How long have you been together, and how did you meet?
A & P: We have been together for about eighteen years. We met in a dance club. At the time, we were both still in university and not really looking for a serious relationship.
A: I wanted to catch Pia’s attention and started to dance awkwardly around her.
P: I thought she was a crazy person, but also she caught my interest. I just could not believe how somebody so pretty could behave so uncool. Her silly dancing definitely made her stand out. Fortunately, I gave it a go, and we started dating.
Tell us about the proposal.
A & P: Actually, there was no proposal. We decided while sitting at the kitchen table that after all these years, it was time to take our relationship to the next level. We planned the entire wedding in eight weeks.
You wanted to elope, but that didn’t go quite to plan, did it?
A & P: We actually wanted to do the elopement thing, just the two of us. A secret until we got back. But, during a dinner with friends, while being a little tipsy, we just spilled out that we are going to Copenhagen for our wedding. All of a sudden, two friends decided spontaneously to join us. They booked a flight that night!
Talk to us about your experience finding the perfect outfits.
A: The only thing I knew from the beginning was that I didn’t want a gown. I had never dreamed of a white, romantic wedding. In the beginning, the basic idea was to hold it low key. But then, as we decided to hire Björn as our photographer, and with our two friends accompanying us, I finally felt the pressure rising to find the “perfect” outfit.
Being a winter wedding didn’t make it easier to find a suitable outfit.
It took quite a lot of time and a few online purchases to find the proper clothes. Our stylist and friend Roxy was very helpful and added the perfect sparkle by choosing white leather boots for me to wear. With a combination of the red and green silk scarf (which Pia’s cousin had left behind accidentally at our place a few weeks earlier) and a belt-bag.
Finally, my mother made some changes to my blouse. She sewed an elastic ribbon on the back and the wrist of the blouse for a tight fit. After all, I have to admit, with a little help from my friends. My outfit was indeed the perfect “dress” for me.
P: I didn’t want to look like the groom on a wedding cake, and a dress wasn’t an option for me either. I met with our friend and stylist, but we ended up just roaming around chatting as we realized that we had only one hour left to find something. Thankfully, the hour was all we needed. Under pressure, we could focus and found everything for the outfit I wore.
So, you go to Copenhagen and elope! What’s your favorite memory?
P & A: Our favorite memory is being called into the wedding room and how the civil registrar said a few words. It was just a few minutes. But we both knew after this moment this was real, and it’s happening.
Having friends around, dressing up, flying to Copenhagen, and having a blast was all a lot of fun, but at that moment, It’s getting serious. ‘We’re getting married for real!’
What does marriage mean to you both?
P: To be honest, marriage never really meant anything to me. It was a concept far away from the reality of the life I lived so far. I thought maybe I just didn’t want marriage because it was not yet legal until the last few years. When the law changed, surprisingly fast in Germany, there was no excuse anymore not to marry.
A: I never needed marriage as proof of love. But after a long time being together, I felt that the time was right for this commitment.
Photography by Björn Lexius
Ceremony Venue City Hall Copenhagen
Stylist & H&MU Roxane Juhas
