Allowing you to experience the MOMENTS I never had

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I photograph elopements for people who want to honour their love through a meaningful experience and memories that last for a lifetime.

Your elopement is not a photoshoot. Instead it should be about you and what connects you. A celebration of your relationship, planned around your love for one another. It's the way I wanted to get married with my wife but didn't know back then.

What counts are the moments. And the memories of moments. To me as a photographer, your experience of a shoot is so much more important than a photo. 

Your elopement is not
a photoshoot

I believe A photo will only feel real if the moment was real. And so, I’m here to help you create those authentic moments that will turn into memories for a lifetime.

my approach

Read more about the experience

When I married my wife, I couldn’t even imagine how the day would feel. I thought we were throwing a party for our friends and family, but when I woke up in the morning, I, who is usually very calm and composed, felt such big emotions.

Then I remember seeing my wife for the first time. I just wanted to take her hands and tell her all the things that were on my mind, but because the first time I saw her was literally when she was walking down the aisle at the beginning of our ceremony – in front of the priest and all our guests – I didn’t have the chance to say anything.

After the ceremony, everyone gathered around us, and we didn’t get a moment alone. And as the day went on, everything went under in the celebrations, the toasts, the cake cutting, everything. And that feeling I felt in the morning was gone.

Both my wife and I are all about the experience, so I know now that eloping would’ve been the right choice for us. We get self-conscious in front of crowds, and we care too much about how everybody else is doing and that they are happy and enjoying themselves. I mean, I love my friends and family, but that moment was supposed to be ours alone.

So, I want to help couples learn from my experience and understand that they are allowed to plan a day that is just for them and about their love.

i wish we had eloped

My wedding story

Why I do this

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I’m here to genuinely help you make the most of your elopement. My goal is that your elopement day is as meaningful and memorable as possible. 

Instead of planning a ceremony, planning a wedding day. plan a multi-day experience, plan a week. In a way, this could be your wedding and your honeymoon all at once. Think about exploring new places, enjoying new activities, going on adventures.

Dream big and make it an adventure of a lifetime

I want your day to be real, to be about who you truly are. I want you to show up as yourselves. Not for the photos but for each other.

When you look at your photos, I want you to see that story. The story of how you promised each other the rest of your lives, the love you felt, the connection, the great adventures you embarked on together on this day. When you feel it in the moment, you will feel in when looking at the photos. That’s what matters most to me.

PHOTOS ARE MEMORIES OF THE MOMENTS

Your elopement day should be a story you’ll tell future generations. I will take the photos that tell that story in a genuine way. Your day isn't about posing for photos in front of beautiful landscapes. It's about being yourselves, focusing on the experience, the memories in the making.

We can still climb that mountain together or find a spot by the lake. But they aren’t backdrops for a photo, they are the settings for your story. So, I promise that we won’t do anything just for a photo. We will do it for the experience.

I never want you to plan anything just for the photos

My approach

how I work

Emmi ja Niki

"In addition to the experience and memories from our elopement, the pictures also turned out to be insanely great."


Sanni and Toni

"From the first conversation with Jaakko, I got the feeling that now we have a person involved in our elopement day who can be trusted 100% and is really a joy to work with."

Niina and Tapani

Jaakko created a relaxed and confident atmosphere, thanks to which we had a perfect winter elopement.

what couples say about me

This is my family and I

"When everyone else usually travels south for a holiday, I'll pack my car and drive in the opposite direction"

Hey! I'm Jaakko! I married my wife Ida in 2015, and we now have two beautiful children. We live in the middle of Finland, at the highest point of our city, Jyväskylä.

My love for nature comes from my background. Thanks to my parents, I had a very active childhood, and I used to compete in orienteering so reading maps comes naturally for me. I'm a big fan of road trips, visual things, and, most recently, trail running. When everyone else usually travels to the south for a holiday, I'll pack my car and drive in the opposite direction - there's something so unique in the north. It's the quietness. The realness. The spirit of the north.

I want to get to know every couple I meet without preconceptions. I want to know the real you. What connects you, your stories, what you love, how you spend your days. I’ll be an open book with you too. Because I know that inviting me to be a part of one of the most important days of your lives is a very big deal.






Jaakko

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The stories make us us. I believe it's important to share our deep thoughts but also the fun moments we've experienced. I love hearing what makes my couples the way they are. It gives me so much more perspective to hold on to when creating your story. That said, it's also fun to share some things I've experienced during the years. 

I'm all about sharing stories

some facts about me

I breathe music

A lot of my inspiration comes from music. It's the perfect way to dig deep into the moments you want to feel. Honestly, I can't even imagine a road trip without music. Making a new playlist before a trip is such a fun thing to do. Want to hear my favorite road-trip playlist for the North of Europe? Just click here to feel the vibe, and you can almost see the views.

I've used music in every session I've photographed since 2015. Not only for my couples but also for my own inspiration.

People here in the nordics may call me an extrovert, but since saying more than “thank you” at the supermarket check-out will make people wonder what’s wrong with you around here, I may have to break it down for you.

As an “outgoing” Finn I enjoy deep conversations and silly jokes equally, but I can also be silent with you, without awkwardness, while we all take in the beauty of the landscape. I fade into the background when moments are private between you, I give you space to enjoy the intimacy, and equally I can be your guide and tell you all about the local flora and fauna ("all" being the limited amount I know).

Observing, empathetic, down-to-Earth

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Get in touch

Do you have questions, ideas, inquiries? Excited about eloping? Want me to capture your elopement elsewhere in the world? Drop me a line below or send email me at jaakko@jaakkoperala.com, and let's chat. I cannot wait to hear from you!

Thank you for your message!

I will get back to you within 48 hours. If you don't hear from me, get in touch via email or hit me up on Instagram.

Talk soon,
Jaakko

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