Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
December 2020
Ivy and Julius’s Epic Mountaintop Pre-Wedding Shoot on Trolltunga, Norway
Ivy and Julius hiked eight hours up a snow-capped mountain in Norway for some epic shots on the summit in an unforgettable pre-wedding adventure!
Julius, 33, proposed to Ivy, 32, after only three months of dating! A couple of adventure buffs, their idea of a perfect pre-wedding shoot involved a strenuous 8-hour hike up a freezing snow-capped mountain in Trolltunga, Norway. Luckily, Julius’s sister Juan from Juanmoley Fotologue was up for the challenge when he pitched her the overnight camping trip in Norway: “When Julius asked me if I was interested in doing a shoot for them in Norway, he specifically told me there was a hike they wanted to conquer, mainly because of its amazing scenery and because it was not yet a commercialised location for pre-wedding shoots.”
Juan brought along 2kg of photography equipment on the hike. “This trip meant much more to me than any other shoot as I was experiencing this journey together with my brother and sister-in-law,” shares Juan. “But of course, our main objective was to capture “the defining shot” at Trolltunga. When we reached the summit, we were all exhausted from the 8-hour hike. However, we had to continue with the shoot as the lighting was too good to give it a miss. To capture that shot, Julius and Ivy had to climb down and make their way to the cliff and I had to shoot from afar. The challenge was I was unable to communicate and guide them with the poses from my position. The only mode of communication was a thumbs-up, “OK” sign or a thumbs-down. We also didn’t have the luxury of time to do as many shots as I wanted as there were many people waiting in line behind me!” See the whole travelogue in the couple’s story below.
How did you meet each other?
Julius: We met on a dating app in January 2018. What are the odds of finding a soulmate who is so compatible with you? I could never find someone else who is as moderately crazy as me and shares common interests (e.g., the great outdoors, breathtaking landscape sceneries and cold arctic countries. Did someone say an adventure in Norway?)
What made you fall in love with your partner?
Ivy: Right from the start, I found Julius to be genuine and warmhearted. I feel really comfortable and at ease whenever I am around him. I know he is the right one as he always respects me. Even when he has his own opinions about certain things, he does not put me down and will always have my interests at heart. He is driven and humble. Also, he has the cutest dimples!
Julius: Ivy struck me as someone who is thoughtful, caring, and sincere. She’s also someone I could really get comfortable with and reveal my inner quirkiness, and when you mean the world to a person and the feeling is mutual, you know you have found the one.
What was the proposal like?
Ivy: Julius proposed when we were in Seville, Spain in June 2018 (around three months into the relationship). He picked this romantic place called Plaza de Espana for the proposal. He set up the tripod and kept taking pictures of us, and all of a sudden, he asked, “What would you say if I were to ask for your hand?” I was puzzled and laughed at his question. The very next moment, Julius went down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. I was totally caught off guard and was so shocked and surprised as I did not expect him to ask the question so early into the relationship. I said yes immediately.
Julius: Plaza de Espana was the perfect setting – the fountains, bridges overlooking scenic river with the main building as the backdrop (Star Wars fans would know this spot to be the filming location for the City of Theed in Naboo). Lots of time went into planning for the moment, but when it came, I got too nervous and missed out on some of my planned speech. Fortunately, I remembered that I needed to capture this moment and started taking pictures furiously with the remote shutter in my hand. I felt immense joy in my heart the moment she said “Yes”.
Why did you choose Trolltunga for your pre-wedding shoot?
Ivy: We picked Trolltunga, Norway as the location for our pre-wedding photoshoot as we wanted a one-of-a-kind photoshoot, one that is memorable and adventurous. Trolltunga is dramatic and breathtaking, surrounded by fjords and snow-capped mountains.
Julius: Both of us love arctic countries with dramatic landscapes, and if we were to pick a location that would be symbolic of us and our common interests, it would definitely be Trolltunga.
Julius: We love a good challenge and as the old saying goes, “No pain, no gain”. Hiking 28km round-trip with all our barang-barang is no easy feat, but it definitely made the entire pre-wedding shoot experience even more memorable. Just as life is about the journey and not the destination, so was our definition of a meaningful pre-wedding shoot. It really put us to test as a couple, having to brave the elements together as one.
Tell us about your great adventure.
Julius: It was a long and strenuous 14km hike up Trolltunga. We started the hike at 9am and only reached the summit eight hours later, at 5pm. It was definitely not an easy feat to carry the wedding gown, suit, shoes, a dried bouquet from Liz Florals (which we brought from Singapore to Norway), and a tent while hiking.
Ivy: During the first few kilometres of the hike, I kept complaining to Julius about how tough the hike was and how I wanted to give up. But he was always encouraging and kept telling me to keep going. The beautiful scenery throughout the hike definitely kept me going. Also, Julius’s sister, our photographer, Juan, was carrying much heavier camera gear and she did not even complain a bit. I just had to stop complaining and keep going!
Getting dressed in the tent was easy as I had rented a lightweight gown from Frieda Brides, which was easy to put on. Applying makeup was fuss-free too as I did eyelash extensions before flying to Norway.
Julius: It was around 9 p.m. in the late evening when we did the photoshoot and the temperature dropped to around 9 degrees. It was frigidly cold, especially for Ivy. We ended the photoshoot at about 10.30 p.m. and retreated into the tent for a night’s stay, and the temperature went down to 3 degrees. It was like sleeping in a freezer, and the mountain breeze blew relentlessly throughout the summer night. We started packing up at dawn (around 3 a.m.) to make our way back. After another 14km hike, we finally got out of the trail at midday. We went back to our AirBnB accommodation, bathed, and fell into deep slumber. We all agreed it was the most restful sleep that we had ever had! When we got a sneak peak of the pictures that Juan took, we knew all the effort of hiking and braving the cold was well worth it.
Ivy: We would not trade this wonderful and unique experience for anything in the world. It’s a memory that would last a lifetime, for both Julius and I.
The Photographer: Juan from Juanmoleyfotologue
The Bride’s Outfits: Frieda Brides
The Bride’s Shoes: Her own
The Groom’s Outfits: Ethan Men
The Groom’s Shoes: His own
The Engagement Ring: JannPaul
The Shoot Locations: Trolltunga, Norway
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Done by the bride
The Florist: Liz Florals
Credits: Images by Juanmoley Fotologue
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