PREPARATION

Creating Community

More to come...

Creating Heirlooms

The more research we did, the more we realized how challenging it is to incorporate some of the old-country traditions into a modern-day wedding because some things just don't exist anymore- or at least not in the same format. However, we took up this challenge and decided to do something with it by creating heirlooms for the future. We are deeply indebted to the artisans who helped us create these heirlooms, thereby adding authenticity to our celebrations and enjoyment of their work long after our celebrations were over.

Cookie Stamp | Bridal Crown Ribbons | Psalmebok Box and Hardanger Embroidery | Wedding Bands

The Invitation Papercasting / Cookie Stamp

We wanted to do something very different for our invitation -- and we found our answer while looking at a book that teaches papercasting with Rycraft Collectible Cookie Stamps! We called the Rycraft Company to find out more and, in the process, discovered that they will make cookie stamps on commission. Thus, we began an exciting and creative process over the next six months with Robin Rycraft and his craftspeople. We ended up with a lovely Norwegian Bridal Crown Cookie stamp (the impression of which appears on each page of this web site in the upper left hand corner). The Rycraft Company made the stamps and the paper-castings for us. We designed and assembled the invitations ourselves. As part of the deal, we also received 50 cookie stamps, which were given to the participants in our wedding as a gift, along with a cookie stamp of the Scottish thistle (the national symbol). Our friends now have one of the first 50 stamps ever made of this exclusive design.

The only authorized retail seller of the Norwegian Crown Rycraft cookie stamp is:

Scandinavian Marketplace
info@scandinavianmarket.com

We have given permission to some Norwegian-American to sell as a fund-raiser. If your organization would like to use sales of this stamp for a purpose related to Norwegian and Nowegian-American culture, please contact us for more information.

The Bridal Crown Ribbons

In some parts of Norway, the traditional (folk) bride wears a wedding crown, often made of silver, from which hang a colection of silk ribbons. The crown usually belongs to the bride's church or her family. Today, it is possible to find small, delicate sølje bridal crowns for rent from some Scandinavian gift shops. However, we wanted a traditional "peasant" wedding crown. We rented the crown we used from Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, IA. A friend and fellow folk dancer/musician in Gig Harbor, WA made the heirloom-quality bridal ribbons. She sewed ribbons together to make double-faced ribbons and then gathered them on a head "cushion" which was then both sewn to the crown and had ribbons attached that tie under the bride's chin. The ribbons used for the back of the crown were collected by the bride and the maker from all over the world (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, India, Thailand) and represented thebride's work in international education and her travels around the world.

The Wedding Bands

We exchanged gold wedding bands that were created especially for us by a member of our congregation, Nadar Ayad, a wonderfully creative Palestinian-American jeweler. The artwork on the bands is an abstracted version of a Norwegian baroque acanthus design from the Gudbrandsdal region. We found the inspiration for this on a hand-carved ambar (a highly decorated porridge container) that was traditionally used to carry rømmegrøt (a sour cream porridge) as a contribution to festive occasions such as weddings. The original carver of the ambar that inspired us is a Norwegian-American.

The Psalmebok Box and Hardanger Embroidery Cover

A number of years ago, the bride had been given her paternal grandmother's psalmebok (Norwegian hymn book). The psalmebok had been a gift from the bride's great-grandmother to her grandmother, probably at confirmation or before her grandmother left for America. Inside the psalmebok is inscribed "May you live and believe so that you may sign with the angels in eternity."

In the old days, it was a Norwegian tradition for the bride to carry her psalmebok to her wedding. However, this psalmebok is in very fragile condition so protecting it was of utmost concern. We found our answer in another Norwegian tradition, chip carving. We asked Judy Ritger, an award winning rosemaler and chip carver from River Falls, Wisconsin, to chip-carve a special small box in which the bride could carry the psalmebok. The box continues to protect the psalmebok and makes a wonderful display piece.

In some areas of Norway, the bride had a special wedding handcloth that she used on her wedding day. We used the same concept by having a beautiful piece of hardanger embroidery that covered the chip-carved psalmebok box. The beautiful embroidery for both the box cover and the groom's boutennier were done by the groom's sister as a wedding gift. The patterns are available in the book, ....

We knew that we wanted our wedding service to be at our actual church building. We were blessed with a good dance/reception hall at another church within a 1/2 mile of our own church. This meant that most of our festivities could be within a 1 mile radius. Using church facilities also meant that we actually paid less for hall rental than you would expect -- and we were allowed to "use" the hall for the entire time we needed it. We recommend that couples who want to do the same as we should look for not-so-obvious places where people can gather for extended lengths of time and form a "village". These could include:

Uff da! This one was a pain and a half. We were very certain that we did not want a typical "wedding flowers" for our celebration. After all, the old weddings didn't have professional florists standing by to do it "perfectly." The bride carefully screened a number of florists to see who was willing to try something different. In the end, they all came back with "...and we could make this lovely bouquet out of sweetheart roses, etc." Ugh! At the brink of giving up and giving in, the bride's housemate and another good friend offered to do the flowers. Both of them had extensive experiencewith flowers and they both recommended exactly what the bride wanted, which was the look of bouquets and arrangements that seemed to be plucked from meadows in Norway. So the bride's housemate did the flowers used in the church ceremony and the other friend did the arrangements for the reception. The results were wonderful and "free" and lively. Just what you would want for a folk wedding. Our advice if you want to get this kind of look for your own wedding? Skip the "professional florists" and get someone who simply loves flowers and has a good eye for arrangements.

One of the simplest and most effective parts of the "ambiance" we created were the table decorations at our reception. In fact, they were easy -- and completely carried through the theme we had begun with our invitation.

Each table was covered by a white plastic tablecloth. On top of that we put a large square or oblong (depending on the table shape) piece of cotton Mackay tartan cloth. The edges were simply "frayed", which added to a country look. In the center of the tartan cloth, we placeda 3-D metal wedding crown about 6-8" in height. These crowns had been made for us by a friend who works in a metal shop and who now keeps them to use at other Norwegian weddings. Inside each crown, we put a tall white "eternal candle" (a tall white candle encased in glass). We bought these very inexpensively at a local church supply outfit. Around the bottom outside of the crowns, we spread some wheat. We placed extra "eternal candles" in all the windows of the reception hall and around on the serving tables. We also used a few scented candles (lilac) to help create a light Norwegian garden scent to the area. As the afternoon moved into evening, we used the candles for our main light, which added to a lovely glow over the evening dancing. We used plastic tableware in colors of blue, green and white along with clear glasses.After all, the reception was -- in essence -- a potluck picnic, not a formal dinner. The cleanup was much easier than we expected (and we helped!). We continue to use the eternal and scented candles we bought for entertaining and emergency candles in our house. We also use the Mackay tartan for decorating party tables. Lot of these things were reusable in our home -- and now we carry memories of our wedding with us on a regular basis.

More to come...

More to come...

We had two different types of cakes. Our central wedding cake was a wonderful Chocolate Sour Cream cake confection that was especially made for us by friends in the folk dance community. (Ironically, the groom couldn't enjoy it because he's allergic to sour cream - but our guests loved it, which was the whole point anyway...).

We also had two kransekake - the traditional Norwegian wedding (and other festive occasions!) cake. We placed one on each side of our main cake and decorated them with Norwegian flags. We surrounded the cake with a bed of green leaves and stuck a small bouquet of flowers in the tops. They looked wonderful! We froze what was left of the kransekake after the wedding and enjoyed it for our first anniversary. It kept a lot better than most traditional American wedding cakes!

How do you make kransekake? First, you will need to order the proper ring forms in which to make the cake. These are available at many Scandiinavian shops. There are also some bakeries that will make the almond paste rings and ship them to you so that you can put the cake togther. We can personally recommend:

• Ingebretsen's in Minneapolis, MN (+1.800.279.9333) or email info@ingebretsens.com
• Norwegian Imports and Bakery in San Pedro, CA (+1.310.832.6965)
• Scandinavian Marketplace in Hastings, MN (+1.800.797.4319) or email info@scandinavianmarket.com

Wreath cake can be very temperamental. Even if you make it in "exactly the same way" each time you bake it, the results may vary from absolute perfection to complete failure. It's best to make a couple of "test cakes" before the big day. If you want to try your hand at making the cake, we recommend the recipe below from Authentic Norwegian Cooking by Astrid Karlsen Scott (used with permission):

More to come... We think this event triggered something in our group of friends. The next wedding featured lutefisk sorbet -- and the less said about that, the better!

The most unique beverage we decided to feature at our wedding was sparkling mead as made by our friend, Gordon Hull, at his Heidrun Meadery in Arcata, CA. As the web site explains, "mead is wine made from honey rather than grapes. It is an ancient beverage -- predating even the Agricultural Revolution -- and as with all ancient things it has stories to tell. It has been proclaimed "Nectar of the Gods", to be sure, but it has also been the staple beverage of the common man. Heidrun Meadery is concerned with the development of superlative, sparkling Champagne style mead varietals that reflect the preferences of our modern palate -- remaining respectful of mead's legacy and drawing attention to the inherent characteristics of the honey itself. " Besides all that, mead was a standard beverage of the Vikings - although they probably didn't have it in "champagne" style. Today, however, we can enjoy a lighter version. Try Mead Mimosa's for the perfect touch to a Scandinavian brunch!

• Cloudberry-Blackberry Aquavit
• Gløgg
• Scotch Connoisseur
• scotch.com