The best love stories are those woven by invisible strings of serendipity. But when it comes to creating the perfect celebration of that love, chance takes a backseat to meticulous wedding planning.

For the Knutson-Norwood wedding featured on the 1990 inRegister cover, no detail was left unchecked. Baton Rouge native Mary Brent Norwood married Peter Knutson of Sweden in a nearly week-long affair steeped in tradition and boasting “international flair.”

Their December 30 wedding was held at Mary Brent’s family home, Highland Plantation in
St. Francisville. But the festivities began at the City Club on Wednesday, followed by a luncheon and evening plantation party that Thursday, rehearsal dinner at Beechwood Plantation on Friday and a breakfast at Barrow House held that Saturday morning.

Today, wedding events don’t typically start the Wednesday before the big day. Traditions now opt for engagement parties, showers and bachelor and bachelorette trips in the months or even years leading up to the grand celebration.

Trends ebb and flow, bridal fashions shift and even the longest-standing traditions evolve, yet the enduring significance of wedding celebrations remains steadfast. After all, who doesn’t enjoy celebrating the love of a lifetime?