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
