Bride and groom kissing in a wooden rowing boat in a sunset with a view to norwegian fjords and mountains

Intimate outdoor wedding in Norway

Does an intimate outdoor wedding by the fjords of Norway sound like a dream to you? Elisabeth and Reidar made this dream come true! They had a small, beautiful and personal wedding ceremony with the sea view in Storekorsnes near Alta. After that many of their guests said that it was the most beautiful ceremony they’ve ever been to.

Cabins with a sea view at Storekorsnes Alta rented for an intimate outdoor wedding in Norway
Bohemian style lace dress, bouquet and shoes
Wedding details with boho style bouquet and rings
Rustic style wedding details
Portrait of a bride getting ready to her wedding day in Alta Norway
Cabins with a sea view at Storekorsnes Alta rented for an intimate outdoor wedding in Norway
Wedding details with a boy shoes and clothes
A boy in the stairs looking in the camera

Spend your wedding day the way you want to

Unlike many norwegians, Elisabeth and Reidar decided to get married in a non-traditional way.

  • We wanted to get married outdoors because the church doesn’t feel “at home”. When you go for a church wedding, you are faced with more rules and expectations. With an outdoor wedding, there is more freedom, and you can make it more intimate and personal. Nature is a big part of us, this is where we thrive and spend a lot of time. Therefore it was an easy choice to have our wedding outdoors, tells the bride.

Elisabeth and Reidar decided to have their intimate outdoor wedding ceremony in Storekorsnes (a small village outside of Alta in Northern Norway). The location had several nice features that were important to the bride and groom. A sea view, an indoor location for a small reception as well as accomodation for the guests (the guests could rent a cabin or come with a caravan/camper if they wanted to).

  • We were also very happy about the decorations in the reception area. Nice atmosphere with natural and rustic vibes! Says Elisabeth.
A sami landscape with a sea view
Grass path to the outdoor wedding ceremony decorated with wild flowers
Floral arch made of birch trunks in front of  a sea view ready for an intimate outdoor wedding in Norway
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony in Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony in Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony in Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony in Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea view and mountains
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea and mountain view
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea and mountain view
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea and mountain view
Intimate outdoor wedding ceremony under a floral arch  in Storekorsnes near Alta Norway by the fjords with a sea and mountain view
Bride hugging her sister after a wedding ceremony outdoors
Bride and groom walking in a grass field
Bride and groom with their son and dog in a grass field with a sea and mountains behind them
Groom lifted his bride and she is laughing while he swirls her

How to prepare for an intimate outdoor wedding in Norway?

It was a priest who held their wedding ceremony, and Elisabeth says that it wasn’t very hard to organize.

  • We contacted the church on the internet in the same manner as you do for a traditional church wedding. We wrote about the place, date and that we wanted to have an outdoor wedding. Later on we got a confirmation from Alta church. The only requirement from the priest was to move the ceremony indoors in the church in Storekorsnes if the wedding day would be rainy. He also asked how far it would be to hike and whether the ceremony is on a hill or not, Elisabeth tells.

Elisabeth and Reidar decorated the path to the ceremony location with wild flowers and plants from the area around. They also built a flower arch out of birch trunks and decorated it with the plants from the nature and flowers from their won garden and greenhouse. Other than that, they kept the ceremony area simple. Some of the guests sat on chairs, while others stood or sat on blankets on the ground.

Bride and groom replaced wedding hymns with some nice and modern music that both of them like. And they got a lot of nice feedback about their lovely outdoor ceremony. For the reception, they skipped all the traditions such as speeches, games etc. Instead, they just enjoyed the dinner and nice conversations with the persons they love the most.

Bride and groom under a floral arch with a sea and mountain view on a day of their outdoor intimate wedding in Alta Norway
Bride and groom under a floral arch with a sea and mountain view on a day of their outdoor intimate wedding in Alta Norway
Bride under a floral arch with a sea and mountain view on a day of their outdoor intimate wedding in Alta Norway
Groom under a floral arch with a sea and mountain view on a day of their outdoor intimate wedding in Alta Norway
Bride and groom under a floral arch with a sea and mountain view on a day of their outdoor intimate wedding in Alta Norway
Bride and groom under a floral arch with a sea and mountain view on a day of their outdoor intimate wedding in Alta Norway
Elopement in Norway by the fjords and mountains - bride and groom walking by the sea - captured by elopement photographer TS Foto Design
Elopement in Norway by the fjords and mountains captured by elopement photographer TS Foto Design
Elopement in Norway by the fjords and mountains - bride and groom in a grass field - captured by elopement photographer TS Foto Design
Elopement in Norway by the fjords and mountains - bride and groom in a grass field - captured by elopement photographer TS Foto Design
Bohemian bride in a lace dress with open back standing in a golden grass field watching a sea view and mountains on a sunny day in Norway

What do other couples who plan an oudoor wedding in Norway need to know?

  • The weather will always be a factor to consider when planning an outdoor wedding, so prepare a backup plan! Use a party tent, umbrellas, marquee or tarp in case of rain. But if you’re lucky with the weather, your outdoor wedding can be so so beautiful, says the bride.
  • Make your wedding day to something YOURS! Don’t let other’s opinions and expectations impact your desicions. Rather do something that feels right for YOU TWO, says Elisabeth.

After the cake cutting, the couple went outside and wrapped up the day with a rowing boat tour for two and a first dance on a beach as a husband and wife. It was a nice and romantic ending of a perfect wedding day.

Rustic decorations in a cabin styled wedding reception in Norway
Rustic decorations in a cabin styled wedding reception in Norway
Wedding guests writing in a guest book
A boy on a wedding day looking at all the cakes
Cake and dessert table in a rustic styled wedding reception location in Norway
Cake and dessert table in a rustic styled wedding reception location in Norway
Cake and dessert table in a rustic styled wedding reception location in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom cutting a cake together on their wedding day in  a rustic styled wedding reception location in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
A sea view with the mountains in background in Storekorsnes Norway
Groom and his groomsman prepare a small rowing boat for some bridal portraits on the sea  in Storekorsnes Norway
Groom and his groomsman prepare a small rowing boat for some bridal portraits on the sea  in Storekorsnes Norway
Groom pushing a rowing boat with his bride in the sea to take some bridal portraits in sunset in  Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom rowing boat on their wedding day in the sunset in  Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom drinking champagne in a rowing boat with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom drinking champagne and kissing in a rowing boat with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom drinking champagne and kissing in a rowing boat with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom rowing boat on their wedding day in the sunset in  Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom drinking champagne and kissing in a rowing boat with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom walking on a beach with a mountain view in Storekorsnes Norway
Bride and groom walking on a beach with a mountain view in Storekorsnes Norway
Beautiful bride in a lace bohemian dress on a beach in Norway
Beautiful bride in a lace bohemian dress on a beach in Norway
Bride and groom on a beach with a mountain view in Norway
Bride and groom dancing on a beach with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom dancing on a beach with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway
Bride and groom dancing on a beach with a sunset and mountain view in Storekorsnes Alta Norway

Vendors list:

Do you need more inspiration for your intimate outdoor wedding in Norway? Check these blog posts: