– We’re hitting! – VG

Nine couples, eight wedding couples and one married couple, were married in the Austmarka church on February 14 in an informal wedding. There was a wedding not only on Valentine’s Day, but also on Mother’s Day and Shrove Tuesday.

The bride and groom didn’t have to think about anything but themselves and the papers from the National Registry. The congregation arranged the rest.

Priests Elisabeth Eriksen and Jóna Lovísa Jóns-Ólafsdóttir got along couple after couple.

– Imagine being allowed to do such festive things in the crown age! Eriksen tells VG.

– we are hitting

For Bente Bjørnstad Ryen (64) and her husband Martin Ryen (66) today is a great day. After 41 years as spouses, they will renew their wedding vows.

They head to the church when the VG journalist speaks to them for the first time.

– Is there a tense atmosphere in the car?

– Yes, we are a little excited. Although we have been married for 41 years, it is a bit solemn. It will be “delicate,” says Bente.

Before the wedding, the couple had a video meeting where Pastor Elisabeth Eriksen shared a bit about what it means to renew marriage vows. The couple will receive a blessing and then will be asked if they still want to get married.

– Not every day you want to marry the old man you have, especially when there are small reefs in the sea. But we intend to do it anyway.

– At least today I want to renew it.

Bente admits that he had to work a bit to persuade Martin, who was a bit skeptical at first. Lastly, you also think that renewing your wedding vows on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day itself was a perfect day to do it.

– We’re hitting. We are 64 and 66 years old, and then you dare to fool yourself a little.

They know each other well. You do it fast when you’ve been married for 41 years and together for 43 years.

It was at the business school night school that love first blossomed. But it was not love at first sight.

– Not on my side, but yours! It took me longer, laughs Bente.

But love became that. In the car, the minutes are counted before receiving the blessing of the church for the second time.

Very romantic

Camilla Lysholm (40) and Morten Dalbakk (40) decided to go as soon as they found out about the possibility.

In 15 quick minutes it was done. Camilla from Gothenburg and Morten from Skotterud were right to tell.

– It was great! says the newly married bride.

This spring, their son Artur (1 year old) had to be digitally baptized while the family followed the ceremony from home via live broadcast. On Sunday, 40-50 friends and family sat in Norway and Sweden, again full of expectations in front of their PC screens.

– We thought it sounded exciting. And then it was great to be able to get married quickly and easily, in a church and even on Valentine’s Day! says Camilla Lysholm.

The wedding day began with love chocolate and chocolates from the heart and ended with a clear YES.

– We actually had to get married for our son to get dual citizenship, but then it got very romantic, says Camilla, who works as a kindergarten assistant. The spouse is an Area Manager in the county municipality.

A little more is waiting for the summer.

No rush and bustle

– The Norwegian Church has organized walk-in baptisms several times. We wanted to go one step further, says prostitute priest Elisabeth Eriksen in the Austmarka church.

First, the day began with carnival worship and then it was time for the walk-in wedding.

– This is a low-threshold wedding where people don’t have to struggle with preparations. The focus is on you, your loved one, and your love – romantic, simple and relaxing, says Eriksen.

She believes that the trend of lavish and expensive weddings is causing many to refuse to marry.

– Unless you have 200,000 crowns on your account and 150 guests in the church, you cannot afford to get married. It’s not a proper wedding unless you have a lot of guests, expensive designer dresses, and lots of food and drink, says Eriksen.

Instead, people yearn for something simpler.

– With walk-in weddings, people have the opportunity to go to church, make their vows to each other in a nice and solemn setting, but without all the hustle and bustle. Without the mother-in-law’s interference in table setting and guest lists, she jokes.

It is also free.

– I think we’ve struck a chord with people.

The idea came up this fall.

– The pandemic has forced us to think of new things, says Eriksen.

The ward council sat down and gossiped this fall: What are we going to do? They had barely had a worship service for several months and had to think of something nice. At Elverum church, they had done the same with great success before Christmas, and when it turned out that Valentine’s Day fell on Sunday, the decision was made.

– We must redefine the actions of the church. We can’t just focus on digital worship services. We must meet people, have human contact. We cannot just think of limitations. They now have outdoor worship services with an open church door and organ music and outdoor worship services with carnival gatherings and ice skating in the village courtyard, says Eriksen.

– It is strange to feel that we are married

At 4:00 p.m. the church bells rang for Monika Aurbakken (55) and Trym Tørrisen (49).

The couple have been engaged for ten years, and today was the day they were finally able to turn the engagement into marriage.

– How is the mood now?

– Is very good. We think it’s a bit strange to feel that we are now married and husband and wife, says Trym.

The couple learned about Valentine’s Day weddings from the local church magazine, and decided a few weeks ago.

– We took it, we think it was good for us.

Monika already has two children and Trym has three. All were allowed to join the church. On FaceTime, the rest of Monica’s family in Sweden got to see the wedding.

– We are affected by the crown, so we have Monica’s mother and father in Sweden. They were on FaceTime.

– It was a very, very nice day, says Monica. Now we will have my mother-in-law, our children and grandchildren at home for dinner and cake.

– What do you want to remember today better?

– You have to ask to remember and think, as a married couple, to enjoy the little things. We enjoy our daily luxury and I think that’s the most important thing. We appreciate what we have, says Trym.

– What is your advice for love?

– It is important not to try to change each other. You have to respect that you are different and that you can have a good time together even if not everything is the same, he says.

I forgot to kiss the bride

– It was completely raw!

Bente Bjørnstad Ryen (65) and her husband Martin Ryen (67) have renewed their wedding vows as the last couple at the walk-in wedding.

– Did you kiss the bride, Martin?

– We forgot, he laughs. But the moment was both moving and memorable.

Martin explains that he and Bente are very different, but that’s also what makes them feel so good together. As he says: They are “yin” and “yang”.

Fortunately, it wasn’t as cold today as it was on their wedding day 41 years ago.

– What are you going to do now? You are going to celebrate

– We’re in the car on the way home. There will probably be no champagne, but we’ll see if we can get a sausage from the kiosk!