Its official, our very own senior wedding coordinator, Caroline Berthe, got hitched on Monday, 15 March in the Ice Chapel in Kiruna, Sweden, up in the Artic Circle, with a select group of her closest family and friends. Read on to discover the highlights of this magical winter wonderland wedding… a slideshow of her professional photographer pictures will be posted online in a few weeks, come back to our blog for a closer look then…
CVW Blog: How did you feel as you boarded the plane to Sweden? Did you forget anything?
I was so excited! I had been packing for weeks…putting things aside as I thought about them. I didn’t forget anything and nothing got lost or broken on the way. We took our wedding attire on the plane and everyone was so nice helping us hang them so that they wouldn’t be ruined.
CVW Blog: How did your guests react when you gave out the program at Stockholm airport?
Our guests loved the program and how much time and effort we put into preparing them. We included a few enigmas in the program which kept them guessing what activities and surprises we had planned for them.
CVW Blog: First impressions about Kiruna and your hotel?
We got in quite late but the guides were there to pick us up and take us to our hotel. Kiruna is only 15 minutes from the airport so it was a very easy transfer. The hotel and the airports themselves all look like you are in an IKEA store. Everything is very clean, modern, and cozy. The beds in the hotel were amazingly comfortable and we had a nice view of the famous Iron Mine of Kiruna. A landmark they are all very proud of.
CVW Blog: Tell us all about the weekend activities. What did you enjoy most?
We loved everything we did. At first we thought the highlight of the weekend would be the snowmobile ride in search of the Northern Lights. We did enjoy this very much and saw a really nice green Northern light, but we all agreed that the dogsled ride the next day was our favorite. It took place in the morning, we were all alone surrounded by snow and the dogs were so happy to go out for a run. Hearing the snow crush under the weight of the sleigh, with nothing other than trees and snow around us and the sun glimmering on the freshly fallen snow, it was just magical! We stopped halfway in an Indian style tepee for hot chocolate and a Swedish sandwich. The guides were all really friendly, open and talkative. They all spoke impeccable English!
CVW Blog: Any funny moments?
We didn’t have time to do an official hen night or stag night before leaving for Sweden. The boys and girls thought we would separate on Saturday for lunch but as there were only 4 restaurants in Kiruna including one that we had booked for the wedding night, we ended up lunching at the same place. Later, as we were walking on the snow trails around Kiruna, discovering the beauty of the region, the boys decided to throw us into the deep snow (it came up to our waists) and shower us with snow. The French translation of hen night or stag night is “burying your single life” so they did literally “bury” us in snow. It was very funny.
Other than that, we got a bit of sun burn on our cheeks and nose so ended up with bright red noses and cheekbones. Not sure how the photos will come out, but we had fun trying to cover it up with makeup on the wedding day.
CVW Blog: Were you nervous on the day of your wedding?
Much less than I thought I would be. I was much more nervous before leaving France, but once we got there, it was just fun throughout, including on the wedding day. We sort of forgot we were getting married for the first 2 days, and it hit us on Sunday evening that it was the next day.
As I was doing my own makeup, hair and all, we started quite early in the morning. I didn’t want to feel rushed. I got nervous when I stepped out of the hotel and started walking to meet Tony. We met in a really nice park behind the red church of Kiruna. That is when I realized what was happening. I guess all the preparation time was somewhat similar to what I’m used to living with my brides, except that it was happening to me and not someone else. I managed to keep my emotions under control until I actually saw Tony for the first time. It was a very moving experience as was saying “I do” in the ice chapel.
CVW Blog: Tell us about the first time you saw each other in your full wedding attire.
It was just amazing. The photographer ran past me and up to Tony to tell him to turn around. He told me to wait until he called my name and to hide next to the church in the meantime. He had realized, after following us for the previous 3 days, that Tony kept his emotions under wraps and so he wanted to be sure to capture that raw emotion up close. When he was ready, he called to me to start walking towards them. I saw Tony in the middle of the snow, a very magical moment. I walked slowly (in my very comfortable and practical silver moonboots). When I got to him, he was crying. It was the best part of the day I think! And the setting was exactly how I had imagined it would be.
CVW Blog: Describe the ceremony in the Ice Chapel.
The chapel was just stunning. We hadn’t seen pictures of the new design so everything was really a surprise. The ice benches with the reindeer fur on them made everything look very authentic for sure. The priest was a lovely man with 9 children, the youngest was our age actually! The ceremony went by so fast. I regret not being able to live it in slow motion.
Our guests had already seen us in the minibuses before the ceremony started, but they entered first and when they were ready we got called in. I had chosen the music SHE by Elvis Castello. I just love this song and Tony sung it to me several times, he sings really well. We decided at the last minute to walk down the aisle together since we had already seen each other before the ceremony.
My sister was crying so much. She really didn’t think she would so as a consequence had no tissues to wipe away her tears. The priest started with a Swedish Hymn and then translated it for us. It was really beautiful. I got choked up when I had to repeat my vows, Tony cried again too.
CVW Blog: How was the reindeer mousse and pepper baked salmon? And the cake at your hotel?
The menu was delicious. We were a bit nervous about the reindeer but we had nothing to worry about in the end. It was cooked to perfection and accompanied by lots of shallots so you couldn’t really tell it was reindeer. The salmon was just amazing. I want to try the recipe out at home. It was a lovely, informal meal in a private room (that was a surprise as I hadn’t asked for one), and they did a really nice job of decorating the table with the accessories I had given them beforehand. The cake back at our hotel was delicious. All white and glittering like the snow outside. Under the icing was a tasty, light, vanilla sponge cake that we enjoyed despite being very full. The perfect ending to a truly perfect wedding day!
CVW Blog: What will stay in your mind as the most memorable moment?
There are two moments that I keep replaying in my mind and surprisingly neither of them are of the ceremony itself:
The first is when we saw each other in our full wedding attire for the first time. It really was just as I had always imagined it would be. A dream come true!
The second is when Tony and my sister hugged each other outside of the chapel after the ceremony and cried for several minutes. A very moving, unforgettable family moment…
Stay tuned for our fifth interview with Caroline next month when she will update us on the preparations for her second wedding ceremony and party in the south of France. The fun is not over yet!
