This was not a typical wedding!
My niece, Romy, and her
wonderful 'now husband', Mark... wanted a small wedding, and she wanted to be married in Norway, where my mom was born and raised.
That brought a whole bucket of challenges! For 2 Americans to be married in Norway, it must be in a court house with a judge and legal counsel. They found a very special lady lawyer, Sidsel, and the judge was another surprise. Instead of a typical courtroom sentence or 2, he spoke from his heart to the 2 of them, about the commitment and sacredness of marriage... He was a gift!
Later,
about 20 of us, Norwegian cousins and my aunt (Tante Maren)... gathered at Emma's... all I can say is if you ever go to Tromso... you HAVE to eat at Emma's! She is a Norwegian gal who grew up with a mother who loved to cook, and every bite we ate was a delicious gourmet delight! The king and queen of Norway eat at Emma's, and I sure know why...
Mike, my brother in law, opened the dinner with prayer, and after the first course, my brother Dick sang "You Raise Me Up"... After another course, my Tante Maren (she is my mother's youngest sister at 91 years old, and the one I wrote about here, who spent over 2 years in concentration camp during the war)... said she felt she was speaking for my parents who are both in heaven, and she read to the bride and groom and all of us... in Norwegian with animation and joy... First Corinthians 13, and her daughter Solveig, read it again in English... I don't think there was a dry eye... When Tante Maren speaks, it is like talking with a living legend. It was the icing on the cake for the whole day...
And then came the wedding cake with an American flag and a Norwegian flag on top, marzipan icing with white chocolate curls.... raspberry and black walnut layers!!... Is that descriptive enough??
My sister brought a big box to Norway, full of pictures from all of our families down through the years. There was a lot of 'digging' into that box by the cousins, and so much fun to see relatives in pictures from long ago, some gone now, others far away...
These are 2 of my Norwegian cousins, Solveig & Leiv Kare... they came dressed in the traditional Bunad beautiful costumes and jewelry...
So today... everyone has gone back to their 'real worlds'... and the newly weds have already returned from a trip to Greece...
I am still half way in Norway, but the heat in Texas is quickly bringing me back to reality!
26 comments:
a fairy tale wedding for a princess, for sure.
i especially love tante's reading of 1 corinthians
13. reminded me of corrie ten boom, one of
my personal heroes.
thank you for taking us away . . . from the heat
for a bit.
Sounds like your niece and her husband had a wonderful wedding, even though it was not our traditions. Thank you for sharing your adventures and pictures with us. Please show us more of your mother's original country, Norway when you get a chance. Glad you are home safe and sound, but glad you got the chance to go.
I'm so excited, Sonja, to be able to share in this joy with you! Thank you for sharing some pictures. I'm looking forward to seeing more and enjoying the stories you have to share. Loved getting to see a picture of your aunt! She's beautiful...and certainly does not look to be 91!
Glad you are home...just sorry that you are having to cope with the heat of Texas.
What a wonderful trip for all of you! Thank you for sharing about this. Keep cool!
Oh I'm so excited to see your photos and read all about the wedding. What a beautiful bride Romy is! A lovely couple and I wish them many years of love and happiness.
The cake must have been fabulous. I love the almond taste of marzipan and I know how the Norwegians decorate so beautifully. I love the bunads on your cousins. They look like my cousins so we probably are really related. :)
How special to have your Tante Maren there during this special day. I'm sure you must have shed a few tears too.
I loved, loved, loved this post Sonja.
Love you sis,
Debbie
Sonja,
I just love the beauty and simplicity of this wedding. A lovely bride and a handsome groom.
Your aunt looks like such a sweet person. She must be that "steel magnolia" you spoke of in your comment.
Nothing like the heat here in the south to make you feel right back at home for sure! :)
Hope you have a blessed day today!
Debra
WOW!!
Blessings,
andrea
Oh Sonja:
What an elegant array of beauty in every word you wrote and every picture that captured the day! Wow! Magnificent!
And the 91 year old lady tops the cake!! Precious Heart!
Choosing JOY in the love triangle!
Stephanie
Here from blog friend Debbie and I'm glad I did!
What a great wedding in the Norwegian style! and I know what I talk about since I'm from and live in Norway.
I'm closer in this case too as I am married to an American, whom I met on the net 12 years ago.
Wishing all the best to the couple - they've got a good start :-)
The wedding was so lovely. Thank you for sharing the details and the photos are great!
This is just awesome! What a heritage!
This is so beautiful, Sonja. The bride is pretty, the groom so handsome...and the reception from the picture of the table setting, to the way you described it, seems just tailor made for everyone who made that special trip. I am sure that this will always be remembered.
Your cousins look lovely in their bunads, complete with all the silver, a little of which I know about from reading Felisol's accounts.
This post was such a delight!
Love
Lidj
I am so thankful that I had time to visit your blog this morning. Time to read through the last few posts and experience a Norwegian wedding. So beautiful! So heartfelt! I loved this. Your aunt and her daughter reading through I Corinthians 13 must have been so meaningful. I am sure the bride and groom will never forget that. The tablescape at the Emma's looked like a picture out of a magazine.
Thank you so much for sharing this special occasion with us. I look forward to more pictures if you want to share them.
i came back to see your sweet tante maren's
face again. what a precious lady!
your top photo is gorgeous. it almost looks
as if the houses are reflected in the boats
because of the similar colors.
blessings,
lea
Hello Sonja,
What a sweet and romantic post. So nice that prayer, songs and worship were such a part of it.
Blessings and hugs my friend!
Gwen:)
thank you for the wise comments at my
place.
i think i won't know if i have done
well until i see my own children as
parents.
just as you have seen your children
become good parents, that is my
prayer for mine.
Sounds and looks like a beautiful time was had by all. A beautiful wedding. Thank you for sharing the story and pictures. Blessings to you Sonja!
Do you suppose there will ever come a time when weddings don't just captivate us? I hope not!
Great photos; though I doubt your thoughts and memories could even be captured in a photo, or even in words. Such are life adventures.
Blessings,
Kathleen
Wow, Sonja! What a time ya'll had.....I hung on to every word and photo....feel like I was there.....and the wedding cake....white chocolate, rasberries and black walnut layers.....(I'm totally drooling right now)!
What fabulous memories!!
Sweet Blessings!
Jackie
Dear Sonja,
What a great event to go half around the world to get your daughter married.
They are such a handsome couple. I send them my best wishes for a long and happy life together. The 1 Chor 13 is a pearl, only too rarely read. I love to read about the true values of love.
Your tante Maren is looking so sweet- She's very much like an old friend of our family Magda,who came from the Northern part of our country. She died some 7 years ago, and is now gathered in heaven with her family.
If I did not know better, your aunt Maren might have been her twin sister.
And your cousin Solveig to the left, must be a close relative to you. You have a lot in common.
The one to the right definitely must have another name. Leiv Kare is definitely a male name. I have two uncles by the name Leiv. And you probably remember who first discovered America? Leiv Eriksson.
I hope you will be back some day and take Hurtigruta down our wonderful coast. I'd gladly travel to Bergen to meet you and guide you around.
All the best from Felisol
i'm just catching up...how lovely!
Thanks, Sonja, for sharing the photos, joy and excitement with us. I know God's best will be with the newly married couple. I smiled viewing the pictures, imagining Armin and Reidun peering over the battlements of heaven. Norway is a special place. Sorry we hit Tromsa next month at 2:00 AM. We would have loved to have seen you aunt one more time. Harold & Darlene Sala
My friend,
I cried myself with just the thought of hearing your Tante Maren reading 1 Cor 13. I bet sitting down with this amazing woman and having a conversation would be the highlight of any day for me.
Emma's sounds like a wonderful place to visit.
CONGRATULATIONS again to your beautiful niece and her husband! I pray blessings over them both in Jesus Name!
I love you!
Hey dear Romy,
Wow what a nice wedding!!!
We wishes 4 your guys Happy happy forever!!!.
And have alot child for dear Carol/Mike!!!
Love you,
Noi/Doug
Romy Girl!
I soooo wish I could have made it.
How wonderful to be married in Norway! Truly making a special occasion even more wonderful!
Congrats to you and youuuurrr Husband. Mmmm how do you like the sound of that!
Lovely!
Your friend,
Gretchen Bidstrup
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