Marriage: A Wedding Chapel Made of Ice

Arctic Art & Architecture: ICEHOTEL
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With all the creative Olympic excitement taking place this week in Vancouver, Canada, I thought it would be fun to show you another wintry artistic achievement. ICEHOTEL in Lapland, Sweden is a mind-boggling art project made of ice and snow. The whole idea makes me grin from ear-to-ear.

200 km north of the Arctic Circle is the land of the northern lights and the midnight sun. This is where the period from early-June until late-July is like a single, long day. Remarkably, at this latitude and time of year, the sun never dips below the horizon.

Sadly, it all melts away under the unforgiving rays of the sun when springtime arrives.

The dropping of the temperature to several degrees below zero marks the start of this ephemeral art endeavor in Jukkasjärvi, Lapland each year. Using only frozen water from the nearby Torne River, artists from all over the world gather in this tiny Swedish village to create an exclusive art exhibition called ICEHOTEL.

The art is created with ambition, imagination and hard work. Sadly, it all melts away under the unforgiving rays of the sun when springtime arrives. By summer all that remains of ICEHOTEL are last winter’s impressions, memories, and photographs.


Frozen Nuptials

Planning a wedding? Each year, couples arrive to exchange rings and lifetime vows in ICEHOTEL’s unique chapel. This year's creation is called “Lumen Aureus.” This beautiful ice architecture “pays homage to the tradition of gilding, and daylight illumination through stained glass in medieval Christian churches…

A substantial amount of clear ice is used in the design, with both end walls to the vault which is entirely transparent. Fourteen ice pews, rotated to focus on the altar space, serve this ethereal congregation.”

Sub-Zero Bridalwear

“It’s all about the coat…” says designer Justine Horrocks from Lancashire UK. Married at in the “Noorder Kerk” or Northern Church in 2009 she says, “It was an immense struggle sifting through the masses of boleros and capes to find something unique.”

Justine's collection of bridal coats incorporates beautiful lines and fabrics; each garment is complemented by elegant detailing. Take a look.

Sweet Dreams on the Rocks, Please

Feeling sleepy? After the ceremony, you can curl up with your sweetie on this fur-covered ice block bed in ICEHOTEL’s Spooning Suite.

Related: Winter Carnivals Around the World and Kim's Friday Funnies meme at Homesteader's Heart.

Photos: ICEHOTEL


Brrr… I DO!