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“You’re perfect for Martin!” were the prophetic first words of the friend who set up Siri Tollerød and Martin Steffensen for a first date. It was love at first drink: “After that, we both knew this was something special and we have been together since,” says Siri. Seven months ago, the couple welcomed a daughter, little Louise; and about four months after that, Martin popped the question, surprising his bride-to-be by taking her to the Grand Hotel after a dinner and theater date, where he guided her to a suite in which a huge bouquet of red roses, a bottle of Champagne, and two glasses were waiting. “He started to talk,” remembers Siri, “and gave a beautiful little speech before he asked me to marry him. I was already crying and said yes over and over. It was all very romantic.”
The same can be said for the couple’s wedding on July 16 at Boen Gård, a restored manor, near Kristiansand, Norway, not far from where the bride grew up. The attire was formal: The groom wore tails; the bride, a dress from Pronovias, a veil, and headpiece by Jennifer Behr. “I knew I wanted something slim and simple, preferably with long sleeves and not too much detail, and when I tried this dress on, I just knew it was the right one,” says the public relations professional who knows a lot about fashion from her very successful modeling career. Martin, too, knows his way around a wardrobe, having founded Mediumtall, a company that sells clothing for tall men, in addition to his work as a marketing consultant.
Siri’s father walked the bride down the aisle while her friend Tini Flaat sang Randy Crawford’s “You Bring the Sun Out,” which was a beautiful moment. The newlyweds walked out to Bach’s “Preludium in C.” After taking some pictures, the couple were greeted by the guests at the white clapboard manor house where a string quartet performed outside, “to bring that extra Downton Abbey feeling,” and games of kubb (a Scandinavian tossing game with wooden blocks) and croquet were played. “In Scandinavian weddings,” Siri explains, “there are normally a lot of speeches, and ours were no different. Both Martin and I gave speeches to each other as well as our parents, our sisters, my maid of honor, and his best men.” The couple chose “Downtown” from Majical Cloudz for their first dance, and then the DJ got everyone on the dance floor. Says Siri: “We had to chase the guests out at 2:30 a.m.!”