Scandinavian Mansion Wedding | Minneapolis Real Weddings

After meeting whilst playing in the same Curling league and dating for ten short months, Jake planned a romantic night in and proposed to Birgetta during her favourite movie – The Sound of Music! Starting the day off at a local church they migrated with the wedding guests over to the grounds of the stately mansion of The American Swedish Institution in Minneapolis – which was chosen as a nod to their Scandinavian & Lutheran heritage. Photographer JAMIEE MORSE shares with us, “Guests enjoyed champagne in the mansion while Birgetta and Jake enjoyed a dance quietly by themselves. They dined under cafe lights outside with the mansion in the backdrop and then after a brief thunderstorm, kissed underneath a rainbow. Sound magical? It was!“

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: Shopping for my bridal gown was unique since I had previously worked in bridal fashion and knew exactly what I was looking for — timeless design, silk crepe fabrics and a reputable designer. I only scheduled appointments at boutiques with specific designers that I knew and ended up purchasing a gown without even trying on the sample. The Vasily gown in the Atelier Pronovias collection delivered a classic look with luxurious silk crepe and delicate alencon lace. Attempting to plan a wedding in four short months meant placing an impossible rush order with the Spain-based designer. The rush order was approved and the gown was delivered early!

DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY ELEMENTS? The monogram wax seal enclosing the invitation suite and the Norwegian post box which was used as a card box.

DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: The floral design was by a local floral shop in Birgetta’s hometown who traveled to Minneapolis for the wedding. Being a close family friend, our florist went above and beyond for our wedding. We chose all white flowers made up of hundreds of garden roses, peonies and ranunculus with silver dollar eucalyptus and Italian ruscus greenery.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: The ceremony and our vows were our favourite part of the day, especially because Jake’s dad is a pastor and performed the marriage ceremony.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? Stay true to your personal style and do not feel the need to conform to every wedding tradition. We opted to keep the wedding day and planning simple by leaving out certain traditions such as a bridesmaids and groomsmen and instead of the traditional wedding dances we had a brief swing dance lesson for our guests!

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Our most memorable moment was the time spent alone after the ceremony while we drove a Vespa to the reception venue.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HONEYMOON: We left for our honeymoon the day after our wedding and spent a week on the Greek island of Santorini. It was the most romantic place to honeymoon! We spent the week hiking, sailing, wine tasting and watching the most beautiful sunsets in the world as husband and wife.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE OR DO DIFFERENTLY? We would get married sooner!