Image credit: Philip Nordas
Throughout this COVID era, many situations have become more uncertain and challenging than ever before. One thing that has become extra stressful for many couples is wedding planning. Navigating the ever-evolving world circumstances has proven extremely difficult for people who wish to profess their love in front of a crowd of family and friends. For many, the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in postponements. In fact, this spring alone, tens of thousands of couples postponed their weddings. The chief marketing officer at The Knot worldwide stated “They are still going to celebrate, but over 95% are just rescheduling for later on this year or later on next year.”
Although many couples have decided to postpone their weddings, others have continued on with modified events. Not only do these couples have to take their guests’ safety into account when moving forward with their plans, they also have to abide by local and state guidelines. One couple that encountered these obstacles firsthand was a Norwegian bride and a Swedish groom.
This particular Nordic couple could not wait any longer for the COVID restrictions to be lifted. All they wanted was to be married, and they did not want to change their date to do so. The bride, Camilla Øyjord exclaimed, “We wanted to become husband and wife! Love conquers all!”
However, their wedding planning took on an additional layer of stress when Norway closed its border with Sweden in response to the virus. How were a Norwegian bride and a Swedish groom supposed to get married with their families and friends in attendance if they couldn’t be in the same country? As a joke, Camilla suggested having the ceremony at the border. To her surprise, their family and friends loved the idea!
And that is exactly what they did. In the middle of a forest in Norway’s Holebekk region, right next to the Swedish border, Camilla and her groom, Alexander, exchanged their vows. The parties were separated by a white ribbon, and there were even two police officers present to make sure no one crossed the ribbon. The officers kindly asked if they could join in the ceremony, to which the couple happily obliged.
Although the current world situation called for a modification of wedding plans, Camilla and Alexander were “delighted by a big turnout of wedding guests.”