, 15th and many more beautiful anniversaries, renew your promises, they will change and improve as the family matures!"

"In any season, you can conjure up a fairy tale of that day, the main thing is that it be about you!" says Kristīne and wishes you a bright and peaceful holiday season, which you can spend with your loved ones and loved ones!

See Kristine Grīnvalde's profile here: KRISTINE GRÍNVALDE