A lot of couples celebrate their ancestors or culture on their wedding day by including traditions and special touches. Deanna & Jake were no different with this when deciding to use their Scottish and Scandinavian descent to create the perfect Viking-themed wedding.
“Velvet, wood, soft, and bold colors and textures drew me to this wedding. Royal colors, vintage keepsakes, and earthy notes began to flood my mind, and I knew that together with Deanna and Jake, we were going to take a rustic barn wedding venue and give it the edgiest vibe it had ever seen.Here are a few highlights and notes I think you will enjoy… D+J’s cake topper is vintage from D’s mother’s wedding. During their ceremony, D+J did an ancient Celtic ritual called “handfasting” where they tied their hands together to symbolize the binding of two lives.” – Alyssa of Alice’s Art Gallery
Tell us the story behind your wedding and the inspiration.
So my husband is of Scandinavian descent, and I am of Scottish descent. We decided to have a Viking-themed wedding to honor his ancestors while doing a Hand Fasting Ceremony to honor mine.
How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
We actually met at a rock concert and found out that we had been to several of the same concerts over the previous 10 years and even have photos where we could see each other in the background!
Our proposal occurred at the Annual Scottish Festival, where we were both dressed in our traditional Scottish garb. Jake went to the main field to compete in his annual Boulder Carry and asked me to come onto the field to film him. He ended up dropping to one knee and proposing in front of everyone.
How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
Like a true Viking, Jake can be seen wearing his metal forged bracelets with braids in his hair. I still wanted our wedding to have a traditional feel, so he wore a Burgundy velvet blazer to match my bouquet.
I chose a crown of rose quartz to represent eternal love, trust, and friendship in our relationship. My hair was placed into braids with large plaits to honor my husband’s Viking background. During photos and celebrations with our families, we both wore fur pelts to celebrate like true Vikings. SKAL!
How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
We tried to keep the wedding very whimsical and woodsy, so there were a lot of elements of trees and flowers. We used wood slices as centerpieces, created signage on wood with writing in Icelandic, and even had a wedding cake that looked like a tree stump and had edible chocolate bark!
We wanted a lot of floral, but at an affordable price. To keep with the woods theme, we incorporated ferns everywhere. Another important piece was a single white orchid in my bouquet to honor my Mother’s bouquet of orchids from her wedding day.
Helpful tips or advice for other engaged couples.
Be sure to invest in a wedding planner and a great photographer. The planner will make your day proceed flawlessly while your photographer will capture each special moment for you to always look back and reflect on.
What were some of the personal touches you added that are a great reflection of you as a couple?
We loved our gifts to our bridesmaids and groomsmen. Each bridesmaid received a handmaid crystal hairpiece to match the bride and each groomsman received a handmade cup made of goat horn to hold their celebratory drink for the evening!
What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
Our first look as I was walking down the aisle! He begged me to wear a crown like a true Queen and found the perfect one to become his Queen for life. You can see on his face how overwhelmed he was to see me and he could not stop crying; it was so sweet!
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