Aren't we already married?

Well, the short answer is yes and the long answer is, um, also yes. We had a small ceremony on March 4, 2005 in Hamar with only Trine's immediate family and one friend attending. That ceremony was scheduled for immigration purposes and then other weddings and commitments last summer made it impossible to schedule something sooner for everyone to join us. We have always wanted to celebrate with all of our friends and family and that's what we have planned for this summer: a wedding celebration.

The Location
Malungen Gjestegård is an old Norwegian farmstead located north of Oslo in the Hedmark county countrside. It was chosen because it is a beautiful location near the home in Ilseng where Trine grew up and her parents, Ola and Lise, still live. You can get more information on Malungen here. It has overnight guest rooms with shared bath facilities and is a lovely to stay. It is, however, in the middle of nowhere. The town most convenient for Ilseng and Malungen is Hamar, located on the shore of Lake Mjøsa between Oslo and Lillehammer. There are several hotels in downtown Hamar near the rail station that we will suggest after determining group rates, etc.. Contact information will be added soon.

If you don't mind moving around a bit, one idea would be to spend Friday night in Hamar and Saturday night at Malungen to avoid having to get back to Hamar after the reception. It is about a 40 minute drive between Hamar and Malungen. Norwegian drinking and driving laws are much more strict than in the U.S. with a blood-alcohol limit of 0.02%. That means if you drink heavily Saturday night, you shouldn't drive again until Sunday afternoon. For those staying in Hamar Saturday night who do not rent cars or will be drinking, there will be a shuttle to and from Malungen.

The Schedule
The schedule at this point is tentative, but will follow this basic outline:

Friday, June 23
Evening - "Welcome to Norway" gathering at a location TBD in Hamar

Saturday, June 24
Morning - Optional walk/guided tour of Domkirkeruinene (impressive name for old cathedral ruins) on the shore of Mjøsa
Afternoon - Gather at Malungen, wedding ceremony
Evening - Reception at Malungen

Sunday, June 25
Late morning - Brunch at Ola and Lise Syverinsen's house in Ilseng

Monday, June 26
Morning - Those who are interested will make a few days trip to Bergen, Norway's only hanseatic city, the gateway to the fjords and the place where we met:-)

Contact information 

Trine Syverinsen and Chad Whelan, 303 Chiquita Ave. #17, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA

phone:
Chad and Trine  +1 650 694 4973
Lise and Ola Syverinsen: +47 62 58 30 16 

e-mail:
chadandtrine@mac.com