After looking forward to it for a year, the time had finally come. Our son Larsen married his Manca on June 14th. What a wonderful experience that was for us as parents as well. The boy we saw grow up from a cute baby into a handsome, smart and ambitious young man, suddenly stands at the altar and now has a wife.

Larsen and Manca were traveling from November last year to March this year and had therefore hired a wedding planner. That was a good move. The wedding was perfectly taken care of, down to the last little detail, and everything was perfectly arranged. No one had to worry about anything, and so we were able to relax and enjoy every moment.

They had rented a beautiful villa near Črni Kal, a village towards the coast, and the immediate family (parents, sisters and grandparents) went there on Friday before the wedding. Around two o’clock, everyone had arrived. It was boiling hot, so we were all very happy that there was a swimming pool at the villa where we all quickly got in to.

In the evening, we were served a delicious four-course meal, and we had a nice drink and chat together. We didn’t stay up too late because we were expected for breakfast at 7 am the next day, and it would of course be a long and emotional day. Everyone had a luxurious private room in the villa, where we could sleep very comfortably for two nights. On Saturday morning we all sat down for a delicious breakfast and then all the preparations started.

I was the first to get my make-up done, because a make-up artist came to the villa to do our make-up professionally. That was the first time for me and I thought it was really cool. I normally only wear mascara so this was really something different. But very nicely done! There was also a hairdresser so by noon we were ready with our hair and make-up and it was the bride’s turn. Around that time a delicious risotto was served so that we could hold on until the next meal around half past three 😊.

At two o’clock we had to be at the church and Bine and I left first, together with Larsen. It was a 10-minute drive and dad and mom went a little later with my uncle and aunt but managed to get lost and almost arrived too late. They arrived just after the bride and had to rush into the church so that Manca could enter on her father’s arm. What a wonderful and emotional moment to see tears well up in Larsen’s eyes at the sight of his beautiful bride!

After the church ceremony we drove back to the villa where another delicious buffet was ready for everyone. At 4 o’clock the civil ceremony was held at the pool. It was 33 degrees out and we were sitting in the blazing sun, but luckily this ceremony only lasted half an hour, after which everyone quickly sought the shade again or went to sit with their legs in the pool 😊.

At six o’clock, dinner was served in the beautiful barn next to the villa. Larsen and Manca had made envelopes with the table numbers for each guest, but they also contained a personal message with a sweet text that they had written themselves. So for each one of the 58 guests, there was a personal message with why Larsen and Manca were happy with that person being in their lives. Nobody knew about it and everyone sat with tears in their eyes reading his or her note. This was really a wonderful idea that everyone was full of praise for.

This was followed by a “fine dining” 6-course dinner, spread out over the evening, and there was a DJ who played nice and varied music. Occasionally there was some dancing, but it was actually still too warm for that.

It was not until around ten o’clock that the temperature became more pleasant and when the last, delicious course (the desert) was finished, we went outside for another small sweet surprise. Because Larsen and Manca do not like cake but do like sweets, they had arranged a table with all kinds of sweets and macarons. Despite the fact that everyone was full from the dinner, it was still used well. Around eleven o’clock, everyone went into the villa to continue the party there, since it was not allowed to play loud music outside so late at night. Bine and I called it a day at half past one, while the “youth” continued until about four o’clock.

Fortunately, breakfast was not until 10 o’clock the next morning, after which we spent a few hours in and around the pool before heading home. Everyone was tired but satisfied, and we all look back on a fantastic weekend. The newlyweds are already in Zurich waiting for a work visa for America. If that is approved, they will move (hopefully temporarily) to San Francisco for Larsen’s new job. We will of course miss them terribly but wish them a beautiful, loving future, wherever in the world they will go.