Business glimmers are the small, delightful moments that bring us, the business owners, joy. So often, we hear that business is hard – and it is – but it’s my belief that to encourage more girls and women in business, we have to talk about the wonderful parts too. I’m talking with my peers about the moments that they cherish most in their work.

Malin Ovesson is the photographer and experience creator at Wild Souls United, a boutique elopement firm that helps adventurous couples realize their unique dream of tying the knot in Switzerland. Her business is amazingly unique – one day, she could be planning a bespoke elopement via Zoom with a couple from the United States. The next, she’s photographing a couple hiking in their wedding attire to say their vows in front of the most spectacular view of the Matterhorn.

Her business is one-of-a-kind, as is she. The joyful moments in her business are numerous. She is, after all, spending time with a couple on what may be the most unique day of their life together in some of the most beautiful places on earth. I’ll let her tell you more about those wonderful, beautiful moments that we call “business glimmers.”

Being present and creating memories for a big moment in a couple’s life

I even get goosebumps right now, honestly just thinking about it. It just feels so fulfilling, when I hear from a couple that they had a wonderful day.

A lot of what I do is create a feeling for other people. I always go full in trying to create the best moment for the couple. And when that happens, it's sort of like the whole universe just comes together, you know what I mean? A couple might not remember every detail of their wedding, but they will remember how they felt.

And when you create the ambiance and experience that the couple wants, it's just an amazing feeling to give a gift like that to people.

Hearing these magic words

Some of my favorite pieces of feedback…

“That was the most epic day of our lives.”
“Thank you for creating our wedding day.”
When my client says that their day was just so over their expectations.
“We couldn't have imagined that our wedding could be like this.”
“You created the best day of our lives.”

Finding the perfect location in the Alps

I'm an outdoorsy person. I’m lucky: I have the whole of Switzerland and the Alps, more or less, to scout for my couples. I continue to discover new places. For years. I've been touring around Switzerland and I always find a new place to visit. And because the Alps, there are epic places outside of Switzerland too, in Italy, France and beyond. I just went location scouting two weeks ago in France, and I found a really, really nice place that I maybe once will bring a couple to, and we are going to the Dolomites in August.

Many couples are interested in locations they’ve seen on Instagram, which can be amazing. The challenge is that these spots are so populated so you can’t have an intimate vow exchange or ceremony, so I need to find less popular places that are equally as epic. Each couple is different. Some don’t mind hiking for two hours to get to the right place. Some are not as adventurous.

Mobility of the couple, weather, guests, season… there are a lot of other factors to consider when scouting the right elopement location, so when I find one that meets all the right criteria for a couple, it’s a huge win.

When we’re a good match

First, we have a video chat and check that I understand their expectations and thoughts so that I'm sure that I'm the right person for them. Then I know that I can help them in the best way. Because there might be clients who just want something completely different than what I provide. If you’re eloping, you need to be flexible and open-minded.

That is my specialty: Aligning with the couple closely on a professional and personal level because they need to feel comfortable enough to want to spend their wedding day with me. It’s very intimate. We all need to feel that we have a match.

Helping a couple with quintessentially Swiss experiences

Because I know Switzerland so well, I can advise in a way that other planners and travel agents can’t because they don’t live here or they dont love to explore the mountains. Most couples don’t know where to go or what to do, so I can propose a plan and tailor it to them. I can advise on the location or season for the type of experience they want.

I usually help with more technical stuff, like booking helicopters or mountain guides. Sometimes it’s just bit more difficult for them to book, so it depends on what they need. I also give tips and ideas of if they want to eat something, a picnic or a restaurant, and we work through the details together.

When we change plans and things work out in a different, even better way

The weather at the beginning of summer has been very difficult. We have had huge landslides and an incredible amount of rain that I’ve never seen before, and that has been difficult. My last two elopements were very challenging.

And I mean, I’m used to changing things depending on the circumstances of the day. Maybe there’s rain in the morning, so we switch to the afternoon. It’s very common. But now it's been so extreme. For a recent two-day elopement, we still managed to have one day where everything worked out more or less seamlessly.

For another couple, they were supposed to read their vows at sunset up on the mountain and it was just so windy. We were able to go out and get some epic shots, but it was just impossible to stay outside because of the wind and rain. We ended up going to a completely different spot that I had scouted just a few days before, and the couple spontaneously decided to read their vows. It was literally raining and there was this beautiful river with the mountain. They were under the umbrellas and there was a cow that came up to lick the umbrella. It was just so funny, and they just absolutely loved it.

They were open, flexible, and adventurous. They read their vows to the cows… only in Switzerland.

They decided it was going to be okay, and it was and we danced in the rain. We might have changed things anyway in the end, but the couple still had a successful elopement. They were happy with their wedding day.

Doing my job in nature

I photographed weddings before I discovered elopements. I really like the outdoors, the landscapes, and the views. I like the feeling of being completely free, in a way.

When I planned my own wedding, I had a sort of medium-sized wedding (Swedish sizes) and it was great in many ways, but if you compare it with an elopement, an elopement is just so much more about the couple. You don’t need to worry if anyone else likes it. It’s just about you, the two of you, and what you’re doing right here and now. You can change it and there’s no stress.

When I photographed big weddings, sometimes the bride got sick from all the stress, or nerves of being the center of attention, or things maybe not working out as they thought. And, you know, I have never experienced that with couples that are eloping. They don't have that, they don't have that stress, and it's just such a different feeling when you elope.

Reflecting on what makes me proud

I'm so proud that I can create a feeling for someone that they will remember for the rest of their life. I'm also proud of the journey that I've taken as a business owner. I’ve managed to avoid overbooking and actually steer my business in the way I want it, and not just say yes to everything or do what I think I should do. I’m proud of my rebrand and how it allows me to serve my core clients.

When I started a few years ago, I thought nobody would want to book an elopement with me because here in Europe, nobody does that. It's just not a thing. I thought it would never work. But after the pandemic, I had my communication in place and it really worked out. I’m proud that I’m working full-time with elopements now.

I’ve learned that the main thing is to make the value you bring clear to your potential clients because there's just so much value that people don't communicate to clients. And it's tricky, and it's not easy, but it's possible.

Creating forever moments through adventure elopements: Malin Ovesson’s business glimmers