The decision about where to celebrate our wedding was made before any others. Looking back, we wonder whether the desire to get married there might have come before the desire to get married. Surrounded by lakes and rivers, an enchanted nature reserve, far enough from Berlin to feel like an escape, yet close enough for our friends and family to make the trip. It wasn’t only the geographical location. It was, above all, the people who run it. The Wassermühle Nebeltalis operated by the wonderful Sascha Silberstein, her sister Leena, and their mother Franka, who became the new tenants a few years ago. Sascha spent the first years of her life near the water mill, but later lived in the same Berlin neighborhood as we did. Our paths crossed often back then. And after her culinary training in Portugal, it became clear we had to get to know each other better. She played a significant role in the early days of otto, shaping the restaurant and later supporting newer projects in the kitchen as well. We already knew she could cook. But what she created for our wedding surpassed everything we expected. A feast inspired by her time in Portugal and grounded in regional products — relaxed, bold, and joyful — contributed to an unforgettable atmosphere inside the old timber-frame barn.

Particularly at weddings, it’s a challenge to make everyone feel seen and included. Throughout the entire process, from the first idea to the celebration itself, Sascha gave us a great deal of freedom while guiding and supporting us exactly where we needed it. We understood how valuable that sense of freedom is for a celebration like this. Because, ultimately, it’s much more about having your loved ones together in a personal, meaningful atmosphere than about ticking every wedding etiquette box. And that’s precisely the environment Sascha created. The day unfolded so naturally, from the first welcome bites pulled from an old wood-fired oven, to a carefree swim at the banks of the river, to a magnificent dinner in the barn and a lively party that lasted late into the night. When we think back to that weekend, what we remember most is incredibly good food, a deep sense of ease and joy, and a wedding we wouldn’t change in the slightest.

Text: Vadim Otto Ursus & Leoni Kapell / Photos: Emilia von Senger, Ronja Arndt

Vadim is a chef from Berlin-Mitte and runs restaurants otto and Trio, and bar Pluto. Leoni is a bookseller at Uslar & Raiin Prenzlauer Berg.

Wassermühle Nebeltal, Mühlenweg 5, 18292 Kuchelmiß; map

@wassermuehle_nebeltal

It exists, this magical place called “Haus am See” that Peter Fox sang about in his 2008 song. In the middle of the Brandenburg village of Zechlin stands a large, white house with light blue shutters and an open staircase. Berlin-based photo artist Andreas Oettinger has long dreamed of a house by the lake and found the SeeRemise near Rheinsberg in Brandenburg three years ago. Together with his girlfriend, he lovingly gutted, renovated, and restored the former fisherman’s house in the center of the village, creating eight bright and light-flooded rooms. Up to fifteen guests can stay here in a large space. Everything can be flexibly converted so creative work is possible, as is space for rest and togetherness, and gatherings with family and friends. There’s space for yoga groups in the coach house — a studio with large windows. Behind the house, a spacious, wild garden opens up to the lake. Once you’ve discovered it, you’ll never want to leave the idyllic property again.

On the fifty-metre-long waterfront, jump from two jetties into the clear waters of the Kleiner Zechliner See. Or climb onto the SUPS, a floating lake mat, or the wooden Panton and explore the lake. If you look and listen carefully, you can spot swallows and coots, hear nightingales and cuckoos. The vastness of the lake and the bright summer nights make me feel like I’m the protagonist in an Astrid Lindgren movie. With a bowl of currants from the garden in hand, alone or with the right people, the SeeRemise is a paradise for anyone who appreciates nature, tranquillity, and uniqueness.

Text & Photos: Sarah Johanna Eick

Sarah Johanna Eick is a Berlin-based photographer. She photographs people and places and founded the Berlin women’s network “Die Crew”.

SeeRemise, Amtstr.3, 16837 Rheinsberg–Flecken Zechlin; map

@sarah_eick