Utomhusbröllop i Norskt Fjordlandskap: Christa + Lars
I vårt grannland Norge finns storslagna miljöer och idag tar vi med er på en digital resa till det fjordlandskap som Christa och Lars gifte sig vid den 22 juni 2019. De bjöd in till ett lekfullt och avslappnat bröllop i Gudvangen, som är en by längst inne i Nærøyfjorden. Den svenska bröllopsfotografen Stina Gränfors var där och förevigade alla ögonblick under dagen samt det magiska landskapet som vi nu drömmer oss bort till.
Tillsammans med bruden Christas berättelse, ska vi få njuta av Stinas bilder och vi tror att det finns mycket inspiration att hämta för alla er som vill välja bort tradition och klassiska val till bröllopet.
Så träffades brudparet
Christa: Lars and I went to university in Scotland, where I moved into a big house with one of his best friends Maddy. We met in the kitchen. About a year and a half later in Riga, Latvia, we decided, unofficially, to eventually get married, and that Maddy would be our officiant. It was another year and a half later while visiting Norway that we decided to get married that next summer and told our families.
Bröllop i Norge
Christa: Lars' dad grew up on a farm in Gudvangen where his parents kept sheep and goats. Onkel Gjermund and Beste Mor still live on the farm with the sheep. On Nærøydalsfjorde, a UNESCO world heritage site, lays the fjordtel, owned by the best man of Lars' dad, where we got married. The hotel sits right on the river and is surrounded on all sides by thousand metre high mountains. It is a lush green cradle in the summer, and rains on and off constantly. We couldn't say if we would be able to have the dinner outside until the day of, so everything was up in the air, quite literally. Rain or not, it was important for us to gather everyone in this very special place.
Blommor och dekorationer
Christa: All of our flowers were foraged on-site the morning of the wedding. I will never forget the moment that, without being asked, Onkel Nils, forever the overachiever, walked down the road to us hugging a bouquet of wildflowers nearly as big as himself.
The other decorations were found secondhand and arranged by friends and family the morning of. The whole wedding was a big group effort.
Om klädseln
Christa: Lars kept things summery and light in a linen blend suit instead of a rented traditional bunad.
Many people ask me why I wore red, and generally I just say that it's my colour. It also feels like a very celebratory colour, and symbolises good luck in many countries.
Styling
Christa: We knew that it would rain during some stage of the day, so I didn't bother much with my hair. It didn't feel natural to try to style it into an updo, so a friend of my placed some more intentional curls, but it looked more or less like it does on a normal day.
My wonky hoop earrings were from the ethical Kenya based brand Soko, and my wiggly gold fish pendant with ruby eyes is a family heirloom, from my grandmothers antique shop that used to be in Hollywood and closed down long ago. It was the perfect piece for a playful wedding in a place where so much is based around the fishing.
The boys were pared down and tieless, and the colours of the girls dresses were largely inspired by the palette of "Yet to be titled, 2017" by Matt Connors and Malevich's "Suprematism".
Om fotografen Stina Gränfors
Christa: After having announced on social media that we were looking for a photographer, Stina ended up contacting us, and it was love at first sight. We enjoyed the untraditional tone in her pictures, and how much emphasis she put on light and composition.
We also knew that the scenery around the venue needed to be done justice, and we felt certain Stina could achieve.
She was the BEST. She blended in with the crowd in a very natural way, and all our guests thought she was just a part of the crew. The pictures are stunning, and we still watch the slideshow she made us, with tears of happiness!
Ceremonin
Christa: Lars and I aren't ones for big gestures, but none of us could keep a dry eye in any of the rehearsals or the ceremony. In usual fashion, I ran a little late to the ceremony, but no one would have expected it to be quite on time.
Finding no reason to follow American tradition, both of our parents walked us both down the aisle to "Carry You" by Novo Amor played on a speaker borrowed from a school. My sister held my train. Most everyone hugged as they met at the altar.
We wrote our own vows, there were plenty of laughs and tears. Lars has both of his parents surnames, and we wanted to keep mine as well, but couldn't decide on a combination. A friend of ours jokingly suggested pulling from a hat and we loved it, and that is how the ceremony ended.
Bästa minnena från dagen
Christa: It is hard to chose, but the whole ceremony was really special for me.
The boys also did a good gift for Lars. He was photographed by the university back in the day, and the photos were used in this huge banner on the medical campus for Christmas. It was a big laugh for us all, and the boys got the banner remade in the same size, for us to have and to hold.
Råd till andra som planerar bröllop
Enjoy the process! If you're not having fun every step of the way, you're doing it wrong. Don’t plan too well. Our guests enjoyed the fact that they had to step in and do little jobs that we hadn't thought of. Leave a little room for on-site imagination.
Bröllopsfotograf: Stina Gränfors
Brudklänning: Fame + Partners
Plats: Gudvangen Fjortel, Norge
