What Kurula’s Resort Is

Seventeen lakeside suites stand on the shore of Lake Pyhäjärvi, with Pyhätunturi fell rising behind and Pyhä-Luosto National Park, Finland’s oldest, at the door. The resort opened in 2023 within a hundred hectares of its own forest and is built of dark timber and tall windows to blend into the landscape. Each suite has its own sauna, bathroom, open kitchen, lounge, a deck or balcony and a lake or fell view; most have a queen bed plus a second bedroom, and family suites are available. Breakfast is a buffet, and the resort is heated with geothermal energy drawn from the lake.

We are Joona and Alla, and we run Rovaniemi Weddings, our own wedding planning and styling company in Rovaniemi. We have styled a wedding dinner in the resort’s restaurant, with long tables, white florals and candlelight, and what follows comes from that experience.

Who It Suits

Kurula’s suits couples who want a wedding weekend rather than a single day. Because the guests stay on the property, the celebration can stretch across two or three days: a welcome evening, a ceremony, a long dinner, a sauna and a slow morning. It works for destination weddings, intimate ceremonies, elopements, vow renewals, proposals and private celebrations.

It is less suitable if you want a venue only an hour from the airport, if you have more guests than the suites can hold, or if you want an ice-chapel style setting. For those, look at Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, Silver Birch Resort or Arcticmint Villa. Our comparison of Lapland wedding venues puts them side by side.

The Ceremony: Lakeshore, Forest or Restaurant

There are three natural places for the ceremony. Outdoors on the lakeshore, with Lake Pyhäjärvi and the fells as the backdrop, is the classic. In the snowy forest of the resort’s own grounds, the setting feels more private. Indoors in the restaurant, with the forest beyond the glass, is a good option when it is very cold or when guests are older.

In winter, outdoor ceremonies should be kept short, usually fifteen to twenty minutes, with warm spaces nearby, blankets and hot drinks. Temperatures in Lapland can drop to −25 °C or lower. A civil ceremony can be conducted in English by an authorised official, and Finland has no residency requirement, but you need an examination of impediments to marriage through the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Our guide to getting married in Finland as a foreigner explains the steps.

Dinner in the Restaurant, Evening at Lohkare

The wedding dinner takes place in the resort’s restaurant, which serves local northern cuisine in a contemporary style, with tall windows onto the pine forest and a fireplace. The best arrangement for your guest count is confirmed with the resort, and we style the room: long tables, white florals, candles, place cards and signage.

The evening can end at Lohkare, the lakeside sauna inspired by Luosto amethyst, which has been celebrated internationally. There is also an outdoor jacuzzi, and swimming and ice dipping are possible all year. For a group, a sauna evening is the moment when speeches become conversations.

Styling a Dinner in a Forest Restaurant

The restaurant is a ready-made setting: dark timber, tall windows and a fireplace. Our job is to add what makes it yours, without fighting the room. For the dinner we styled there, we used long tables, white florals and candlelight, which suit the dark wood and the forest outside. In winter, white and silver with warm metallic touches look beautiful against the snow; in summer, greens and wildflowers.

Because fresh petals freeze at −30 °C and weather can change quickly, we work with high-quality artificial and preserved flowers suited to Arctic conditions, made by hand in our Rovaniemi studio. They look perfect in every season and survive a transfer in the cold. If you want to see what we can build, browse Lapland Wedding Packages.

Decisions we usually agree with couples early:

• The shape and length of the tables, and how guests are seated.
• Lighting: candles, lanterns and fairy lights, balanced with the restaurant’s own light.
• Printed items: menus, place cards, signage and a welcome sign.
• Where the ceremony ends and the dinner begins, so that the restaurant can be turned around while guests have a drink.

What Your Guests Should Know Before They Come

Most wedding guests are not used to Lapland, and a short guide makes the weekend easier for everyone.

• Clothes. In winter, guests should bring thermal underlayers, a warm coat, boots with grip, hat and gloves. Dress for the ceremony over warm layers, and bring shoes to change into inside.
• Transport. Transfers are arranged, but flights into Rovaniemi may arrive at different times. Share a simple arrival schedule early.
• Food. Tell the resort and us about dietary needs well in advance.
• The sauna. Finnish sauna etiquette is relaxed, and swimwear or towels are normal. International guests often love it, but they should know they can say no.
• Children. The resort has family suites. Check the age policy for the dates you choose.

We recommend sending your guests a short note with times, transport and a packing list well before the trip, and we are happy to help you write it, since we know the weather, the venue and the way a Lapland weekend runs. It is one of the small things that makes a destination wedding feel easy, and it saves a great many messages in the weeks before.

Activities for a Wedding Weekend

Pyhä is a place with plenty to do, which makes it good for a multi-day programme. In winter: husky safaris, reindeer farm visits, snowmobiling, guided fell walks, skiing and northern lights hunts. In summer: hiking in the national park, midnight-sun evenings and lake swimming. In autumn: the colours of September.

We often suggest a simple structure for a three-day weekend:

1. Day one: guests arrive, a welcome dinner or a relaxed evening in the sauna.
2. Day two: a morning activity, the ceremony in the afternoon, the wedding dinner in the evening.
3. Day three: a slow breakfast, a short walk and farewells.

For a week with more guests, see our guide on what to pack for a winter wedding in Rovaniemi.

Getting There From Rovaniemi

Kurula’s is under two hours from Rovaniemi Airport. Transfers are arranged for the couple and guests, so there is no need for everyone to hire a car. Many of our couples fly into Rovaniemi, spend a day in town for the Santa Claus Village or a northern lights evening, and move to Pyhä for the wedding. Others begin in Pyhä and spend the last days in Rovaniemi.

If you want a venue closer to the airport, Arcticmint Villa is 15 minutes away and Silver Birch Resort is about 30 minutes. For a wedding and honeymoon in one trip, see Honeymoon in Lapland.

Seasons at Pyhä

The resort is open all year round. Winter is the most popular wedding season in Lapland, and for December to March we recommend booking twelve to eighteen months ahead; for other months six to twelve. See our month-by-month wedding guide.

How to Plan It With Us

We do not publish a fixed price for a wedding at Kurula’s, because the cost depends on the date, the number of guests and the services you choose. Tell us your day through Contact Rovaniemi Weddings: date, guest count, ideas. We hold a consultation, in person or online, and give an estimate; you sign a simple agreement and pay a deposit to secure the date. We then source and book suppliers, style every detail, run the timeline on the day and handle the small things. For orientation on budgets, see our Lapland wedding cost guide.

FAQ

Our Honest Final Word

Kurula’s Resort is the right choice when the weekend matters as much as the day: guests who sleep, eat, sauna and celebrate in one place, with a fell and a lake outside. It is a longer drive from Rovaniemi than other venues, and we would not hide that. Rovaniemi Weddings is our own company, so we are not neutral, but we would rather match you to the venue than to a package.

If you like the idea, read about Kurula's Resort, our Destination Wedding in Lapland page and our Honeymoon in Lapland ideas, and write to us at Contact Rovaniemi Weddings with your dates.

Rovaniemi Weddings · by Joona & Alla

Weddings and venues we plan in Lapland

Every option is planned, set up and quietly packed down by our own team, and nearly every proposal includes a photographer. Tell us your story and we reply within one business day.

VenueKurula's ResortLake Pyhäjärvi, Pyhätunturi (Pyhä) — beside Pyhä-Luosto National Park, under two hours from Rovaniemi AirportSee more →WeddingsDestination Wedding in LaplandRovaniemi WeddingsSee more →VenueArcticmint VillaLake Norvajärvi, Rovaniemi — about 20 minutes from Rovaniemi city centre, 15 minutes from Rovaniemi Airport and Santa Claus VillageSee more →WeddingsHoneymoon in LaplandRovaniemi WeddingsSee more →

Rovaniemi Weddings is our own wedding planning and proposal design company — Joona & Alla, based in Rovaniemi. We plan, style and coordinate proposals and weddings across Lapland, Finland, Sweden and Norway.