After 10 years together, Marco van Rijt and Sune Palner always knew they wanted a magical destination for their wedding. They just weren't quite sure where. “We always loved the idea of getting married in Greece or Italy,” Marco explains. “But it was complicated trying to find the right location, and we had family who couldn't travel too far – so it had to be in Denmark or Holland.”
In the end, a friend of the couple, Clara Rosenkrantz, suggested her garden for the wedding. “Clara lives with her husband and two children at a castle called Glorup Gods in Fyn,” they say. “Her garden is beautiful – huge, with lots of statues and nature all around. And it was big enough that we could have different settings throughout the day.”
Marco and Sune were sold on the idea. “I think when it comes down to a wedding location you just have to trust your instinct,” Marco says. “You have to see what environment makes you happy and safe.”
Here, they share their tips for planning a dream wedding in Denmark.
Embrace your individuality
“In Denmark, it's tradition to sing songs in the church at a wedding,” Sune says. “But as we're not religious, we asked our friend Amanda Nørgaard if she would marry us. She is a spiritual guide, so she had everyone hold hands and send us love. We did some breathwork together and had the sound of the leaves in the trees floating in the wind.” Rather than adhering to traditions that might not serve you or your partner, don't be afraid to introduce untraditional elements to your day that feel right to you.
“I had one of my friends, Rasmus Walter, sing ‘Always On My Mind’ to Marco at the end of my speech,” Sune explains. “When the party started, our friends – the drag collective House of Fruits – surprised our guests in bridal couture realness and asked for a dance under the big disco ball hanging from the big oak tree.”
Don't forget the hidden costs
You've probably got a clear idea in your mind of how your wedding will look and feel – but when you're taking this show on the road, the practicalities of the venue you've chosen might not always match up with that vision. “Our venue was beautiful, but it was also far away from everything,” Marco says. “A lot of work and money was put into things you might not see but were necessary for the guests to have a fun day and for things to go smoothly.” Those (quite literally) hidden costs probably aren't going to go on things your guests will even notice – but they might be necessary for the day to go off without a hitch. “We had plumbing done,” Marco says, “We had to organise bus transport. And everything was delivered from Copenhagen – we had five moving trucks!” Accounting for these less glamorous expenses in your initial budget means no nasty surprises later down the line – and ensures your wedding day feels as effortless as it looks.
Keep things moving
It's a tidbit of advice we've heard time and time again – but creating a magical wedding day (or any event, really) has a lot to do with the flow of proceedings – how you keep guests engaged, having fun and happy. One way to ensure things never seem to go on for too long or get too stale is to move your wedding party and guests around for different parts of the day. “We travelled between different parts of our venue,” Marco explains. “We had a different setting for the ceremony, the reception, the dinner and the party. People had to walk in between these settings with their drinks, but the walk around the grounds was so beautiful – our guests kept being surprised at every turn. It felt like you were walking in Versailles.”
If it's in your budget – consider treating your guests
At any destination wedding, your guests have travelled a long way – and probably spent a fair bit of money – to celebrate with you. So it's a nice gesture to spoil your guests just a little bit, if that's in your budget. That might be something small like a wedding favour, a special live performance from a musician or a cinema night beneath the stars. Or you could go all out and arrange something more extravagant. “We arranged glam for all guests at the hotel,” Sune says. “So when our guests arrived, they got a welcome bag with a personal card and a scented candle and perfume from Jo Malone. Then they went to the glam room at the hotel, and got made over by MAC and Balmain Hair.”
- Places to StayThe best all-inclusive hotels in the Maldives
- DestinationsThe best holiday destinations in October
Commit to your vision
“My dream was always to have a big mirror table in the middle of nature,” Marco says. While it's great to be flexible, if you've got a clear idea of something you really want on your wedding day, don't be afraid to prioritise it. “Some years ago, I designed a 20-metre-long mirror table for my client Georg Jensen,” Maroc explains. “They were kind enough to let us borrow it for the wedding.”
He continues, “We had the florist Tableu Copenhagen dress the wedding with wildflowers – in the ceiling of the tent and everywhere else. We wanted nature to meet with a more contemporary concept. Then, Georg Jensen Damask made fabric napkins with all guests' initials so they had a memory forever. A lot of guests forgot them – but now we use them when they visit us, and then they all have their own napkins in our place. We love that the wedding is continuing into our everyday life.”