We love that Danish Island Weddings is just a little company. We are mostly all from one family - and the ones that aren’t are soon “adopted”! That way we can work closely together to create intimate weddings, just how you would like it. For us, small is good and we would not have it any other way.
At the heart of DIW is Louise Badino who founded the company back in 2008 as the first international wedding planning business in Denmark, to look after the growing number of international couples eloping to Aeroe island. Over the years Louise’s two sisters, Anna and Yuki, her husband John, and mother Lone have all been a part of the business. And any employees quickly become family too - we all know each other extremely well. Each team member brings their own unique set of skills, so we can create the absolute best wedding day experience for our couples.
Get to know each of us better below…
Louise Badino
I always knew that our island was the most perfect island for destination weddings. Ærø has a calm romantic charm I have never found anywhere else.
Our family has always travelled the world, and when I was 3 we moved to Ghana, W. Africa. From there we moved to Kobe, Japan, a very stark contrast back in ‘79. After 8 years in Japan we moved to the UK, where I lived for 12 years, starting out as a cabin attendant for Japan Airlines. At age 19 I was the youngest in the company.
I learned a great deal about hospitality in JAL, but I have always been creative, and after 5 years I started my first business importing candles and stylish Danish stuff to the UK. Moloney & I got married in Vicenza, Italy in 2000 and we lived in Italy, Berlin and Belgium before we settled on Ærø with our 2 boys, Max & Charlie. I founded the company in 2008, and my husband, mother and sisters soon joined making it a true family business. My main job now is making bridal bouquets and all things floral. How lucky am I!
Yuki Badino
I am very much the youngest of us 3 sisters. I was born in Japan - hence my name - and grew up there, as well as in the UK, USA and on Ærø.
I lived in Copenhagen for over 10 years and got my Master’s degree in corporate law & economics at Copenhagen Business School, and moved back to Ærø in 2013 to work with my sister, Louise.
I am proud to say that our family is deeply rooted on Ærø - so much so, that we can trace our ancestors (mainly sea captains) back more than 500 years, or as far as church records go.
I now have the main responsibility of running DIW and absolutely love working with our small team, creating unforgettable memories for our couples!
I live with my English husband, Michael, and our Ukrainian rescue dog, Ivana. I’m a big football fan, but my true passion is singing and I like writing songs, and still play the occasional gig when I have the time.
Anna Badino
Although I am the smallest in size of the three, I am the big sister. I also grew up in Ghana and Japan and worked as a flight attendant for JAL based in the London - Louise and I even flew together a few times.
I have lived in the states for over 30 years and married an American, and now live mainly in Illinois. I love small children, photography and languages, and I try to keep my Japanese up to date.
My two children are now both grown up, one in Australia and the other in Copenhagen, and although I am no longer part of the DIW team on a daily basis, I spend as much time as I can on Ærø, and help my sisters out whenever I am there.
The rest of the team tease me for using 5 different colour codes when I file wedding bookings, but hey, I like to be organized.
Moloney
When Louise and I got married I had no idea she was nurturing a secret plan to make Ærø the wedding centre of the world. But she did, and as I got more and more drawn into the company my plans to golf, fish and hike were put on hold.
I grew up near Brighton, took PPE at Oxford, and then flew Tornadoes and Jaguars for the RAF. I ended as the Air Attaché in the British Embassy in Berlin, and finally as a staff officer in NATO HQ in Brussels.
My 30 years of military training come in handy for opening bottles of champagne and officiating the occasional vow renewal, but my main jobs are accounting and invoicing.
You might be interested in reading my thoughts on “International Marriage and Human Rights” on the Blog, an issue which is close to my heart.
Lone
Lone (or Mummy as the whole team calls her) is mother to Louise, Anna and Yuki, and has been helping with just about everything since the early days of our little family business.
You are likely to bump into her during your stay, generally being busy in the old Merchants House – cleaning table cloths, chauffeuring brides, sorting flowers, and so much more.
Lone was happily married for 45 years to her darling Frederik (a true Ærø boy), until he passed away in 2011. They were an adventurous couple, travelling the world with their three daughters, until they finally settled back home on Ærø in the 90s.
Mira
Mira grew up here on Ærø, but moved off the island to train as a beautician in Copenhagen. (She was also a finalist in Denmark's Next Top Model, but is too humble to ever mention that herself).
Mira loves all things natural, especially Danish design and organic cosmetics.
She joined our team in 2013, and alongside running her own holistic skincare clinic @pellesholistiskehudpleje she is our witness and all round octopus, helping wherever needed.
When Mira and her husband Stefan married back in 2017, Louise was lucky enough to make Mira’s flower crown and bridal bouquet. Mira has 4 children, 1 dog, 3 cats and 5 chickens.
Camilla
For a decade Camilla Jørvad worked as a photographer for DIW, and she became best known as one of Scandinavia’s top destination wedding photographers. But she retired from wedding photography and life “on the road” in 2018, focusing instead on lifestyle and brand photography.
Preferring to work behind-the-scenes here at DIW, she grows organic cut flowers on her farm exclusively for our bouquets and arrangements; she is in charge of our online presence, website, Instagram etc.; and she works closely with Louise on all the aesthetic aspects of our business and everything we do and create for our couples.
Neli
British-born photographer Neli Garnet has been friends with Louise for over 25 years. After listening to endless stories about our magical little island, she decided to come over for a visit and fell completely in love. Now that her 4 kids have grown up she has made a home for herself here on Ærø.
For almost a decade she has gone above and beyond with us to make sure our couples’ big day is captured in every unforgettable detail. Most of the beautiful photos featured on our website are Neli’s but you can also view her wedding photography portfolio.
Augusta
Hair stylist and make-up artist Augusta was born and raised on Ærø, but trained as a beautician, and later as hair stylist too, on the mainland. As a teenager she always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and her favourite tv show was “Say Yes to the Dress”.
She has been working with us since 2017 and takes such good care of our brides. Beauty and styling truly is her passion and she has always known that a job with a strong focus on creativity was part of her future.
watch a little film about us:
Filmed and edited by Rotera Wedding