I’ll never forget the day last Fall when Clare and Nicholas reached out to me via Instagram to film their wedding in Denmark. I’ve filmed other international weddings in the past, but every time I get an inquiry for one it feels like the first time. The excitement, the “pinch me now” feelings and just overall shock that someone likes my work enough to fly me half way across the world. I’ll never get used to it. In today’s blog entry I’ll be talking about everything Copenhagen, best eats and must-sees, their fairytale wedding weekend experience and so much more.
Most people know that I pride myself on being a solo shooter, meaning that I’m the only cinematographer present on a wedding day and not some ridiculously large team of people running around (I’ll never understand this!). For an international wedding though, I have to have an assistant. With over 100lbs of gear, multiple gear bags and airports, it’s physically impossible for me to travel alone. I was over the moon excited when Francesca, owner of Pure Luxe Bride, agreed to come along. I mean, what better assistant could one ask for than a seasoned wedding planner?! I was elated. Having someone you can travel well with and is able to rally with you through time changes and long days is clutch. We landed in Copenhagen at 7am, and this my friends, is where our adventure begins.
We grabbed our luggage and headed to the front of the airport to grab a taxi. Much to our surprise, almost every taxi cab in Copenhagen is a Mercedes Benz. Talk about a great first impression! We couldn’t stop laughing because it was just so bougie and ridiculous, but in the best of ways of course. We arrived at our hotel, SKT. Petri, and we were amazed that we could check-in so early. This was much, much needed after an entire day of travel. I could go on and on for days about this hotel. As you travel up the escalator your first impression of the hotel is its lobby. The gleaming, gold patterned design of the lobby ceiling is an art piece in itself. This monumental lobby exudes the classic Modernism of Copenhagen and the Latin Quarter and was designed by world renowned Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen. Be sure to check out our GoPro ‘Behind The Scenes’ video to see for yourself! With minimal sleep, we freshened up quickly and then hit the streets to explore (this is what I meant by rally..no rest for the weary!).
Where to Dine
The Union Kitchen
The Union Kitchen was by far one of my personal favorites. This is such a great spot for brunch or just a great cup of coffee. We loved the artwork and phrases that came in each cup. The food was filling but super clean and healthy. Nothing we ate in Copenhagen ever left us feeling grossly full or “unhealthy.” The Danes know how to feed you well while keeping the calories low. Something I’m a big fan of!
Traveler Tip: One thing I found to be similar to my France wedding experience is that the service staff don’t pay you much attention, so you’ll find yourself having to wave someone down for the check. Not a big deal.
Restaurant Geranium
Geranium was by far one of the most amazing culinary experiences of my life. Did you know Copenhagen is teeming with Michelin star restaurants? Because of this, we knew we had to make one of them a priority for our trip, and why not go big or go home? So we decided on the TOP Michelin star restaurant in the city, Geranium. I’ve never experienced such impressive customer service, from chef introductions, the knowledge of the sommelier, it was endless good feels. The restaurant has 16 chefs all preparing and delivering their very own course. The food was inventive, flavorful and beautifully presented. It kept you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what would come next. The entire 3-hour dining experience was probably my most memorable part of Copenhagen.
Traveler Tip: Book early! We made our reservation 60 days in advance, and even then, dates and time slots were limited.
Café Atelier September
Atelier September is another great spot for breakfast or lunch. Again, light but flavorful and filling. Think Swedish coffee, croissants and avocados. The bright and airy gallery space behind the buzzing café serves as a project room, hosting and showcasing various exhibitions and pop-ups.
Traveler Tip: Try to snag a window seat! Something out of a magazine.
Gro Spiseri
Another incredible dinner experience. Gro Spiseri is a unique dining experience on a garden rooftop in the heart of Copenhagen. The chefs are present throughout the evening as they prepare food, serve and take care of guests in the dining room, which is an intimate greenhouse. This was a fun, informal and social food experience. Because this is a ‘family style’ dining experience, we got to chat with other guests from all across the globe.
Traveler Tip: Definitely choose the wine pairing and be sure to say hi to the chickens in the back! Also, getting up to the rooftop/restaurant was a bit of a challenge. It took us a few minutes to actually find the spiral staircase leading up (nothing is marked). Have the restaurants’ phone number handy just in case!
A few additional, honorable mentions from Copenhagen- try the hot dogs, they're known for them! While we'd planned to, we didn't get them off the carts you see all over the city, but we were able to try a couple and they were #delicious. We stumbled upon ours at a 7Eleven..yup, you read correctly..and they were still #todiefor. Google the trampoline sidewalk and take a visit (you'll thank me later), be sure to order adult beverages to-go at the end of your meals! It is legal to stroll the streets of Copenhagen with an alcoholic beverage in hand (just don't get OUT of hand and you'll be just fine). Rent one of the thousands of scooters you'll see parked across town. Just find your scooter of choice, download the app (they all have clear instructions on how to rent + unlock) and voila! A visit to Copenhagen is not complete without a trip to Tivoli Gardens; the beautiful amusement park, centrally located, which Walt Disney himself drew inspiration from when creating the Disney parks. The Round Tower is noteworthy, and again, centrally located and close to our hotel. Shop 'til you drop in Strøget, one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe. Don't speak Danish? No worries..everyone there speaks English and is happy to do so! Also, pack your chicest of outfits..the Danes legit look like they've walked off the pages of Vogue. The people there are beautiful.
The Main Event
After the first few days on our own, exploring and taking in as much as possible, we packed our bags and met up with the wedding crew in Nyhavn on the canal. Everyone loaded their luggage onto the canal boat and off we went! I thought it was such a fun idea to have their welcome party be a canal tour of the city. It was a beautiful day to be on the water. The rosé was flowing and it was so much fun to reconnect with The Clemens' family and meet Nicholas and their friends. The canal tour led us through beautiful architecture, house boats and underneath beautiful bridges. I wasn't obligated to film, but I couldn't help myself! I snagged a few scenic shots and some of the wedding crew that I could incorporate into their final films. The end of the boat tour brought us to Amaliehaven where we unloaded our luggage and continued on with cocktails in the gardens there. Getting to socialize with their family and friends was so much fun. An international wedding is usually quite stressful because you're shooting in places you're not familiar with, but being immersed with the group made the experience that much more comfortable for us. An hour later the bus came to pick us up and we were on our way North to Helsingør, the wedding location! We would be staying at the Marienlyst Strand Hotel where the reception would take place, and their ceremony would take place at a church nearby.
To say I was blown away upon entering our room is a total understatement. I knew the room would be spacious with beautiful Scandinavian design, but I had no idea just how amazing it would be (the photos don't do it justice). From our balcony you could see the gorgeous architecture of the hotel and you could also look across the sound and see Sweden. We may have waved to Sweden a time or two ("Heyyy Sweden!"). After getting settled we had the remainder of the evening to ourselves. We ventured into the town of Helsingør where we would experience one of the most hilarious moments of my life (the story is too long to tell, but ask me about it in person!). Once we returned to Marienlyst, we explored the hotel spa which is truly the highlight of this gorgeous hotel. From steam rooms to an infinity edge pool, a sensory room, tea-infused relaxation pods and saunas galore, the spa is perfectly set up for instant "out of office" mode. The lack of phone service assisted with this, too, but thats another story for a different day!
It's wedding day! It was a laid back morning since I didn't need to begin filming until Noon. We spent a couple of hours relaxing in the spa area until it was time to get ready. Francesca jumped into bridal assistant-mode and headed to the bridal suite to steam Clare's dress, gather bouquets, etc. I started off with Nicholas and his brother, filming his last minute preparations in their room. I was immediately inspired by the lines and window light in the room. I was able to capture some really great silhouette and reflection shots using the large windows looking out onto the water. These moments made for some really neat looking double exposures in their final film. They popped a bottle of champagne and Andreas helped Nicholas with his jacket, tie, etc. Off to the bridal suite I go! Clare was calm and collected and just so excited for the day. Having filmed her sister Alison's wedding, too, I knew I wanted a great moment with the two of them on Clare's balcony. Absolutely love the sister moments in the video.
Clare made me aware in advance, but this was the first time I've ever done a wedding where the church did not allow filming of the ceremony. The photographer and I were only permitted to shoot the bride entering and the bride exiting. I somewhat went into panic mode, however, their speeches later in the night were fantastic and I was able to use that audio to assist with the storytelling aspect of their videos. Always thinking on my feet, once Clare entered I snuck outside of the church to capture b-roll of the architecture and exterior of this historic building. Let no minute go to waste! The hallways of the church were very castle-like and I let my creativity take the reigns. In their video I included a double exposure of Clare's dress blowing in the wind with the gorgeous window light from one of the dark rooms I discovered, and it's one of my favorite shots from the video. Once the ceremony concluded, we hopped in a car for their newlywed portraits. This is always my favorite part of a wedding day because the footage of the bride + groom plays such a huge role in my films. We first went to Kronborg Castle which was amazing. A major pinch me now moment while shooting a bride + groom in the forefront of a freakin' castle! We had a good amount of time for the portraits, so luckily nothing felt rushed and both the photographer and I were able to capture everything we needed. We ended at a beautiful public area in Helsingør that looked as if it were straight out of a movie. I mean, literally jaw-dropping. I was a kid in a candy store shooting the newlyweds at this spot. Gorgeous manicured gardens, views of the water from atop the hill, tall tree-lined paths that give you hints of Italy...it was #givingmelife. As the rest of the evening played out, we witnessed numerous heartfelt and hilarious speeches, a beautiful cocktail hour on the patio overlooking the water, Danish wedding traditions like kissing under the table, dancing the waltz before midnight and taking scissors to the groom's tie (my personal fave!). The entire experience from start to finish is one that I'll never forget. I hated saying my goodbyes at the end of the night, but know we for sure will return one day. I have to say THANK YOU again to the families and of course the bride + groom for bringing us to beautiful Denmark. We'll never forget the memories made and the moments captured. Xo
