Five years ago Andy left England to go travelling and shortly after Amanda set off on her own travels from Sweden… Our paths first crossed in New Zealand and that was the beginning of a fantastic journey together. For months we explored the world and new cultures together and when it was time to return home we brought home the openness, colours and the feeling that each day is an adventure. We still both share this mentality today and so we wanted it to be reflected in our wedding.
After much traveling Andy and Amanda eventually settled down in England but decided on Stockholm as the destination for their dream wedding…
For the first time we were able to gather all of our loved ones in the same country. To make the most of it we decided to have a three day wedding at the quirky Rockelstad castle, situated in the beautiful countryside of Sweden, where we would have plenty of time to spend with everyone. As we were planning the wedding from England we had a lot of help from Amanda’s family in Sweden but also from the great owners at Rockelstad Castle who are used to taking care of all kind of weird wedding questions and suggestions…
Sparkling colours, a relaxed atmosphere and plenty of laughter made our wedding day feel very personal to us both. Our families and friends were a great part of helping on the wedding day. Two of Amanda’s friends did her hair and flowers, Andy’s friend Ben sang and played the guitar during the ceremony, and plenty of incredible speeches were held throughout the dinner, which was followed by a party that lasted till sunrise!
All of the decorations were made with help from friends and family. Andy’s uncle is an excellent designer who made our comic strip wedding invitations. From the main cartoon we also made a cake topper, stickers for the confetti bags, table number signs and more.
Afterwards we both agreed that this truly was the most fantastic weekend of our lives so far! And the biggest joy of all was seeing all our loved ones becoming great friends!
Amanda & Andrew’s advice to couples planning their wedding…
The best advice we can give for those who are planning their wedding is to have fun! Enjoy the planning; with a happy and relaxed attitude you’re more likely to enjoy everything fully on your wedding day.
And to be honest – no one else is going to notice if the napkins have the wrong shade of pink. Don’t be afraid of hiring wedding planner or to ask for help atthe venue, maybe they have a coordination on staff that will help you with getting what you need. Something is bound to go wrong; it is how you choose to deal with it that makes the difference. In our case a couple of cravats disappeared on the morning of the wedding, but luckily we had two spare ties in the right colour that we used instead. Also, our wedding cake looked disastrous which only made us giggle, but it tasted delicious!
Finally: try to have a proper good night’s sleep the night before, and don’t forget to eat and drink plenty of water during the day so that you don’t faint!
Photography: 2 Brides Photography | Ceremony & Reception Venue: Rockelstad Castle | Catering: Rent-a-James Catering | Bridal Gown: Soders Hogtidsklader | Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Burton | Groom & Groomsmen Waistcoats & Cravats: My Tuxedo | Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Jeane Blush | Bride’s Earrings, Necklace & bracelet: Pilgrim | Bride’s Shoes: Brantano | Cufflinks: Ebay | Groom’s wedding ring: Ernest Jones | Bride’s Engagement & Wedding Rings: Custom Made by Family Friend