Wedding | Amanda & Paul
Tell us a little about yourselves!
We first met in Stockholm around 6 years ago. Amanda, from Brazil, was living in Brussels at the time and came to Stockholm to visit her friend Priyanka for the weekend.
Paul had just moved back to his hometown from London after finishing his bachelor in footwear design. Already on the first date, Amanda invited Paul to a costume dinner at Priyanka’s apartment, which by chance was just a few doors down from where Paul was living at the time. Amanda was dressed up as some sort of plastic surgery victim covered in blood, and Paul made slightly less effort by showing up as “John Travolta”.
When the time came for Amanda to go back to Belgium, Paul took her to the airport by bus. We spent the ride like teenagers, sharing wired headphones and listening to emo rock music. The weekend was intense and the goodbye was equally emotional, we both cried at the security checkpoint. Our short time together was enough for both of us to realize the relationship was worth a shot.
That was the beginning of a three-year long-distance relationship, until we finally moved in together in Paris in March 2024. In November that same year, Paul got down on one knee and proposed during a trip to the Swiss Alps. Thereafter, we started planning our dream wedding.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
For us, it was important to get married in the place where our story began. We started at Stockholm City Hall and then had a ceremony and wedding party on an island in the archipelago. This allowed us to create a sense of movement, with the whole crew travelling by boat from City Hall to the island.
The archipelago outside Stockholm has a special place in our hearts. We’ve spent parts of our summers out on the islands and have come to fall in love with the stillness and beauty of the natural surroundings. We contacted several venues and found that Badholmen, outside of Vaxholm, provided the most authentic archipelago experience for what we imagined.
The boats became part of the atmosphere too. On the way there, we had a party boat that really kicked off the celebration, while the journey back was on a steamboat from 1912, with beautiful wooden interiors. It gave the end of the night a completely different, almost nostalgic feeling.
How many guests did you have?
110 of our closest friends and family, representing more than 20 nationalities.
What was your budget?
We had a few non-negotiables that we were willing to prioritise from the start. Like many couples, we ended up going slightly over our initial budget, but for us, it was completely worth it.
Tell us about your outfits.
We both had a few outfit changes throughout the day.
For Amanda’s looks, she worked with Mila Morelli, founder and designer of House of Sensi, who custom-made all three outfits. For the town hall, she created an ivory trouser suit with lace peeking through the sleeves and trousers, worn with a long silk scarf and a pearl birdcage veil.
For the ceremony, we went with a softer off-the-shoulder silk dress, beautifully draped and worn with Paul’s grandmother’s pearl necklace and a long veil. For the party, Mila created a third look that was shorter, sexier and made for dancing! Having three very different looks throughout the wedding felt really special.
For the town hall, Paul wore Saint Laurent black pinstriped trousers and a white pinstriped shirt with a bronze silk tie, paired with handmade cowboy boots we found during a trip to Tennessee.
For the ceremony, he wore a made-to-measure Bode tuxedo. He went to the fitting at Bode’s New York atelier with his grandmother, who always had a great sense of style and played a key role in his interest in fashion from a young age. She helped choose the embroidery details and accessories, which made the look even more personal. He paired it with shoes he made himself in 2016 under the guidance of bespoke shoemaker Janne Melkersson. For his final look, he changed into Saint Laurent leather pants and a T-shirt printed with “Winner In Life – Amanda Is My Wife.”
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We were basically our own wedding planners. From an early stage, we knew we wanted to take the lead on the creative direction, because what mattered most to us was to create an authentic Swedish/Brazilian celebration with our personalities and love at the center.
As we were not living in Stockholm, we hired a team to help us execute everything we had planned. Our coordinator was responsible for production, sourcing and logistics on the ground. We also worked closely with the venue and restaurant on the island to set the mood for the dinner. Everyone was incredibly professional and we could not have been happier with the final outcome.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
The key idea was to create a Swedish/Brazilian festival of love on our little island. Many of our close friends are artists and musicians, so the DJs and live musicians all contributed to the festival atmosphere. The fact that we were all out on a private island created a real sense of togetherness and freedom.
The setting was very Swedish, the food a Brazilian churrasco, and the DJs played a rhythmic and percussive mix of Euro/Brazilian electronic music. The decor leaned more into Parisian opulence, while the live band delivered a full-on rock’n’roll explosion. At the very end, Paul took the mic to perform ‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’ by Kiss, accompanied by his high school bandmates, a high-energy serenade to Amanda and the perfect ending to the night.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Don't spend too much time asking whether something belongs at a wedding, ask whether it belongs to you. Use the location, food, music, decor, outfits, anything at your disposal, to tell your story. Just because weddings come with certain conventions doesn’t mean you have to follow all of them.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our production team did an incredible job executing everything we had planned. With 110 guests travelling from the heart of Stockholm to a private island and back by boat, there were many moving pieces. Our coordinator Emilia (Giertta), together with the team at Badholmen, made it all run seamlessly. Linnea (Studio Fjallflora) created the most beautiful flower arrangements, romantic and abundant while still feeling natural to the island.
Lena Ruschke was more than our photographer. From the days leading up to the wedding, she was incredibly supportive, always there with advice and even reassurance about the weather. Her documentary eye and gentle guidance, together with all her support, were exactly what we needed.
Working with Mila Morelli (House of Sensi) was such a special part of the wedding. She understood Amanda and her references so naturally and brought her own creativity and point of view to designing each of the three looks. She had an incredible ability to take an initial idea and turn it into something that felt deeply personal and completely Amanda.
Photographer: Lena Ruschke @lenaruschkephoto | Planning: The couple | Coordination: GIERTTA @giertta | Flora: Studio Fjallflora @studiofjallflora | Reception & Ceremony Location: Badholmen @badholmen_sju_veckor | HMUA: Johanna Rosa @johannarosa.se | Sound & Technical Production: Scenteknik | Catering & Beverages: Sju Veckor @badholmen_sju_veckor | Cake: Petit Plaisir @petit
plaisir.se | Stationery: Mariana Carpenedo @mariana.arrt | Entertainment: Friends of the couple @purple_rotterdam @diskopunkofficial @olofdreijer @gem.ini___ | Amanda's Outfits: House of Sensi @house_of_sensi | Paul's Ceremony Suit: Bode @bode | Paul's City Hall & Party Attire: Saint Laurent Custom T-shirt @ysl | Wedding Rings: Boucheron @boucheron | Amanda's Shoes: Gucci and Margiela boots @gucci @maisonmargiela | Paul's Shoes: Paul Strand Accessories @paulstrand
accessories | Birdcage Veil: Amelie George @ameliegeorgebridal
