Pas de deux: These two ballet dancers married in Oslo's oldest church

Whilst ballet dancers Mariko Sasaki and Lukas Bjørneboe Brændsrød had known each other professionally for several years, both working for the London Royal Ballet, it wasn't until they were partnered up for the first time that they realised they had a connection. "We were both understudies for a piece," explained Sasaki, adding that what started as a friendship soon blossomed into something deeper. "It was exciting and comforting."

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It was whilst on tour in Japan with their company that the couple got engaged. "On one of our days off, we took a trip to a place called Hakone, a natural hot spring town," said Brændsrød. The duo spent the day sightseeing, just happy to be spending quality time together. "Obviously, I had planned to propose, so I was so nervous the whole time," he added. "I'd planned out the whole day, but I had to get a bit lucky and hope that they had space at Onsen Ryokan." This was the hot spring hotel, in which he planned to pop the question. As fate would have it, they had a room for the couple.

"I was trying to get her attention to make my speech, but she was trying to decide what to order from the room service menu and was not listening at all," Brændsrød laughed. "I decided to just tell her, 'I've got you a present.' This got her attention." Whilst the Norwegian cannot remember exactly what he said next, he instantly recalls the "waterfall of tears" and an instant "yes" from Sasaki as he presented her the ring.

Some time later, whilst on winter break, the duo went venue hunting. Knowing they wanted to wed in Brændsrød's home country of Norway, they tapped the assistance of his parents to visit different places in Oslo. The venue for the ceremony was secured first, as the couple selected to wed in Old Aker Church, the oldest church in Oslo. Whilst they had also planned to visit several venues around the city for their reception hall, the search was soon called off. "As soon as we set foot in the very first venue, we knew it was the one," said Sasaki. The venue in question was Høymagasinet. "It was spacious and had a nice rustic feel, but with an air of class." It was as easy a yes for the couple as their engagement.

When choosing their outfits, the bride and groom went shopping with their respective wedding parties. "One of my bridesmaids was also getting married, so we made a day of it," explained Sasaki. Originally, the bride had imagined herself donning a tight-fitting mermaid-style gown, but it was a selection from one of her bridesmaids that made the final cut – a white, strapless ballgown with a voluminous train and subtle floral appliqué. "It was as if it were meant to be, and the dress chose me."

It was a similar situation for Brændsrød. "I wanted something light for our summer wedding," he said, explaining that his first intention was a cream suit. However, the decision was made once he slipped into a white tuxedo. "I immediately felt the power of James Bond, so it had to be." To keep an element of suspense and surprise, the duo kept their outfits secret, but were thrilled to discover how well they complemented each other.

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As the time came for the ceremony, Brændsrød found himself overcome with emotion. "We planned to have our wedding at the end of our summer holiday, just before returning to work in London," he explained. "This was so that all of our international friends could come to Oslo on their way back to London. Seeing everyone's faces, including family we haven't seen for a long time, was really emotional." These feelings hit their pinnacle, however, as Sasaki began to walk down the aisle. "She looked more beautiful than I could imagine. I couldn't hold back the tears."

For Sasaki, the feelings were as intense. "I had a mix of many different emotions," she said. "My family had come to Norway for the first time, which had been a dream of ours. This was already overwhelming, but walking into the church and seeing everyone in front of me filled me with such emotion. Then, seeing Lukas in front of me, and walking towards him made me feel, with no doubts, that I was walking towards a bright future together."

To enter the church, the couple selected a song that had deep resonance for them: Gustav Holst's 'Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity'. Whilst both knew the classical piece from childhood, it was its British connection that sealed the deal. "The melody is also used as a patriotic British song called 'I vow to thee, my country'," they explained. "This seemed like a perfect nod to our life and our meeting in the UK. It felt like a nice personal touch." The couple also had a performance from Norwegian singer Vers Sonne during their ceremony – "With her angelic voice, she had everyone in tears."

Since the wedding was held in Norway, it was important to the couple to bring in elements of Sasaki's Japanese heritage. "Mariko prepared over 100 origami cranes, one for each guest, waiting by their name tag," said Brændsrød, brimming with pride for his new wife. "She also handcrafted beautiful hanging flowers, which we hung from the ceiling with paper lanters and chain lights." Other decorations, crafted by Sasaki and her mother, were scattered around the room: "It turned out beautifully."

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For food, the couple opted for the venue's catering team to curate the menu for their big day. "Every single course was amazing," Sasaki said. "It was a set menu consisting of halibut tartar, beef steak and cheese for dessert – obviously followed by wedding cake. It was the most amazing dinner."

"We had lots of speeches and they were all memorable in their own way, but because we had language barriers on multiple levels, we had to be creative," explained the bride. Brændsrød opted to make his speech in Japanese, whilst Sasaki prepared a translation sheet so guests could follow along with her letter to her family "Both of our families, without speaking to each other, decided to communicate through one language that everyone understands: music," said the couple. Brændsrød's father put on an a cappella performance, singing 'The Book of Love' by The Magnetic Fields, and a trio of Sasaki's family sang "Let's Be A Family,' a performance that didn't leave a dry eye in the room.

During the reception, Sasaki left her guests for a moment to make an outfit change. Before the wedding, Brændsrød's family had asked if she wanted to do the wedding in a traditional Japanese Kimono. After some deliberation, she decided against it, due to the amount of preparation it takes, plus she had been dreaming of wearing a traditional white wedding dress. However, as a surprise, she decided to don one for the reception. "The whole process took just under an hour," explained Sasaki, who was assisted by her mother, who had been taking special classes for months to learn how to properly dress a kimono just for the occasion. "We had to find a way to sneak away. It made for an amazing re-entry to the dinner party, and the looks on Lukas' family's faces were just amazing."

For music, the couple tapped the talents of Brændsrød's brother and his band, Flammer Dance Band. "They really got the party going with their funk vibes," said Sasaki. "They got everyone dancing and doing conga lines and the limbo." When it came time for their first dance, Brændsrød and Sasaki opted for something simple and traditional. "We had a Norwegian fiddle player perform," they explained. "We had a very simple and ceremonial first dance to this. Once other guests started joining in, she [the fiddle player] increased the tempo, and everyone had their first go at a Norwegian folk dance."