Cezary and I are both Canadians living in Berlin. We’ve been together for so long that we feel like we grew up together. We’re in a place where nothing the other says sounds crazy or impossible.
One of us wanting to switch continents to do a graduate degree isn’t much different from saying we’re craving a burger that week — we just make it happen.
We never wanted a big wedding so the Covid-19 pandemic gave us an excuse to have the elopement we’d always dreamed of. We’ve lived in five different cities in Europe over the last decade and decided that getting married at Copenhagen City Hall would be the perfect addition to our adventures.
We rented a cottage an hour outside of the city and it was a great place to spend time with our two guests, Cezary’s sister Justyna and her husband Joel, before and after the wedding. Justyna was our first call when it came to everything wedding related. If it wasn’t for her we would probably have shown up at Copenhagen City Hall in matching tracksuits.
I had no idea what I was going to wear until two days before the ceremony. Justyna offered to bring items from her own closet for me, which was a huge relief! Because she’s based in Ottawa, it meant exchanging lots of photographs and bringing along five or six dresses to try on.
The only thing I cared about were my shoes, which I completely fell in love with, so we planned the rest of the look around them. I accessorised with lots of meaningful vintage jewellery, such as earrings bought on a trip to Serbia, and a statement ring which Cezary gave me as my very first Christmas present. I didn’t plan on wearing a veil, but Justyna let me borrow hers, which I have to admit looks great in the pictures, despite the hassle it gave me on such a windy day!
The morning of the wedding, Justyna and I took over the master bedroom. She hung my dress up and laid out our makeup on the window sill, most of which she had lugged all the way from Canada. Justyna has done my makeup and hair for photo shoots in the past, so I asked if she would help me get ready. She had a million other tasks to worry about that day, including taking our beautiful photographs, but spending time with my sister-in-law on the morning of my wedding was so important to me.
Copenhagen was an absolute dream. The city is so beautiful and the autumn weather gave me a great reason to buy a cosy sweater to complete my look. If you want to propose, just do it! Get down on one knee and get married shortly afterwards. Keep it simple and find yourself a fairy godmother who will plan and style the day like Justyna if you can.
photographer Joel and Justyna Bedford / ceremony location Copenhagen City Hall / reception location Airbnb / groom’s attire Strellson / bride’s dress Fendi / bride’s top & Other Stories / veil Ornaigh / bespoke veil & tulle skirt Khala Morgan / red shoes Delpozo / silver shoes Luciano Padovan / rings Etsy / other jewellery Vintage / hair & makeup Justyna Bedford / catering & beverages Take A Chef (Rossano Conte) / flora Aeipathy Studio / styling Justyna Bedford
