After a long distance romance, the Norwegian-native bride made the move to Chicago to say “I do.”  You could call Brikena Aliti and Sal Becovic’s trip down the aisle an international affair. The couple tied the knot Sept. 16 before 40 of their closest friends and family members, half of whom flew in from abroad — and the bride was no exception. She traveled from her former home in Oslo, Norway, to join her Chicago-based husband, who runs Red-Blooded Productions, after dating long distance for more than a year. Even Aliti’s dress was from a different country; she walked down the aisle in a lace La Sposa gown, which she found while shopping in Barcelona. For Aliti, the connection with Becovic was instant. They met through mutual friends on Facebook, and their first date was a 12-hour romantic whirlwind in Oslo. “After our first date I called my sister and told her if we didn’t end up together, something was wrong with the world,” laughs Aliti. The couple’s instant connection was based in part on their heritage — both are of Albanian descent — and they were married in a traditional Albanian Islamic service. “In our service, I proposed [marriage]…

After a long distance romance, the Norwegian-native bride made the move to Chicago to say “I do.” 

You could call Brikena Aliti and Sal Becovic’s trip down the aisle an international affair. The couple tied the knot Sept. 16 before 40 of their closest friends and family members, half of whom flew in from abroad — and the bride was no exception. She traveled from her former home in Oslo, Norway, to join her Chicago-based husband, who runs Red-Blooded Productions, after dating long distance for more than a year. Even Aliti’s dress was from a different country; she walked down the aisle in a lace La Sposa gown, which she found while shopping in Barcelona. For Aliti, the connection with Becovic was instant. They met through mutual friends on Facebook, and their first date was a 12-hour romantic whirlwind in Oslo. “After our first date I called my sister and told her if we didn’t end up together, something was wrong with the world,” laughs Aliti. The couple’s instant connection was based in part on their heritage — both are of Albanian descent — and they were married in a traditional Albanian Islamic service. “In our service, I proposed [marriage] and she had to accept all over again,” says Becovic. “That’s where I felt the most emotion.” After the ceremony, the couple and their guests hopped on a trolley that carried them to the InterContinental Magnificent Mile, where 400 more friends were waiting to celebrate. Traditional Albanian dancing kicked off the fun and guests partied until after midnight.

Story by Katerina Bizios