Archipelago weddings and fabulous parties in Åland
Wedding and party coordinator Michaela Eckerman, who runs the Festmagasinet company, was born and raised in scenic Åland. She knows that there are plenty of special places that are suitable for weddings here.
“We have some really beautiful archipelago settings, but there is also the glorious countryside,” says Michaela.
Imagine, for example, your wedding on board the four-masted barque Pommern, out on the pilot island Kobba Klintar, in the park by Lemström Canal or by the old-world grey boathouses in Käringsund. Maybe you’d like to get married on a sun-bleached bathing jetty or a smooth granite rock? Or in one of the twenty or so beautiful and atmospheric churches and chapels to be found around Åland? You can hold the wedding party in a restaurant, a beautiful barn such as Skeppargården Pellas, or why not have it in the stylish foyer with a sea view at the Alandica Culture & Congress Centre?
“There are plenty of options, but if you don’t come from Åland, you may well not know where to start! So you can book an appointment with me and I’ll help you with the planning,” says Michaela.
A wedding in castle surroundings
Smakbyn in Kastelholm organises weddings and other parties all the year round.
“Sometimes the bridal couple gets married in our charming wine cellar, sometimes in Kastelholm Castle and sometimes in the lovely culturally historic surroundings of the Jan Karlsgården open-air museum. And sometimes they get married in a church or registry office somewhere else and then they come here for their banquet and party,” says Jenny Björklund, who runs Smakbyn together with her husband, the award-winning chef Michael Björklund.
Smakbyn is delighted to design menus in line with the bridal couple’s requests, and they can also help with things like band bookings, flowers and photographers.
A wedding on an island of your own
The island of Silverskär in Åland’s northern archipelago is another popular spot for weddings and parties. You get the whole island to yourselves and can choose whether to stay for one or several days for an unforgettable archipelago experience. Kickan Sundblom of Silverskär Islands explains that most weddings have been held on the main Silverskär island, but they have also had weddings and parties on the neighbouring island of Klobben.
Bridal couples often choose to hold their wedding on the rocks close to the sea, to which they are ferried in a beautifully decorated wooden boat. Then Silverskär’s excellent chefs serve up a fantastic wedding banquet, followed by dancing and maybe an evening sauna! Many opt to stay overnight and if the bridal couple want to have some time on their own, the recommendation is for them to stay in the cabin on Klobben or the hermit cabin on the island of Sviskär. Silverskär will help with planning and events – they organise weddings, parties and celebrations between May and November.
A wedding at luxurious havsvidden
The Havsvidden Resort is a luxurious establishment located right by the sea and close to the countryside in Geta in northern Åland. Here you can get married on the red granite rocks and have your wedding banquet in the spacious and stunning Storm venue, which has large windows to let in a huge amount of light and provide a magnificent view of the Norrhavet Sound.
You can organise your wedding over several days at Havsvidden and your guests can stay in “klipphus” (houses on the rocks) or hotel rooms. You can enjoy yourselves and socialise in the spa tub and sauna on Havsvidden beach.
A wedding in beautiful Eckerö
Käringsund Resort & Conference is an excellent option if you want to organise a wedding party in western Åland. The surroundings are beautiful – there is a sandy beach and you are close to both red rocks and an old fishing village that featured in the classic Swedish TV series Saltkråkan about Seacrow Island. There are party venues of varying sizes here as well as various accommodation possibilities for bridal couples and their guests.
Anyone wanting to organise a wedding over several days, with fun activities thrown in, will find a lot to choose from in Käringsund, such as jet ski safaris, fishing trips and minigolf tournaments. Western Åland also has the historic Eckerö Post and Customs House building, whose grand inner courtyard is excellently suited to outdoor weddings.
An archipelago wedding
In the archipelago community of Föglö, merely 30 minutes from Åland’s main island, lies the charming Carlsro Badhotell– establishment. The historical shipowner’s villa from 1912 has been renovated into a hotel exuding true archipelago idyll with its own pier and beach just a stone’s throw away from the main building.
The Carlsro hotell is suitable for both weddings and baptisms, or an exclusive birthday party for family and friends. After the festivities you can spend the night in one of the hotel’s elegant rooms.
Perfect destination to elope to
Is a big wedding the last thing you would want? Then you could elope instead and hold an intimate ceremony for just yourselves and a few guests. Åland’s proximity to both Sweden and Finland makes it the perfect destination to run away to so as to get married. A unique and very special island, and yet conveniently close by. Maybe you want to get married in the sweet little Sailors’ Chapel in Mariehamn – that would suit an intimate wedding perfectly.
Hen parties and stag dogs
Why not go to Åland for your hen party or stag do? There are plenty of companies here that can organise fun activities. Set yourselves a challenge on the Flowpark high ropes course at Sandösund Resort & Camping, compete in a farm-inspired pentathlon at the Granlunda Gård equestrian centre or have fun at the Spark Laser Arena in Eckerö. Guided angling, a course in ceramics, a kayak trip or maybe a breweries’ beer tasting at the Stallhagen and Open Water Brewery are other enjoyable options, or maybe you might want to rent a cabin of your own by the sea where you can organise a pleasant dinner, have a sauna and spend time together in peace and quiet.
By the way, you can start your celebrations on the ferry to Åland and on the way back you can talk about everything you experienced. There are about 30 ferry services to Åland from Sweden and Finland every day so it’s easy to get here and back. You can also fly to Åland from Sweden and Finland.
