Real Weddings | Amy + Christian | May 19, 2018
You never know exactly where you’ll find love, but for two lucky love birds they found one another at the happiest place on earth — Disney World! Through the magic of mutual friends, Christian (from Norway) and Amy (from Texas) met at Disney, became best friends and fell in love. Their love story proves that no matter how many miles (or oceans) separate you, if you’re meant to be, then love will find you right where you are.
Amy and Christian Svendsen were married in The Laurel Chapel on May 19, 2018. Every detail of the day showcased their shared love for travel, adventure and, most importantly, one another. They were kind enough to share with us all the special details that made their once-in-a-lifetime day the perfect start to their life-long adventure. Enjoy!
(Amy) Christian and I are from completely different parts of the world, so it only made sense that our hearts found each other — not only to encourage us, but to require us, to do what we love the most: travel! We met in true fairytale fashion at Disney World; Christian works at the Norwegian restaurant at Epcot where the dining experience includes princesses, and I used to be in entertainment at Disney, so our love story started through the magic of mutual friends.
We spent the next few years traveling all over the world together, sharing so many new adventures that culminated in Christian crushing the proposal game. He asked me to be his wife on the highest tower of a castle-turned-winery under a Spanish sun outside Barcelona on my birthday.
(Amy) We knew from the get-go that we wanted our wedding to be travel themed, since we love nothing more than being each other’s adventure buddy – and this moment in our lives was going to be the start of our biggest adventure. We also wanted each one of our guests to feel like they were on an adventure, making new memories right along with us. Since I have loved Disney for as long as I can remember, and Disney plays such a large part in our love story, it only made sense to incorporate it into our wedding as well – and for real, there was no way I was getting married without The Little Mermaid being in there somewhere.
(Christian) This was the perfect theme for us. Not only because of our own love for travel, but also because this was a destination wedding for a lot of our guests, even though it was held in Amy’s home town.
[My bridesmaids and I] all talked about how much our abs hurt from the hours we spent getting ready in the Magnolia Suite because we just could not stop laughing and telling stories and just having the best time – so much so that the guys even said they were jealous of all the fun they heard from down the hallway!
(Amy) My heart has never felt the same way as it did when the doors opened for me to walk down the aisle, and all I could see was Christian. We locked eyes, smiled, and I knew that the rest of my life was going to be infinitely better from that moment on.
(Christian) Wow, everything was so perfect. Amy, of course, in that beautiful dress, Taylor, our officiant was awesome, the music, the tapas dinner, incredible speeches, terrific DJ, the dancing… But there are two clear moments to me that stand out: One is when the doors open and I see Amy and she starts walking towards me. The other is when she completely surprised me and said her vows in Norwegian!
(Amy) We knew that we wanted a venue where we could have both the ceremony and reception at the same place, with an outdoorsy feel to it without it being completely outdoors (because Texas is HOT). Also, since Christian had a lot of family flying in from Norway, we wanted it to be located near the international airport, so it would be easy for everyone to get around.
We didn’t want to have to do a lot to the space to make it feel beautiful and special; we wanted it to be able to stand on its own. The Laurel checked every single box so perfectly. After a FaceTime tour with my mom at the actual venue, we knew it was simply meant for us; we signed our contract for The Laurel without ever even seeing it in person!
(Christian) Booking a venue without seeing it in person was obviously a bit concerning, since a lot of places can have a very different feel to it than what you just get from pictures on a screen. The FaceTime tour calmed our concerns, and with a thumbs-up from one of her cousins who had recently attended a wedding there, it was a no brainer!
To all the engaged couples out there planning their wedding, here are a few tips from Amy and Christian:
(Amy) This day is about you two and your love story, nobody else, and it should be just as unique and special as you are. Be true to who you both are as individuals, and as a couple, and you will undoubtedly have the day of your dreams. It’s easy to get caught up in people telling you what you “should” do or what is “typical” for a wedding, but your love story isn’t typical, no one’s is, so do what feels right to you, every step of the way, no matter what anyone else says…..and HAVE FUN!
(Christian) No doubt, do what is important to the two of you! If you are true to yourselves and make this day YOUR day, everyone in the room will feel it and nothing can go wrong, even when not everything goes completely as planned!
Thank you, Amy and Christian, for sharing your amazing day with us. We wish you only the best as your adventure continues!
Brothers Martens Photography, Katiebug Florals
There is so much to be shared and discovered on The Laurel Blog. Be sure to 'Like' us on Facebook for updates. Planning an amazing event is challenging — we want to be your resource to help along the way!
