Greenhouse wedding Norway Alchemilla

The story of Maria and Petter’s wedding begins for us with a flight over the fjords of Norway at the end of last summer. As we were leaving Poland, it still felt like summer, but upon landing, we were absolutely convinced that we had entered deep autumn. It’s windy. Very windy, with rain flying almost horizontally, but we get in the car and drive to see this unique place on an island, which is the Alchemilla greenhouse. They said it would be somewhat rustic, a bit like a crazy gardener who hid all sorts of chairs, plates, and trinkets in the greenhouse. We arrive at the place, which is situated in an open field, between one cow and another lazily looking at us. We collect our jaw from the ground in awe of the greenhouse for about an hour, admiring all those tomatoes, sunflowers, small plates, and hidden paintings. OK, we’re absolutely ready for “tomorrow” and to enter the story of Maria and Petter.

Wedding ceremonies come in different forms – some grand, with singing and guitars, gospel music and poetry recitations (mainly for humanist ceremonies), or like the one where no guests say a word, just silence and peace, a quiet that resonates, and the raw walls of the temple only echo the sound of our footsteps, so we don’t walk for sure, we float about 3 centimeters above the ground. Maria and Petter sit facing each other, a Norwegian tradition where they’ll only sit next to each other after the oath. At one point, among a thousand Norwegian words (which sound the same to us), we catch a familiar text and rhythm: “So close, no matter how far. Couldn’t be much more from the heart. Forever trusting who we are…” Alright, yes, Petter is a huge Metallica fan, and Maria surprised him with an operatic rendition of “Nothing Else Matters” during the ceremony. He cries, she cries, I cry – that’s how much I love weddings, and I respect Metallica, it’s an emotional hit.

Then the pure joy, wind in the hair, petals in the eyes, the veil caught up, and love in full swing. With windblown hair, we reach the Greenhouse, where the smell of grilled salmon welcomes us. You know what else I love at weddings? The food, uniquely and characteristic of the place. And what’s next? Norwegians like to sit, celebrate, and give speeches. They must say beautiful things (we don’t understand a word, sometimes a guest will translate a fragment for us) because they’re incredibly moved by it. You can see how important everyone is to each other. Instead of the Polish “bitter” (a tradition of raising a toast), they have the custom of clinking spoons against glasses – a sign for the newlyweds to get on chairs and kiss for everyone to see.

Dancing? Yes, short and to the point. Overall, everything was very elegant and organized: when we eat, we eat deliciously, when we speak, it’s with emotion, and when we dance, we dance until we drop. So, the best way.

It was hard for us to leave this wedding. In essence, after our work was done, I had to pull the filmmaker, Michał Sikora, away from the creative frenzy, as I was there at this beautiful and unique wedding with him. You can watch the film and hear the sound of the clinking spoons under the photos.

Maria og Petter Alle beste ønsker! Tusen takk at jeg kunne bli med dere på den viktigste dagen deres. Vi ønsker jer begge det bedste i livet, i dag, i år og i fremtiden.

Wedding: Sørbø kirke, Rennesøy

Bride dress: Zetterberg Couture

Groom suit: Tiger of Sweden

Venue: Alchemilla, drivhus (greenhouse), Rennesøy

Film: michalsikora.com