Wedding | Sandra & Magnus

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Our connection dates back to our secondary school days, and we've been cherished members of the same circle of friends ever since. Fast forward to the summer of 2018, and a healthy dose of one-on-one time (the best kind!) revealed a chemistry too good to ignore. What followed was a charmingly impulsive decision: Sandra, fresh off the Bergen express and notionally en route to Oslo via parental pit stop, instead made an almost immediate beeline for Magnus's Tønsberg pad, then shared with her best friend and his brother, Joacim. And so, the Tønsberg chapter began!

Our first cohabitation adventure unfolded in Storgaten in Tønsberg Sentrum, complete with our miniature guardian, Simba the chihuahua. We've been practically an old married couple for what feels like eons, so the decision to officially "tie the knot" in 2024 was simply the next logical (and exciting!) step.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We decided early on after Magnus popped the question, that Italy was the place for us to get married. We went to Rome and the Amalfi Coast a few years earlier, and fell in love with the culture. Ever since that trip, we couldn’t shake of the thought of getting married near the beautiful Amalfi coast. When we began our search for the perfect venue, we came across Domus Laeta on Airbnb. We immediately well in love with the beautiful arch at the venue, and the view. The amazing interior made us feel like we traveled back in time without losing the comfort of today’s facility’s. 

How many guests did you have?

We only invited a small group of close friends and family. We wanted an intimate wedding where we could focus on having an unforgettable experience with our close ones. 

What was your budget? 

Well, we actually managed to keep our cost relatively low. We aimed for 30'000 EUR, but I think we ended up spending around 40'000 EUR including our wedding attire, rings and so on. Although we went over budget, we were prepared to go slightly over budget from the beginning. 

Tell us about your outfits.

I am a fashion designer, so for the wedding dress I had a clear vision on how I wanted it to look. I tried on some different options at a wedding dress atelier, but I didn’t find the right fit. Because of this I decided to create my own gown and veil. I decided to use more on the dress and less on the shoes, so the gown is in satin 100% silk with a long veil as a detail in the back for when I removed the actual veil after the ceremony. For Magnus, we got him an amazing tailored Oscar Jacobson suit in linen, a linen shirt and some Italian suede loafers from Doucal`s. He also wore an Italian watch which he got from me the morning of the wedding, with a secret message engraved on it.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The most important aspect for me in terms of planning, was that the communication with the venue was good. Especially since we live in Norway and couldn’t visit to check everything ourselves. We had a great contact person named Angela, who helped us communicate with vendors so there was no miscommunication between us. She was absolutely amazing, and we will never forget her. The host was also the most amazing person, and we couldn’t ask for a better service. 

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Well, we wanted the priest that married us to not be too serious, and we wanted the ceremony to be a fun experience for our guests. We decided to hire Kjell Morton Bråten, who is a gay Priest with an amazing humor. He was absolutely the best, and he traveled all the way from Norway to join us. We highly recommend him to anyone who is in need of a Norwegian priest. Other than that our main focus was to create a party where everyone had a great time.

Any tips for couples getting married?

I`m partial, but - get married in Italy! It will be such a fun experience. But, If you decide to get married abroad, I would highly recommend either hiring an experienced wedding planner, or make sure that the communication between you and the people working at the venue is unproblematic. We talked to a lot of vendors and venues, and noticed that most of them were difficult to communicate with in English. My last tip for the bride - get yourself a costume dress! It will definitely be worth it, and will not necessarily be more expensive.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We need to mention our amazing photographer! We were so lucky to get Francesca Angrisano, recommended to us by someone on Instagram. She is absolutely such an amazing person, and traveled all the way from Rome to get to our wedding. The quality of her photos is next level, and you literally feel like you're in an edit of Vogue. Francesca Angrisano made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera, and we can't even thank her enough for creating such memorable pictures for us. 

Photographer: Francesca Angrisano @francescaangrisano.ph | Planning: by the couple | Flora: Local florist in Giungano |  Ceremony & Reception Location: Domus Laeta @domuslaeta_residenzastorica | Celebrant: Kjell Morten Bråten @fravuggetilgrav | Makeup: Sandra did her own | Hair: Done by friends and family | Catering & Beverages: Arranged through Domus Laeta | Cake: Local bakery | Stationery: 

(Design) Bride (Printed) Cicero @cicerodigitaloggrafisk| Entertainment: Pietro Giordano 

@pietrogiordanoviolinista| Dress: Dersigned by Sandra @byarizanta, sewn by MEAH Design

 @meah.design | Suit: Tailored Oscar Jacobson @oscar.jacobson | Veil: Designed and made by Sandra | Engagement Ring: Olive Ave @oliveavejewelry | Wedding Ring: (Bride) Family heirloom | Shoes: (Bride) RADE shoes @rade.mlg & (Groom) Doucal`s @doucals | Earrings: Cold Edges Jewellery @cold__edges | Brows & Lashes: Dagny @Dagnymm @Newdaybeauty