The Wedding
True love, the kind that gives a thousand butterflies in the belly and makes you smile uncontrollably, the kind everyone should experience before leaving this world.
The Lowdown
Who: Anton and Denis
Where: Maribo City, Denmark
Wedding Planner: Lena Hansen
Photography: Natallia Dunai
True love is deserved by all.
True love, the kind that gives a thousand butterflies in the belly and makes you smile uncontrollably, the kind everyone should experience before leaving this world.
No one should ever be allowed to decide who you get to experience this amazing feeling with, the spark of love is no respecter of age or gender. Fortunately, the world today now sees this light and has come to an understanding of what love is, although there are still some who choose to remain in the dark.
We'll now have the honour of meeting the two young men who fought through thick and thin to make their love a reality.
How They Met
Anton and Dennis, a young couple from Belarus, met on a dating site 6 years ago. Anton was charming and couldn't stop making flirtatious jokes and comments towards Dennis. Dennis, being drawn to Anton's charismatic ways, agreed to go on a date with him, and the rest is history.
It was love at first meet. Over a cup of coffee, they were determined they were the ones for each other, but a lot of factors were determined to tear them apart.
The Ugly
Belarus, like a few other countries, has not come to the acceptance of same-sex relationships. There are a lot of homophobic people who spit against the love of gay and lesbian folks with the laws of the land permitting this stereotype acts. Same-sex marriage was prohibited; anyone caught was treated inhumanely, making Belarus unsafe for Anton and Dennis's love.
Love wins.
Determined to stay together, the couple decides to fight for their human rights. They start the first open gay blog in their country, regardless of the hate they might face. They share their love story on their blog, encouraging other same-sex couples to rise and take a stand on their human rights.
They decided to get married to further boost their fight for human rights. Understanding that they would never be allowed to do so in Belarus, their dream is to elope to Denmark to seal their union then return to Belarus and live underground until they have completely fought the darkness in the country and bring their love into the light.
The Wedding
"Hearing this, I was determined to give these young men an experience they'd never forget. They desired to say their "I do's" in a quiet, homely, cosy event. My team and I went with our general eco-style wedding and elopement concepts. Without focusing too much on the décor, we decided on an open space wedding with a rustic, outdoorsy vibe, in a location (Maribu Lake) where flora and fauna provide natural adornment."
Lena Hansen (Wedding Planner)
Heart-touching
On that wonderful day, Anton and Dennis were joined in holy matrimony on a wooden pier by the lake. A minute before the ceremony, a boat sailed to the pier, and a group of retired tourists came out, who, having seen the ceremony, wanted to watch their union. They sincerely congratulated the couple and took photos with us. We drank champagne and had a great time.
The fact that strangers rejoiced in their happiness touched the cores of the lovebirds.
They had the widest smiles as they read their vows and professed their love for each other. Tears ran down my cheeks as I witnessed what true love meant. They did not let the pressures and battles of their worlds disrupt the beauty of what they had.
"With an open-air planned wedding, we expected rain. We were ready, though, as we got transparent umbrellas, transparent raincoats, and the ability to pull up a tent as a safeguard. Two days before the wedding, a storm warning was announced, I began to worry as I did not want their dreams squashed on a drenched note. Luckily, I work with the smartest set of people and we decided to use a concert venue located right in the forest. We brought pots with plants and candles to bring that fairy dust that was needed for the spark. Everything was set."
Lena Hansen (Wedding Planner)
At the ceremony they gave a speech that had me smiling ear to ear;
"We want to express our deep gratitude to Elena and Karsten for organizing our wedding, as well as for the rich tourist program. After all, Denmark is not only Copenhagen and the mermaid; it is much deeper and more interesting. Thanks to them we fell in love with this country, plunged into Hygge with our heads. You gave us a fairy tale."
Anton & Denis
"An adventure-filled day sparked with the opportunity to experience the nature and history of the Danish islands. Although my husband and I are not private guides, we were happy to give the couple a bonus Nordic Adventure through the island."
Lena Hansen (Wedding Planner)
"One of the most memorable experiences I have had as a wedding planner. I wish them farewell on their incredible journey, glad that I was a part of such a love story. They would thrive against the darkness and live the free romantic and comfortable life everyone deserves!"
Lena Hansen (Wedding Planner)
Credits
Photography: Natallia Dunai (Instagram)
Wedding Planner: Nordic Adventure Weddings (Instagram)
Ceremony Venue: Maribo lake (Maribo nature park)
Officiant: Leif Utermöhl
And a very warm thank you to Belief Wedding Creators for providing us with a wonderful story.
