rosa bride // kaja & jonas

From dreaming and talking about a wedding in Italy, with family summer holidays spent in Lago and Maggiore, Kaja and Jonas stumbled upon Villa Frua in Stresa, and fell in love with it at once.

The couple tied the knot with a relaxed outdoor wedding in a lush garden with blooms, evergreen trees, lights and a pop of colour in every detail, with a backdrop of mountains.

Their summer wedding was apt as the pair originally met in the summer at a party a friend was hosting at their house. Later on the 10th of December 2020, during Covid, Jonas surprised Kaja with a night at a hotel in downtown Oslo overlooking the Oslo fjord. They went to a lovely restaurant and after dinner they took a romantic walk along the city’s promenade, stopping in a little park where you can see the skyline of Oslo by the water. Under all the Christmas lights Jonas went down on one knee and asked Kaja’s hand in marriage, “It was perfect, just us two in the cold Norwegian winter.”

COUPLE’S NAMES

Kaja van der Schoor & Jonas Brhane

GUEST TOTAL

MARRIAGE TO US MEANS

Partnership and a declaration of our love. Marriage is knowing that you have a partner that will be an unconditional support for life. After ten years together it was the perfect moment to celebrate our love and commit to each other in front of our friends and family. A celebration of everything we have achieved and everything that is yet to come.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Petit del a Crème. We fell in love with their style at once and their personality’s. For us it was important to have a photographer who can find those special moments that will show in the pictures later. It was a perfect match!

THE MOST TREASURED MOMENT OF MY WEDDING DAY

The walk inn to the ceremony with my father. The moment I saw Jonas standing there looking at me was like nothing I have experienced before. Also, the hole feeling during the day. The love from all of our friends and family, the butterflies before the wedding, the good vibe and just the pure joy of celebrating love and the effort our guest had made by coming all the way to Italy for us.

Kaja found her journey to finding her dream wedding gown difficult as she’d never been a fan of voluminous, ball-gown style dresses, and didn’t identify with them, “I was looking for something in natural fabric, not too white, a classic gown with an effortless look.”

One of her bridesmaids took her on a surprise trip to one of our retailers, Carefully Collected, in Drøbak right outside of Oslo. The bride said she immediately went to the Bo & Luca section and that the Rosa gown was the second one she ever tried on. Kaja reminisced about feeling like a bride in this piece, but most importantly that she felt most like herself in it;

“It represented everything I wanted. From the classic shape and the bohemian vibe, to the cheeky side parts.”

BRIDE’S DRESS

Rosa Gown

WEDDING DAY SCENT

Chloè signatur parfum

WEDDING DAY ACCESSORIES

Something borrowed; pearl earrings from my childhood friend. My engagement ring from Van Bruun, and veil from White by Green.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES

My bridesmaids choose their own dresses. I wanted them to feel the most comfortable in a style they know they like. I just wanted the color to be champagne or soft pink.

WEDDING RINGS

Van Bruun, Naomi & Paul

HAIR & MAKEUP

My stepmom just worked as a hairdresser, so she did my hair, and my aunt is a makeup artist, so I kept it in the family. This made it very comfortable for me on a day with many emotions.

ADVICE FOR BRIDES-TO-BE

Take your time, and don’t stress. I was as cool as a cucumber leading up to the wedding and during the whole day. Enjoy the day and take in every moment. Take some time with your partner and step away for a few minutes and just take it all in. This is your time! If you are getting married in the summertime or somewhere hot, think about the fabric for the dress. A gown with natural fabric like silk, will not be too hot and uncomfortable during the day. It is important that you feel good about yourself on your special day. Don’t think about what other people will like or dislike. Everybody is different and that is beautiful.

Also, do you self a favor and hire a wedding planner.

FLOWERS & BOUQUETS

MIIA events and flowers. Our wedding planner Valentina (La Lindi) made this happen. We loved the clean and colorful decoration, and my bouquet was so beautiful, and with “something blue”. The seating chart was also very smart and elegant for a wedding with so many people and made the seating easy and effective. The decoration blended so nicely with the garden and every guest got a small bouquet at the end of the night.

WEDDING CAKE

Tadini Emanuele

FOOD & DRINKS

A close family friend and her son whom I have known my whole life were responsible for the food and drinks. They live close to Stresa and have a restaurant in the area (Tadini Emanuele). It was important for us to have local food and wine.

SPECIAL WEDDING SONGS

There are a couple of songs that are important for us because they have followed us through our time together, and always bring up good memories. When I walked in for the ceremony, we had Alicia Keys’s song “If I ain`t got you” played on the piano by my uncle who is a musician. For our first dance, the song “Latch” by Sam Smith was played on piano by my uncle and sung by Clara, a family friend.

CEREMONY & RECEPTION DÉCOR

MIIA events and flowers

HONEYMOON

Two days after the wedding we rented a car and drove to the coast and had a few days in Portofino and Genova. We have two kids so it is limited how long we can stay away alone. We are hoping to take a longer delayed honeymoon this year.