University sweethearts Johanna and Oskar Karlqvist staged a surprise wedding at the very top of Avenyn – but more than that, they designed a celebration under the pretence of a 30th birthday party. From Götaplatsen vows to a garden reception in Trädgårdsföreningen, theirs was a wedding shaped by Gothenburg, the city where they met
It is estimated that one in five couples meet at university, and Swedish engineer couple Johanna and Oskar Karlqvist can count themselves in that lucky ratio. A decade after first crossing paths at Götaplatsen city square, the Swedish engineer couple returned to the very same square to be married, designing a wedding that unfolded as a love letter to Gothenburg, the city that shaped them.
Both students at Chalmers University of Technology (though Johanna also has an eye for editorial, once joining our editor in chief front row at Copenhagen Fashion Week), their paths first crossed during a student gathering at Götaplatsen on August 18, 2015. While the initial “hello” didn’t immediately spark romance, their connection deepened through their joining of the same student association. Friendship quietly became something more, and by the summer of 2016 (a date they still charmingly debate) they were officially together.
The decision to wed in May 2025 was prompted by a joint milestone: their 30th birthdays. Though the commitment was mutual, Johanna held fast to one desire: "I wanted Oskar to propose." He rose to the occasion with cinematic drama, dropping to one knee on a cliff in the Gothenburg archipelago, presenting a ring that held generations of history – Johanna's grandmother's.
Photo: Stina Norlin
Photo: Stina Norlin