Daniela Kindstrand and Gustav Forsling wanted a Swedish summer wedding. The two met in their hometown of Linköping as teenagers, and though they live in the U.S. now, where Forsling is an NHL defenseman for the Florida Panthers, it’s where their family remains.
That meant planning a European wedding from Florida. “It was a little bit tricky, but we had a great wedding coordinator back home,” Kindstrand explains. “It was so nice to have her. Otherwise, I don’t know how we would have done that.” They held the ceremony in a monastery ruin called Alvastra Klosterruin in Östergötland, alongside Vättern, the second largest lake in Sweden.
The Venue
Alvastra Klosterruin, which was founded by French monks in 1143, is located close to Kindstrand and Forsling’s hometown and was a place she had many childhood memories. “It’s such a beautiful and unique place to have a ceremony. We knew pretty early that that’s the place we wanted to get married.”
The Day Before
On the day before the wedding, Forsling and his groomsmen played golf while Kindstrand had a spa day with her bridesmaids. For the rehearsal dinner, the couple wanted an Italian theme in order to recreate their first date, when Forsling cooked chicken pesto pasta for Kindstrand. “It was such beautiful weather and everything turned our perfectly,” she explains. “It was so nice to have some extra time with your closest ones. It was beautiful.”
She wore a relaxed dress from For Love & Lemons that she felt would be a good complement to her wedding gown. “It was a more flowy, boho, romantic dress. I thought it would fit nicely with the Italian theme. That’s what I went for. On the actual wedding day, I wore a more classic dress, so it was fun to have something more relaxed for the rehearsal dinner.”
The Dress
Kindstrand and her friends went shopping in Miami for the dress in question. She went to several stores, but had a clear sense of what she was looking for. “I knew from the beginning that I wanted something very classic. That was my goal,” she says. “You can get tempted to find something trendy or dresses that look good on others, but maybe aren’t your style. I really wanted something classic that I could always look back on and think, that’s a beautiful dress.” She ended up with an A-line Alexandra Grecco gown with a low back and floral appliqués.
The Wedding Day
Before getting ready, Kindstrand and her bridesmaids slipped down to the lake for a morning swim that stands as a special memory for her. Then, they had a champagne breakfast before doing hair and makeup. “It was such a special moment to share that morning with them and my mother and my husband’s mother as well,” Kindstrand explains.
The Ceremony
Saying their own vows was a priority for the couple, despite both describing themselves as quite shy. “First, we were like, ‘Oh, should we really say our own vows? How should we do this?’ But we decided that we really wanted to,” Kindstrand recalls. “I think that was one of the best decisions we made about the wedding, because it was such a personal and special moment to say the vows to each other and then say yes.” A choir sang during the ceremony, and Forsling’s father played the violin.
The Reception
Kindstrand wanted a true party atmosphere for her reception. A Swedish menu was a must. “We were so happy with the food and wine. We wanted a party and a relaxed environment,” she says. The couple loves pastries, so the ceremony led right into a cocktail hour with champagne and Swedish desserts.
The Highlight
The wedding offered Forsling and Kindstrand’s Swedish friends and family the rare opportunity to meet the people important to them in the States (including many hockey players). “My favorite part was during the dinner, after a while, when we saw all the guests talking to each other and everyone got along so great with each other,” Kindstrand says. “Since we’re living kind of a different life with friends from all over, it was so nice to sit down and see everyone get along so nicely with each other.”
Adrienne Gaffney is a features editor at ELLE and previously worked at WSJ Magazine and Vanity Fair.
