And we partied ’til dawn

Planning a wedding requires complete control of seating plans and flowers, the dress, the church and a thousand other things. The easiest option is of course to plan it all within your own neighbourhood, but the easiest option is seldom the most rewarding.

Near to far far away
The party, the fun and the company of friends and family were at the top of the to-do list, which Christina Winther and Jacob Halle put together when planning their wedding. “We wanted a party lasting several days to have time to be with all the people we don’t see very often or on a daily basis. We also wanted to find a place where it wouldn’t be too easy for our guests to go home after the party. And of course, the surroundings would have to be nice, beautiful and romantic,” says Christina.

After considering various places abroad, the options narrowed down to Samsø. “We don’t really have a strong connection to the island other than having spent a few holidays here, but we agreed that it was a pretty good contender. It’s easy to get to from all parts of the country, it’s beautiful and with plenty to offer in terms of accommodation, places to eat and sightseeing. Also my father has a good connection with René at Ballen Badehotel, so the decision wasn’t in actual fact so difficult,” Jacob explains.

Local Support
Christina and Jacob live in Aarhus leading busy lives respectively as a designer at Bestseller and as project manager for the Danish handball star Mikkel Hansen’s anti-bullying programme MH24. Together they have a son, two and a half year old Magne. ”So there is of course pressure in everyday life and we didn’t make it easier for ourselves by choosing a location quite some distance from our home address. Therefore, it was absolutely wonderful to have a local support team consisting of Tinna and René at Badehotellet who handled much of the preparation brilliantly,“ Christina states.

That said, the couple also went to Samsø a couple of times to take a closer look at the church, the hall and all the other things, whilst many details were sorted via email and over the phone. “We did bring quite a few things from home. Either because we had a hard time finding them on Samsø or because we were more comfortable using the possibilities we had access to in our vicinity,” Christina says, mentioning stylists as one of the ‘imported’ items.

Between friends
Two days before the wedding Christina, Jacob and Magne went to Samsø. “Our wedding weekend started as early as Thursday, when some of the family and a few close friends arrived. The next day, the majority of our 100 guests arrived and were accommodated in and around Ballen. It worked well to have Ballen as a focal point where everyone could meet at any time they wanted and at the same time had the opportunity to withdraw,” Jacob explains.

Once the wedding invitations were sent out, Christina and Jacob waited anxiously for the reactions. “Our friends and family are scattered all over the country, so it’s rare to be able to meet like we did before having kids, jobs and all that. Fortunately, we were not alone in missing this, so the idea of a weekend on Samsø was very well received,” the couple remembers.

When the day arrived
Little Magne was ready at church on Saturday. So were the bride, groom and all the guests. “Nordby Church was a beautiful and dignified setting for the wedding and the vicar, Johannes Glenthøj did really well. The countryside surrounding the church and the drive from Ballen to Nordby and back again added an extra layer of beauty,” says Christina.

Following the ceremony at the church, the newlyweds and the host of guests went to Ballen Badehotel. “We skipped the traditional photo shoot. We wanted to be with the guests rather than spend an hour with a photographer. So we tucked into the wedding cake and bubbles on the hotel’s terrace instead,” Jacob explains.

Meanwhile, the hotel staff had set the tables beautifully in ‘Emil B’ – the hotel’s large dining hall. At 6.30pm the throng sat down at the large, round tables and dinner was served. “We had a delicious menu with all the best ingredients from Samsø. Around midnight we danced the bridal waltz. Or something similar! It wasn’t exactly where we spent the hours of preparation. Fortunately, the dance floor was taken over shortly after and the DJ made sure that the floor was well occupied until four in the morning, when the last guests left. It was a blast of a party,” Jacob recalls.

The hygge continued
While the adults danced into the early hours, Magne and his four cousins slept comfortably in a house just around the corner. “We had a couple of nannies who could entertain and keep an eye on the kids. In that way, they could be part of the festivities and get some peace and quiet while the adults were partying,” says Christina.

The next day, when everyone had surfaced after the long night of partying, the bridal couple and their guests met for breakfast at the hotel. “It was nice to be able to get together again to go over the many impressions and festive moments from the day before. Yet another benefit of a weekend wedding, where folk don’t leave straight after the midnight snack,” concludes Jacob.