Lithuanian Love Vows, by Mantas Kubilinskas [RF Wedding of the Week]

October 21, 2015

By Laura Brauer

Last year, Lithuanian-born, D.C.-based wedding photographer Mantas Kubilinskas had the pleasure of meeting Gabrielius and Agne at another wedding he had just photographed. “Gabrielius was the Best Man and Agne was the Maid of Honor,” he says. “They noticed how I worked during their friends’ wedding and immediately were drawn to my style. Once they saw photos from that wedding and took a look at my prior work, they were convinced I was the photographer they wanted at their wedding.”

Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-12

All Photos © Mantas Kubilinskas

It’s no surprise that Gabrielus and Agne were immediately drawn to Kubilinska’s style; so was I, both when industry friends told me I had to check out his website and when Kubilinskas was nominated to submit to our 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography competition. His original approach and unique images are a breath of fresh air.

“Photography is more than my job—it is my hobby and my passion,” he says. “As a photographer, every day is like Christmas for me. I get just as excited for each session as a kid admiring his wrapped gifts on Christmas morning. Each couple brings me the opportunity for something new and amazing. I love creating and capturing those moments of passion and happiness between two people. My work is all about action, composition and emotion. My vision is to catch the excitement, solemnity, humor, love, or happiness of a moment to be remembered for years to come.”

Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-14With this particular wedding, which took place at Vilnius University’s Bernardinai Garden in Lithuania, Kubilinskas says that the moment he saw Gabrielius and Agne together it was hard to ignore how well they “blended and worked together by complementing each other’s presence, resulting in a beautiful composition as a couple every time.”

Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-2He continues: “Their communication with each other and their attention to detail was noticeable throughout the preparation and the wedding celebration. One word comes to mind when watching them: unique. Unique in a way that you would expect a couple to be yet you know is so rare to see in this world. What caught my attention the most were the non-traditional wedding items that the couple managed to incorporate so masterfully into the wedding: Gabrielius’ bow tie (nothing that I have ever seen in my life), ‘Grasshopper’ (a special box for wedding rings from another part of the world), and their favorite band with a special performance especially made for the bride and the groom, just to name the few.”

Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-4Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-6Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-7Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-3Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-18Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-13Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-5Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-17Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-11Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-15Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-8Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-9Photographer Mantas KubilinskasPhotographer Mantas Kubilinskas-10Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-19Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-16Photographer Mantas Kubilinskas-20As for any challenges during the day, Kubilinskas says he just wanted “to make this shoot better than the last, to learn something new and as a result have the happiest clients. Everything else—weather, lighting, etc.—are part of this job and are always manageable.”

Mantas Kubilinskas’ Gear

Cameras: Two Nikon D750 cameras
Lenses: Two Sigma 35mm and 85mm lenses
Lighting: Two Nikon D910 flashes

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.