When nature sets the scene for your love – a wedding at Lillegård

How did you meet, and how did the proposal go?

We first met in the autumn of 2018 when we were both studying at Kristianstad University. We just clicked! Neither of us was really ready for a relationship – Bendik was about to go on an exchange term abroad and Elin had just come out of a long-term relationship. But there was something special about it; the chemistry we felt and, above all, how much fun we had together meant we couldn’t stay away from each other. Although it took a little while before we both dared to admit our love for one another, it was very obvious right from the start. After less than a year together, Elin sadly lost her mum very suddenly. This meant that early on in our relationship, we had to go through something very tough together. We had to ‘grow up’ quickly in our relationship; we went from being in that ‘love bubble’ – when you’re ridiculously newly in love and walking on air – to facing reality and tragedy. Bendik was such a rock throughout that time, and still is. He became my greatest source of security! I think going through something so terrible and sad really shapes a relationship, because it truly puts it to the test. Our experience and view is that this period built a deeper and more secure relationship.  

What were your thoughts on the dress code and style for the wedding?

As we’d decided we wanted our wedding at Lillegård, we actually tailored much of the style to suit that slightly more ‘rustic’ and down-to-earth vibe. So we chose a dress code of a jacket and calm, earthy colours. 

What did you choose for your wedding outfits, jewellery and accessories? Where did you find them, and did you have a particular style in mind?

I, Bendik, had a clear vision: I wanted a darker green suit with a classic double-breasted jacket. We chose Suitsupply, which offers bespoke solutions. The groomsmen wore beige linen suits from John Henric. I, Elin, tried on a great many different wedding dresses but knew right from the start what style I wanted. Preferably off-the-shoulder and figure-hugging. It was important that I could move freely and dance. When I’d almost decided on a dress, but didn’t quite have the right gut feeling, I went on Instagram. I remembered that I’d saved a picture of a dress there after Bendik had proposed to me. There it was!! A wedding dress by Eva Lendel. After that, I had to look round to see which shops in Malmö might stock Eva Lendel dresses and found Proms & Weddings; I booked an appointment and decided almost straight away that this was the one! I liked that the fabric was a bit more satin-like, the way the sleeves draped, and that it had a detachable train! Jewellery and accessories then fell into place as the wedding planning progressed; personally, I’ve never been much of a fan of earrings or jewellery in general, but I found some very simple pieces at both Mockberg and Edblad that I liked. I, Elin, also chose to have a second dress. I thought that if, by any chance, I spilled something or wanted to change after dinner, it would be good to have one. So I bought one from Chloe Rose, which was lucky because after the band had played, I was very hot and needed something lighter and airier! 

Starter: Burrata marinated in gremolata, assorted tomatoes, roasted olives, herbs from Kabbarp 

Main course: Red wine-braised beef cheek, baked pointed cabbage with gremolata, balsamic-reduced tomatoes, crushed baked potatoes with Parmesan, artichoke cream with sage & lemon emulsion, olive tapenade, rosemary focaccia 

Dessert: Baked chocolate with lavender toffee, crushed hazelnut nougatine & fresh summer berries. We decided not to have a wedding cake. At first, we thought about perhaps having one during the reception, but we realised that it’s really only me, Elin, who enjoys cake, and when we spoke to our close friends and family, nobody actually thought a cake was a must. And as we didn’t feel that way either, it was obvious that we’d opt for dessert from Segers Mat instead, which turned out to be absolutely fantastic!  

How did you plan the entertainment and music? Tell us about everything from live music and the DJ to reception entertainment and any surprises. Which artists or companies did you hire?

As we knew early on what sort of atmosphere we wanted at the wedding, we chose our Toastmasters with great care – namely, our two most entertaining and WELL-ORGANISED friends. Malin and Lukas did an absolutely incredible job of listening, asking questions and taking on board exactly how we wanted things to be. We wanted it to be one big party throughout the whole dinner. Lots of funny and lovely speeches, plenty of singing, performances and ice torches.

As mentioned earlier, we’re not shy about putting on a show ourselves. So we’d actually planned to surprise the guests ourselves. Right in the middle of the dinner, Bendik stood up and pretended he was going to thank everyone for coming and propose a toast, but halfway through his speech, Elin interrupted and started singing a song. After the first chorus, Bendik shocked everyone by joining in and taking the second verse. We decided to adapt the lyrics of the song “Allt det vackra” by Benjamin Ingrosso and sang the chorus at the top of our voices: “So let’s celebrate, we have all that’s beautiful ahead of us”. The guests were so taken aback and everyone sang along; it was absolutely incredible to surprise them like that, and it reflected who we are as people so well.

What were your thoughts on the wedding photographer and videographer? Which photographer/videographer did you choose, and why? What was important for you to capture in photos and on film?

As we mentioned earlier, the choice of wedding photographer was pretty obvious. We wanted someone who wouldn’t take the classic ‘posed’ photos. Sofie was brilliant at capturing the moments and the feeling in the photos that we wanted! As for the film, we were very undecided about whether to hire a videographer. But we eventually realised we weren’t after a one-minute edited reel that would look good on Instagram; we just wanted to capture EVERYTHING on film. The day goes by so quickly and, unfortunately, you can’t be everywhere at your own wedding. So we actually decided to ask a friend of one of the bridesmaids, who kindly agreed to film everything using both a camera and her mobile. Everything from the ceremony to the speeches and so on. We didn’t need it to be professionally filmed; the most important thing for us was that we’d be able to watch it afterwards. 

What was the most memorable moment of the day? If you had to choose one moment that was the very most special, what would it be – and why?

Bendik: Apart from the wedding ceremony itself, which was of course very emotional, entertaining and memorable, we’d say the speeches and performances we were treated to during the dinner. It felt so surreal, and the love we received from family and friends is something we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives. It was only at dinner, when we could finally settle down and relax, that it really hit home that every guest at the wedding was there for us. This allowed us to really soak up the moment, and all the emotions felt so much stronger. 

Do you have any tips for other couples planning their wedding? What made your planning easier? Is there anything you’d have done differently in hindsight?

Don’t be afraid to delegate – I (Elin) was a control freak at the start (actually, the whole time). I wanted to do most things myself and keep on top of everything. But after a while, I realised that our friends in the bridal party were more than happy to help, as were our families and so on. There’s an awful lot to keep track of, and at the start it’s so hard to know where to begin – there are such big decisions to make, like the food, the venue and so on, whilst at the same time deciding what colour the napkins should be? If you have the budget and the means, I’d really recommend a wedding coordinator. We hadn’t included that in our budget, but looking back now, it would have been very helpful – at the very least to have someone to bounce ideas off and, above all, someone to hold the fort on the wedding day itself. There were lots of things that our bridal party had to sort out and change at the last minute, which would have been much easier if we’d had a coordinator on hand! Excel and lists became our best friends – write down everything that comes to mind. Divide the tasks between yourselves and share them with the bridal party and family. We made loads of lists – to-do lists, budgets, set deadlines and ticked things off as we went along. It then became clear to both of us what was sorted and what still needed doing. I also think it’s important to realise that not everything will go to plan – to come to terms with that idea beforehand. I (Elin) spent weeks beforehand checking so many different weather apps because I was so worried it would rain; I looked up statistics on how much it had rained on that exact day in previous years and what the probability was that it would rain again. That’s the downside of deciding to have the wedding outdoors, and the fact that I have a bit of a need for control, hehe. But in the end, that same week, when we realised that yes, it was going to rain, we just had to deal with it then and there. All those weeks beforehand when I’d been worrying were completely unnecessary, because there was nothing I could do about it anyway. The day before our wedding, we saw a report in a newspaper that a Danish storm was heading towards Skåne. So it was just a case of putting up the party marquee and popping out to buy see-through umbrellas for the bridal party. Looking back now, we see the rain as something lovely. It didn’t really matter at the time; all our worries vanished and we just accepted that it was raining. We had to tweak the schedule a bit, taking the portrait photos after the ceremony instead of before, and BUT everything worked out! 

Vendors

1 Venue – Lillegårds

2 Wedding rings – Glamira 

3 Photographer – Sofie Johansson @sofiieejohanssonportfolio

4 Wedding invitations – Designed our own (Canva)

5 Dress – Eva Lendel

6 Suit – Suitsupply

7 Florist – Blomsteråkern Malmö @blomsterakernmalmo

8 Make-up – TwoMuas@twomuas

10 Music/DJ – The band Najz and a DJ

11 Catering – Segers Mat