Plan a wedding in Sweden
Are you planning a destination wedding in Sweden?
Do you want to learn more about Swedish weddings?
Are you Swedish and want to know how to plan a wedding?
Whichever of the questions you answer yes to here, you have come to the right place!
If you are planning to get married in Sweden I would like to start by congratulating you on your engagement and, of course, tell you that you’re making a great decision by choosing beautiful Sweden as the country for your wedding!
When you are about to get married there are so many questions popping up, even more so if you are planning to have a destination wedding and get married in another country.
Whether you are Swedish or not it can be tricky to plan your wedding from a distance.
That’s where we come in!
This post is written to guide you through the process of planning your wedding in Sweden, it will introduce you to the key steps in wedding planning and give you a short explanation of the services we offer as wedding planners and designers.
Let’s begin, shall we?
Photo: Sorya Pedoussaut
Table of content
Why should you get married in Sweden?
Begin your wedding planning
Decide your style
Prioritise
What type of ceremony do you prefer?
Make a plan
Calculate the cost of your wedding
Who are you celebrating with?
Create a concept
Hire a wedding planner
Find your ideal venue and team of vendors and suppliers
Get your documents
Prepare for your wedding day!
Photo: Locksen Visuals
Why should you get married in Sweden?
Because Sweden is a country full of contrasts, and throughout you will find an understated elegance, a sense of style, and a calmness.
It’s one of the least populated countries in regards to area and the nature is absolutely breathtaking!
You can choose to marry out in the deep forests, close to the seashore, near any of the thousand lakes or in one of the many stunning venues available.
The whole idea of having a wedding in Sweden gets even more interesting as you have the varying seasons so you can easily plan anything from a crisp winter wedding to a dreamy summer wedding.
Another great thing is that you don’t have to be a Swedish citizen or resident to get married in Sweden.
It’s not overly expensive and it’s actually fairly easy to get your wedding license, we will cover how to obtain one further down.
In Sweden all weddings and marriage are gender-neutral which means you are allowed to marry under the same laws. In other words, same sex marriages are allowed in Sweden.
Begin your wedding planning
Decide your style
The absolute first step when you plan a wedding is to get a grip around your dreams, priorities and possibilities.
Sit yourselves down and brainstorm which type of wedding you would like to have, there are many types to choose from.
Are you thinking of going for a traditional and romantic feel for the day or are you more drawn towards the urban and minimalist design? Whichever of all the different wedding styles you choose, it will make the rest of the planning easier as you have a style to stick to.
Prioritise
After you have come up with the style you want for your celebration it’s time to look at your priorities by making a priority list.
As soon as you’ve done that, it’s time to get started with the key aspects like how many guests you want (and can) invite, how much money you’ve got to spend and when you want to get married.
What type of ceremony do you prefer?
Ask yourselves if you want a civil or religious ceremony, and if you prefer the ceremony to be held in a specific place or at the same location where the reception will be.
Most celebrants in Sweden can speak English and you will automatically retain the wedding certificate in English if you ask for it beforehand.
As you understand, this is important to mention to them upon booking, as it will ensure you don’t have to cover any unnecessary translating fees later on.
For all ceremonies you will need two witnesses to sign your marriage license, but don’t worry if you don’t have any guests; the photographer, wedding coordinator and/or someone from the city hall or church can help out.
Photo: Isabelle Hesselberg/2brides
Make a plan
For a stress free and enjoyable wedding planning process, a great tip is to plan it.
Schedule dates when you will focus on planning your wedding and write a list of the things you should cover each date.
You will thank yourselves as there are many things that can easily be forgotten or left until last minute unless you write them down.
It will surely help your relationship too as neither of you will be taken off guard or forced to plan when you don’t have time, because you’ll have dedicated slots for that.
Is it too much to keep track of? Contact us for your own copy of the wedding planning checklist.
Who are you celebrating with?
When you are planning to get married abroad it’s important to know how many people you will invite, consider the possibilities for them to get there and, obviously, let them know in time they’re invited.
Most venues in Sweden charge per person, so take this into account when planning and budgeting as it can seriously change the type of wedding you will have.
For some couples it’s very easy to write a guest list, and for some not. Take your time doing it, and be honest with whom you want to invite. You don’t have to invite every relative or colleague just because you are told so.
It’s your day, so it’s your way!
When it comes to informing your guests about your upcoming wedding a good idea is to send a save the date, you can do this electronically or by post.
By doing this your guests will know when the wedding is scheduled and can start making arrangements.
You can send it as soon as you have set the date.
For the invitations, a rough guideline is to send them out sixteen to twelve weeks before for destination weddings and ten to six weeks before for local weddings.
Remember to include all the needed information in your wedding invitations as it will save you time from dealing with confused guests or having to hand out additional notes.
If you want to get inspired, take a look at these gorgeous stationery designs and wedding invitation options.
Photo: Isabelle Hesselberg/2brides
Create a concept
Look for wedding inspiration everywhere, not only in the obvious places.
Browse the boutiques where you like to shop, study the interior at your favourite restaurant, peek into your own closet, visit museums and go out in nature.
Open your eyes, listen with your ears, feel with your skin, taste with your mouth and sniff with your nose.
Ask yourself what you like and dislike, then go ahead asking yourself and your partner what you want the wedding to feel like.
When you have a few adjectives lined up go through each of them and think how you, practically, are going to achieve each specific feeling.
When we design a wedding it’s a whole process!
We look at the venue, its surroundings and the season, as well as your personal interests, style and preferences.
To make the whole wedding conceptualisation easier we advise you to create a mood board which you can give to the vendors you work with.
That way it will be clear to everyone what you are looking for, and you have something to keep in the back of your mind throughout the whole planning process.
Hire a wedding planner
We mean it when we say it; you should consider hiring a wedding planner or coordinator for your big day.
Not only do we help you with the planning, we are professionals and we know the industry so we can save you money, time and energy!
Did you know an average wedding takes around 250 hours to plan properly, that’s a whopping five (!) full working weeks.
Can you afford spending that time?
Not only is planning a wedding time consuming, it’s emotional and can be very stressful too.
So, if you aren’t a pro on planning weddings, why should you go ahead planning one of the biggest days of your life, by yourselves?
Of course, we understand if you don't want to fully hand over the planning to someone else, but see, that’s the beautiful thing, you don’t have to!
Most wedding planners can tailor their services to your needs and come up with a solution that works for you.
Book a consultation to see exactly what it is you need help with for your day.
Perhaps you rather have someone setting up and styling the venue than getting help with the budget and wedding planning itself, or vice versa.
We are one of the top wedding planners in Sweden and our focus lies on you, your love story and your relationship.
For us, the wedding is not just a day, it’s the beginning of your life as a married couple, therefore, we want you to have the best possible start to it!
We plan and design your wedding so it becomes a celebration full of personality, beauty and love while letting you enjoy the time leading up to it by giving you the chance to do the fun stuff and get to know each other even better.
The aim is to give you an unforgettable experience, design a beautiful wedding celebration for you and help you on your way towards a lasting relationship.
Find your ideal venue and team of vendors and suppliers
Where shall we begin? Your venue and the team you have, are the ones coming together to make your wedding, so they better be good and chosen with care.
Spend time researching your venue and vendor options, and ask for recommendations.
The Swedish wedding industry is not huge so many know each other or have worked together before, this can be very helpful when you are trying to put together a team for your wedding.
Check with friends and family if they know of any good alternatives too, but avoid trusting blindly, do a little investigation work before booking as your taste may not be the same as your friend’s aunts.
Read all contracts thoroughly before agreeing, and get all important communication in writing.
This relates to every single type of vendor and part of your wedding day.
Remember that the Swedish weather isn’t reliable so make sure you have a clear backup plan installed and agreed on with your venue and any vendors.
We always make sure we prepare a rain plan for the big day!
Photo: Maria Wideman
Get your documents
At least six weeks before your wedding date, we advise you have your legal documents ready.
If you both are Swedish citizens, all you have to do is download the ‘Hindersprövning’ application, fill it out and send it to the Swedish Tax Office (Skatteverket).
Once you get the approved marriage license, it’s valid for four months from the date of issue.
If you are non-Swedish and want to get legally married in Sweden, you will need to provide certain documents from your country of citizenship and give to the Swedish Tax Office (Skatteverket) before you can get the license to marry.
Talk with your officiant beforehand, to see what you need and make sure you bring the requested paperwork on the day.
We would be happy to guide you through the process.
Photo: Anette Bruzan
Prepare for your wedding day!
Make sure you get plenty of rest and enjoy a quiet evening before the big day. By now, you should ideally not have any uncertainties or big things left on the to-do list.
Whether you decide to spend the night together or not is up to you, but it’s advisable to spend it away from home. That way it will be easier for you to relax and get into your wedding mode.
Put together a wedding day emergency kit beforehand, it’s a kit with all the essentials you might need for your wedding day.
As mentioned before, the Swedish weather is not always reliable so bring a warm cover up for the evening or if it gets chilly. The last thing you want to do is to freeze on your wedding day.
If either of you are wearing new shoes, bring an extra pair just in case, you don’t want to miss out on the dancing because your feet hurt.
Put together and send out the papers needed for the day to everyone involved. The paperwork should consists of a timeline, contact information to all the vendors and the floor layout.
Make sure you know what you can expect by reading up on Swedish wedding traditions and customs.
When the morning of your wedding day has finally come take some deep breaths and step away from your expectations so you can fully savour each precious moment.
Ask your friends and family to leave you both in privacy and tell them to direct questions or concerns to your toastmaster or wedding coordinator.
The time before the ceremony is to be spent with your chosen few. All so you can get ready under peaceful conditions and collect your thoughts for what’s to come.
There will always , without fail, be something unexpected happening at a wedding that is out of your control. It’s therefore important to remind yourself of the bigger picture and why you are where you are! In the end, all that matters is that you are getting married with the love of your life!
Once you stand with your partner at the end of the aisle, our tip is to take a moment to look out at your guests and silently thank them for being present to witness your union.
The wedding ceremony is emotional, and both time and space will cease to exist in your consciousness. It’s the most incredible feeling and it doesn’t matter if you have two hundred or just a handful of guests around you because you will only have eyes for each other. Cherish it!
When the ceremony is done and you are legally (or symbolically) married go on to celebrate it! Acknowledge the amazing journey you have gone through leading up to this exact moment!
Photo: Elin Sommerfeld
Now you are officially married, congratulations!
If you have the chance, spend both the wedding night and the following away from home.
That gives you the opportunity to stay a little longer in your wedding bubble, to think back and talk about it.
If you have any questions about planning a wedding or getting married in Sweden, feel free to reach out anytime!