JULIANA WIKLUND AND SWEDISH WEDDINGS TRADITIONS
The birds are singing; it’s February, the month of love; and Spring is around the corner — do you, too, feel the love in the air? I was recently visiting with Stockholm based photographer,Juliana Wiklund.
I think these wedding photos represent something so very Swedish; and also magically captured the lightness of love, the spirit of the day and the joy in the air. How DO you do that, Juliana?… I wish I had known her back when we were married, but, thankfully, I’ve been able to have the joy of her capturing our family through the years! Today, I’m so happy: Juliana accepted my proposal to come by and to share some of her photography with you and her experience with Swedish weddings, too.
Read an interview with Juliana and 10 Swedish wedding traditions below.
2. An average Swedish wedding will have about 30 toasts.
3. Crown: Un-common these days, but earlier, the tradition was that the bride would wear a garland of myrtle leaves on her head (the symbol for innocence) and her traditional Swedish wedding folk costume. Each region has it’s own folk costume.
4. There’s an old Swedish wedding tradition that says that the bride should carry coins in her shoes: One silver coin in her left shoe from her father and one gold coin in her right from her mother. These are to ensure that “she will never go without.”
5. Swedish wedding ceremonies usually take place in the afternoon.
6. The wedding couple normally walk themselves down the aisle together. It’s uncommon for the father of the bride gives her away and walk her down the aisle.
7. August is the month with the most weddings but, May – September are popular, too. These earlier Spring months were more popular earlier and coincided with a National Holiday; but, recently this holiday was removed and it has affected the popularity of Spring weddings.
8. Wedding receptions are typically a 3 course meal and immediately follow the ceremony. The toast master is alerted ahead of time of who would like to raise a toast and will prepare a schedule for the night. Did you read earlier an average of 30 speeches are given: yes: 30. The Swedish reputation for being reserved does not exist on this occasion. Speeches are abundant, thoroughly planned and an integral part of the night.
9. The tradition to toss the bouquet of flowers is not a tradition here, but there is a tradition for women to rush to kiss the groom any time the bride leaves the reception!
10 The wedding should be an “upplevelse;” which loosely translated is to have or do; create an experience. A wedding should be an event. I’ve heard of wedding themes as varied as sky diving, camping in tents for a scavenger hunt type wedding to weddings in traditional locations, such as the local church.
