A romantic and elegant wedding at Norrviken Gardens

Garden wedding

The Norrviken Gardens in Båstad provided the setting for Linnéa and Lawrence’s wedding. A choice that was both romantic and elegant – with plenty of space for a wonderful celebration! Just as it was obvious that Linnéa and Lawrence would get married, it was equally obvious that the wedding would take place at Norrvikens Trädgårdar in Båstad.

“We’d seen photos from other weddings held there and we both fell in love with the beautiful venue. As soon as we started planning our wedding, we booked it,” says Linnéa. It’s easy to understand why Linnéa and Lawrence felt that way. Norrviken’s enchanting gardens, with their marvellous views of the sea, truly exude romance, and the venue for the ceremony itself – a large glasshouse – provides a delicate and elegant setting. The garden and the natural surroundings were at their most beautiful and seemed to embrace the bride and groom. None of the guests will ever forget the moment when Linnéa and Lawrence said ‘I do’ to each other.

“The wedding ceremony was definitely the best moment of the day – becoming husband and wife,” say the newlyweds, almost in unison.

Linnéa and Lawrence are both romantics, and when they found love in each other, it was obvious that they would get married. ‘Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamt of getting married. It’s been important to Lawrence too, and we knew from the start that we’d get married eventually,” says Linnéa.

When the two of us became one

The couple are currently living in the US because Lawrence plays ice hockey there. But they met in Jönköping, where Linnéa was born and raised, and where Lawrence moved to as a fifteen-year-old to attend secondary school and play ice hockey. It was in 2015 that they really hit it off.

– Lawrence asked me out for dinner and we hit it off straight away. We sat and chatted for hours and time flew by. We kept in touch after our first date and just a month or so later we became a couple. Lawrence proposed, of course – if you’re a romantic, you’re a romantic.

– It was in the summer of 2020 that Lawrence proposed to me. We were supposed to go to Paris on holiday, but as the pandemic had just started, it wasn’t a good idea to travel. Instead, we booked a few days at a hotel in Visby with a view of the beach and the sea. During dinner on our terrace, Lawrence took out the ring and got down on one knee.

It was a very special moment that I’ll never forget,” says Linnéa. Once back home, the two of them started planning straight away.

After choosing the venue, planning the party was the next most important thing

– We really wanted to organise a lovely party for our family and friends. The music was particularly important. We chose to have a live band for the ceremony and the dinner; the band had played at my sister’s wedding and we thought they were so good that we wanted them at our own wedding. For the reception, we had a DJ playing, precisely because we wanted more party music for the reception itself. The big day began early in the morning. Linnéa spent the morning with her bridesmaids and was helped by a make-up artist and a hair stylist, whilst Lawrence and his friends played golf.

– Once my bridesmaids and I were ready with our make-up and hair, we drove out to Norrvikens Trädgårdar, where I put on my wedding dress and waited for Lawrence to arrive for our ‘first look’. It was a moment filled with both nervousness and joy.

– I was so excited to show Lawrence my wedding dress; he had no idea what style of dress I’d chosen. I was also so excited to see Lawrence in his suit. The ‘first look’ is something we can really recommend. It was a moment we got to spend just the two of us before the wedding itself, and it was magical.

– Afterwards, we met up with our bridal party in our suite at Norrvikens Trädgårdar. It was a special moment, being able to spend time with them before it all began – and thinking about all the fun we had ahead of us that day. And so we come to the highlight of the day. Linnéa and Lawrence are beaming as brightly as each other in there in the greenhouse as they say ‘I do’ to one another. We already know it was an unforgettable moment. Nor will anyone ever forget the wonderful party afterwards.

The wedding dress

– I bought my dress at Milagro in Stockholm. I spent a weekend there with my mum and sisters trying on wedding dresses. The dress I chose was actually the very first one I tried on. It felt right straight away, so it wasn’t a long process for me to find the right dress.

The groom’s outfit

– Lawrence designed his own suit from a place in the US called ‘Tom Barnett New York’. The suit was really cool; among other things, he’d had our initials embroidered on the waistcoat and included other personal details about us inside the jacket.

Tips from the bride and groom

• Remember to enjoy the day – that really is our very best tip! Don’t stress about anything and just focus on having fun. Even though it’s hard to let go of everything, the day will be so much more enjoyable if you don’t stress over things you can’t control. If there’s anything you’re worried about, let your toastmasters know so they can sort it out. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy the day more yourselves.

• Start planning well in advance; when it comes to weddings, everything gets booked up very quickly. Lawrence and I started planning very early on, and that also meant we were able to enjoy the whole planning process.

• Choose good toastmasters. Our toastmasters were my sister and her boyfriend. They did a fantastic job and were a major reason why we were able to feel calm and not get stressed on our wedding day. We knew they had everything under control.

• The guest list can be difficult to agree on with your partner, so I’d suggest that both you and your partner sit down separately and each draw up a list of the people you’d like to have at your wedding. After that, you can compare your lists to see which guests you prioritise, and then discuss those you might not entirely agree on inviting.

• One final tip is to have a good photographer. Many people might think this is an unnecessary expense for their wedding, but bear in mind that it’s the photos from the wedding that you’ll be able to look back on for the rest of your lives.