Elisabeth og Erik Axel

I had a great time at Elisabeth & Erik's wedding Saturday! One of the most remarkable differences between a Norwegian and American wedding is that in Norway there are many more toasts, and these are actually carefully prepared speeches that serve as the main entertainment through several courses of food. In addition to these speeches, all guests chime in and sing songs that have been printed and placed on the table before them. Some of Erik's extended family is Dutch, and of course some of Elisabeth's family is American, so there were songs representing three languages! The American song was "I Can't Help Falling in Love with You," by none other than Elvis Presley. Oddly, I found myself tearing up over the last lines of this song, perhaps viewing the words and hearing them from 70+ people made the experience resonate. Meanwhile my brother Paul was across the room tearing up at every speech, even the ones he didn't understand fully! Paul loves love, that is something to note about him. Well, I love love, too, that certainly factored into my career choice. :)

On to the photos... I was not working per se, so these images represent the moments I had time to notice and capture without getting in the way of E & E's official photog, the uber-cool Henrik K.

The ship where vows were exchanged

And the program Elisabeth designed

Elisabeth below deck before vows


Dapper Uncle Mike leads his daughter down the aisle

Erik looks on with admiration

A beautiful moment at the end of the ceremony

Brides share the same experiences across continents!

Elisabeth's friend Benedicte (Benedict-uh) wore her traditional dress. It is not uncommon to wear traditional clothing for special occasions; Elisabeth wore a dress honoring the history of her mother's family when graduating from medical school.

Arriving at the reception site we were greeted by a blue grass band - Dixieland!

A few romantic photos I caught of Elisabeth & Erik while they weren't looking-


This is "Tage (Tah-guh) the Toastmaster", who introduced each new speaker or activity during the evening. He is Erik's younger brother.

My brother Paul being a social butterfly-

Several of my favorite speech pictures, Erik & Elisabeth having a great time

Erik's father Fritz in an isolated sort of light Rembrandt might have liked

And Elisabeth's sister, my cousin Hanne (getting married herself next month!!!)

You can see how much fun everyone had celebrating Elisabeth & Erik, here some of their friends sing a nonsense song.


I thought the extended songs & speeches were a great way for family & friends to express the details of their relationship with the couple- funny, touching, and full of pride. Dancing and partying didn't begin until 11 pm, as the sun started to go down. Yes, you read that correctly, Norway is a photographer's dreamland for available light. Congrats Elisabeth & Erik Axel, many happy returns! Love, Cousin Laura