This adventure wedding in Lofoten is a perfect combination of the best things from two different worlds. Julia and Chris mixed elements of a wild adventure elopement together with a more traditional wedding and made a wedding weekend out of it. Add amazing scenery of Lofoten in Norway, and it doesn’t get much better than this!
Fell in love while travelling together
Julia and Chris met each other a few years ago in the United States. They both went to the same university for their exchange studies there. Since their dorm rooms were next to each other, they met already on the day one of the exchange program. During the six months they spent in the US they travelled all over the country and fell in love with each other during their trips.
In summer 2020 Julia and Chris went hiking in the mountains next to their house in Mo i Rana. On the mountaintop he went on one knee and proposed.
Since Chris is from Mo i Rana in Norway and Julia is from Finland, Lofoten doesn’t appear as an obvious wedding destination. So I asked Julia why did they choose Lofoten.
- The first time Chris took me to Lofoten, I said that if I ever get married, I want to do it there. I think Lofoten is the most beautiful place on earth, therefore we have travelled there every summer since.
Perfect destination for an adventure wedding – Lofoten
On the planning meeting prior to the wedding day, Julia asked me for the most dramatic and epic mountain views and added: the more dramatic, the better. I knew right away what place would be perfect for their adventure in Lofoten. It turned out, they knew exactly what mountaintop I was talking about. Even more so: they have already hiked it on their previous trips to Lofoten.
Julia and Chris were very excited about their wedding plans. On one day they planned to hike in the mountains with a small group of their friends and family. And on the following day – hold an outdoor ceremony and party surrounded by friends and family.
It was raining cats and dogs several days in a row before their wedding day, so we couldn’t see any mountains. Hence the hiking adventure was at risk. Weather forecast that day wasn’t very promising either, but we decided to hike anyway. If not for the sake of the spectacular views, then for the sake of the adventure itself. After all, there is always a hope, right?
Hiking in the fog and rain
We started our hike in the heavy clouds with no idea of what to expect on the mountaintop. The moral in the group was good, and we paved our way towards the top. Suddenly it started to rain, and together with a muddy trail and thick fog it just got even more exciting, believe it or not! Near the top, a few sun beams broke through the clouds and we could see a little bit of a view to a white sandy beach and a turquoise sea surrounded by peaky mountains. Jaw-dropping!
From there we nearly ran up the hill where bride and groom started to change to their wedding attire. At this point it was so nice to have several helping hands! While guys helped Chris to find his stuff and get ready, bridesmaids helped Julia to get dressed and fresh up her makeup. We knew we didn’t have much time with the clear sky, so we had to move fast.
First look with a spectacular view
Chris waited for Julia on a rock that juts out above the sea with a spectacular view to a white sandy beach and mountains. Julia came from behind and carefully patted him on his shoulder. When Chris turned around and saw Julia for the first time in her wedding dress, he had the biggest smile on his face.
Around the same time, Chris’s mom arrived to the top. She started hiking some time after us, and hiked alone all the way. When she got there, she told us about Chris’ fear of heights and how impressed she was to see him standing on that rock.
- With the right woman by your side, you can even forget your fear, she said.
We explored surroundings during the little time we had with the clear sky, and when we decided to take a break, clouds rolled back and covered the view again. Bride and groom and their guests warmed up a bit, ate some food and opened a bottle of wine to celebrate the successful adventure.
The rain and fog only made the story better
I asked Julia to tell about their experience of that hike.
- The mountain shoot was an adventure to remember for life! We are suckers for mountain views, as well as hiking – adventures altogether. So it was a no-brainer for us to hike in the mountains for our bridal portraits. Also kinda cool in the sense that we got engaged on a top of a mountain as well, tells Julia.
- And how was it for you to hike in the rain and fog, not knowing whether you’d get any view at the top? Were you afraid to destroy the dress and the suit?
- In the end, I think that the rain and fog only made the story better! Although we really did not know if we would get “the shot” while we were hiking, we were still determined to go all the way to the top and take our chance. We didn’t really care about destroying the dress or the suit – after all, it’s just material for one day. But the memory (and pictures) will stay with us for life! Says Julia.
The adventure was worth the sore muscles and messed up bodies
Julia continues:
- When it comes to my finnish friends, this was the first hike of their life (we don’t have any mountains in Finland)! So they were regrettinga it halfway, but at the top they said it was definitely worth it!
- As for me, I knew that I would get a migraine (I always do from hikes like that), therefore I was prepared to be quite messed up. You actually have a picture of me taking my migrane medication at the top of the mountain with my sister, that one is so funny! I threw up in the car when we got back (migrate symptom). But we were all just laughing at it because the adventure was still so worth the sore muscles and messed up bodies. I’m 100% sure we would all do it again!
Beautiful and emotional outdoor ceremony with a mountain view
On the following day the sun was shining and it was a nice and warm summer day in Lofoten. Julia and Chris held their wedding ceremony at Nyvågar Rorbu Hotell in Kabelvåg. While their guests made some last preparations for the ceremony, we took some portraits in the area nearby.
After that they held a small and touching civil ceremony, read their vows to each other, cried and laughed.
- One of the most memorable moments from our wedding day was the ceremony. Especially the vow reading where we both promised each other funny stuff. Like me always bringing him a glass of wine if he asks for one, and him paying for all the expensive furniture for the rest of our lives. We’re still sticking to these promises by the way! Julia adds.
After the ceremony they had a reception in one of the halls at the same hotel. Since everything (the ceremony, reception and the party) was in the same place, it was nice and easy to just walk from place to place. And since we took the bride and groom portraits before the ceremony, Julia and Chris were able to enjoy the dinner and the party right away.
The sparkler incidend
To wrap up the day we did a sparkler exit which didn’t go entirely according to the plan. While trying to fire several sparklers simultaneously, some kind of light explosion happens and for a second nobody understands what’s going on.
Next thing happening is a groomsman throwing a bunch of burning sparklers as far as he can. Few of them land in a boat nearby. They are still burning… But he reacts fast! He runs to the boat, jumps in it and picks up all the sparklers while guests are cracking in laughter.
Julia adds that this “sparkler incident” quickly become one of the most memorable parts of their wedding day, and they have been laughing about it many times since.
Planning a wedding in Lofoten
- Since neither of you live in Lofoten, how did you organize the decorations etc?
- We did not have a wedding planner, but I personally love planning so that did not matter! All the decorations I had ordered online (thank god for Etsy). The day before our wedding our friends and family helped to put things into place.
- Did you have a backup plan for the ceremony in case it would be a rainy day?
- Our backup plan would be to move the ceremony inside if it rained a lot, but we didn’t really plan for that. We’ve bought see-through umbrellas for light rain if needed. But Chris is an eternal optimist, so he assured me that it would not rain. However, we still can’t believe the luck we’ve had with the weather! It was the best weather of all the days that we have spent in Lofoten ever!
- Do you have any advice for the coming brides and grooms?
- The right attitude is everything! If you intentionally choose to enjoy the whole experience with its ups and downs, you will be blessed with a bunch of happy and funny memories, concludes Julia.
By the way, this awesome adventure wedding was featured on Wandering Weddings – international community for adventure elopement photographers and other wedding vendors. You can see the feature here!
List of vendors for this adventure wedding in Lofoten
- Venue: Nyvågar Rorbuhotell (Kabelvåg)
- Wedding dress: Niinatar (Helsinki)
- Wedding suit: Sentleman (Hämeenlinna)
- Julia’s hair and makeup: Ishavsklipp (Svolvær)
- Chris’ hair: Thereses Frisør og Barber (Svolvær)
- Cake: Henningsvær Bakeri (Henningsvær)
- Florist: Gerds Blomster
- Photographer: TS Foto Design
Do you want to see more inspiration for Lofoten weddings? Here are a few examples: Checklist for an adventure elopement in Lofoten, Destination wedding in Lofoten, Summer wedding in Lofoten.