A '60s-Style Danish and American Wedding at Bellwether House in Savannah, Georgia

Worlds collided when Jacob and Grace met during their freshmen year at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. Jacob grew up in Sorring, Denmark, while Grace was a Boston native. It wasn’t until the middle of their junior year that the two begin their love journey together after a long conversation in their mutual friend’s kitchen. After graduation, Jacob moved to New York City and Grace returned to Boston with plans to join Jacob in NYC later, but unfortunately, the pandemic derailed that reality. In addition, because of visa complications, Jacob had to return to Denmark. But their love story wasn't over because after spending a year apart, the duo reunited in Dublin, Ireland in 2021 and were engaged within the same year. Three months later, Jacob and Grace had a small civil ceremony in Savannah before heading to NYC together to plan a bigger wedding.

“We knew they wanted to have a small, intimate wedding with a handful of their favorite people. Bringing intention to every detail was our focus. We decided to have a 55-person wedding in the city they met in, bringing together Jacob’s Danish culture and Grace’s Boston-based roots,” says their wedding planner from LM Event Coordination. Making this kind of celebration happen involved finding local Savannah vendors to bring this vision to life and mixing some Southern glamour into the Danish and Bostonian vibes.

Bringing some of the Savannah charm was easy once they landed on the Whitefield Chapel on the Bethesda Academy grounds for the ceremony and Bellwether House for the reception. They pulled inspiration from Danish royal weddings, ‘60s wedding fashion and Princess Grace of Monaco, all while incorporating a fusion of American and Danish traditions and cultures. Savannah's “low country vibe” was a major influence for the color palette, which consisted of “soft greens, orange and ivory to create a fresh, elegant and elevated atmosphere,” says the couple's wedding planner.

For this fall affair, florals had to take the spotlight. Grace says, “We chose to use soft greens and ivory for the main floral arrangements, incorporating orange blooms like ranunculus and dahlias for a pop of color. We considered classic shapes, such as simple lush bouquets and cascading centerpieces, reminiscent of royal elegance.” The bride even carried a bouquet inspired by Monaco’s royal Hollywood starlet, Grace Kelly, which was a small handful of lilies of the valley. The ceremony space itself gave way to explosions of blooms, with cosmos, mums, garden roses, dahlias, ranunculus and scabious in various forms. From the trailing greenery to the overflowing pew arrangements and aisle runners, everything created a “dreamy, romantic effect” in the quaint chapel.

Of course, the ‘60s-inspired vibes wouldn’t be complete without the right wedding attire to match. Thankfully, Grace had the perfect designer for her wedding (and even the event's linens) since her godfather is Daniel Faucher, a Boston-based couture designer. He created three looks for the bride and dressed the maid of honor and mother of the bride during the weekend events. Grace's ceremony gown was a custom silk taffeta dress with a silk organza underskirt and train made of imported Alençon lace. 

“The most anticipated moment of our wedding day was watching all our favorite people come together as one big family. Jacob’s family and friends came from various cities in Denmark, and my loved ones came from all over the United States,” Grace says. The two married stood between an asymmetrical floral arch in the chapel while serenaded by a gospel choir singing “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips and “I Say a Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin.

During the reception at Bellwether House, the bride changed into her second custom look, a silk-satin empire-inspired gown with three-dimensional Venice lace flowers and a hooded cape. Their cocktail hour and dinner menu infused Danish and classic Southern cuisine, like Smørrebrød, fried chicken and biscuits, collard greens and peach preserves. They decorated the reception space with linens provided by Daniel Faucher, asymmetrical floral arrangements, votive candles and fireplace installations.

There were multiple nods to Denmark in honor of Jacob’s heritage, like the Denmark flag displayed at the front of the venue and Denmark flag illustration on the dinner menus. The happy couple even participated in a few fun Danish traditions. For examples, the bride and groom kissed under the table, stood on their chairs to kiss one another and guests were tasked with kissing the groom on the cheek while the bride was in the bathroom. 

Guests dined outdoors among the trees, with each table named after a famous square in Savannah. One of the table names was Troup Square, which was where Grace and Jacob signed their marriage license for their civil ceremony the year before. “We chose to have Louis Prima, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Etta James serenade a candlelight outdoor dinner. This was followed by dancing to '70s and '80s music indoors with a six-piece band,” the bride says. Grace changed into her last look, custom silk shorts and a matching ruffled jacket, of the night for the after-party. Their loved ones from both near and far danced the night away in the gorgeous venue. 

When asked what's their advice for people planning their weddings, Jacob and Grace emphasized making the celebration authentic to you. “There's no right or wrong way to have a wedding, but definitely ensure it represents who you and your partner are. Doing this great life event together is so much more meaningful when you arrive on your wedding day, and it’s exactly how you both envisioned it,” says the couple.