Jannie and Kevin's Danish Wedding

The small town of Horsens is located in the Green Lagoon area, on the shores of one of the loveliest Danish fjords. With its marvellous architecture including half timbered merchants' houses, this picture postcard town would tempt anyone to consider a Danish wedding.

The Bride & Groom:

Jannie Jusjong & Kevin Wessell

From:

San Francisco, United States

Wedding Location:

Horsens, Denmark

No. of Guests:

63

An Obvious Choice

Jannie grew up in Denmark and with family still living there it was an obvious choice for her wedding to Kevin. Although as they currently live in San Francisco, a full 9 hours behind, this did involve many very early morning phone calls during the planning stage!

The couple decided to undertake the wedding arrangements without the help of a wedding planner as there was no language barrier for Jannie, so one month after their engagement they flew out to pick a church and reception hall for their celebration.

Traditional Elegance

Wearing a classic ivory strapless dress with a train and a champagne coloured sash, there was little time for nerves before the ceremony. "Everything happened so quickly that I really didn't have a chance to get nervous until the door opened and I had to go in." Jannie shared. But even those fleeting butterflies had passed by the time she walked up the aisle and stood next to Kevin, in his tuxedo and coordinating vest.

The couple decided not to write their own vows, but added their own personal touch with special music.The ceremony was held in Danish, but when it came time to the "I do" part, the priest spoke in English. Before they knew it, Kevin and Jannie were walking arm in arm down the aisle and out into the bewitching streets of Old Town Horsens with friends and family at their heels.

Classic Elegance

After the photographer captured the special day despite the rain, the happy couple joined their guests at the reception venue just two short blocks away from the church.

The halls of the hotel, once an old manor, were decorated in off-white and gold in a classic, elegant manner. The tables featured heart-shaped placeholders and personalised matches as favours.

In keeping with Danish tradition, instead of giving a speech Jannie and Kevin had written a welcome song, the words of which were passed around, so that everyone could join in. The song was followed by a classic Danish meal featuring a trio of shrimp, the very traditional Danish dish called "Gammeldags oksesteg" (beef that remains moist even though it is cooked well-done), two kinds of potatoes, waldorf salad and vegetables.

Then the band, playing Danish songs, Beatles hits and other classics, kept the party swinging until the early hours.

"It was like no other wedding"

With a unique mix of Danish and American traditions Jannie was thrilled with how her wedding abroad turned out. She said, "I couldn't have wished for a better day."

A pre-wedding trip to a bowling alley, along with several other activities, had helped the guests get to know each other before the reception, and enabled them to spend more time with the bride and groom.

During the reception there was much singing, interspersed with the guests stomping their feet, a signal for the couple to dive under the table and kiss. When the guests hit their plates with their knives Jannie and Kevin had to stand on their chairs and kiss each other. Great fun was had by all.

The Perfect Partners

Ceremony: Kloster Kirken
Reception: Jorgensen's Hotel
Wedding Dress: David's bridal 
Bridal Shoes: BCBG
Groom's Attire: Men's Warehouse