Wearing a crown and veil in Sweden is a custom steeped in tradition. In no other country has the church played such an important role in preserving and sustaining the tradition of the bridal crown as the churches have done in Sweden. This bridal crown tradition was very much respected, but if a young girl forfeited her right to wear it she would be teased and mocked.
The first known decoration for the head of a young unmarried woman in Sweden was piglocken, a headband wrapped with colored ribbons and ribbons that streamed down her back. It was also called huvudla or hlad-la. Later they became more ornate and then shaped into a crown. The crowns would be made with either silver or gold with precious stones added to enhance its appearance. The crown would be worn directly on the head or over a veil.
Our Swedish crown is probably from the 1950s and came from Sweden. It is brass with colored stones hanging from it and colored stones situated at the top of the crown. The base measures 2” and flares to 3.25” in diameter. It stands 3.25” tall. The Swedish crown is for rent only and not for purchase.
Knowing that a Swedish wedding crown could be rented from Ingebretsen’s, I always knew that I wanted to wear it at my own wedding. And when that day was going to become a reality in 2003, I began to think about how wonderful it would be to bring as much of my Swedish heritage as possible into the joyful occasion. I purchased Scandinavian gifts for my bridesmaids, some reception items such as our cake server, as well as a pair of beautiful earrings to wear with my wedding dress. On the morning of the wedding, my hairdresser easily bobby pinned the small crown to my hair. And, when I wore the “something old”, a Scandinavian bracelet from my husband’s family, I was thrilled to find out that it matched the beautiful gold crown with its colorful stones. I felt a huge sense of pride in my Swedish ancestry as I wore the Swedish wedding crown. Thank you Ingebretsen’s! – Janice Wahlstrom, Arden Hills, MN