Getting married in the Netherlands

Before we set off for Jean-Pierre and Ellen’s wedding, we had their engagement session in Chicago.  To celebrate their engagement, the couple did a trip around the world with Chicago being one of the stops. A few weeks after their engagement, Ellen and Jean-Pierre reached out to ask if I could capture their destination wedding. 

Their wedding was in the Netherlands, starting with them both getting ready at their home in Middelburg.  There was no planned first look and no crowd awaiting them at this time.  The entire group consisted of the bride, groom, makeup artist, myself and Ruth.  And it was as quaint and intimate as you can imagine.  Jean-Pierre was ready first and made his appearance with a bit of a twirl for Ellen, still in makeup.  While the bride was getting ready, Jean-Pierre posed for a few photos in their “black room”.  Apparently, they couldn’t decide between having a black or white room so they simply made both side by side.  Ellen, of course, popped beautifully in the “white room”.

A few quick portraits and the officiant arrived at their home for a private ceremony for just the two of them.  On a personal note, while I’ve captured some intimate and small ceremonies, this was the first time where Ruth and I were the only ones there.  It was simple and it was perfect.  This was their legal ceremony and signing of the papers.  A larger ceremony for their guests to celebrate was later in the day in Eefde.

Huis de Voorst

The trip from Middelburg to Eefde is about 2.5 hours by car so rather than drive, we flew!  Nearby, at a small regional airport, Pieter awaited with his helicopter to shuttle us to the reception at Manor House Voorst. Due to it being bird mating season in the area, we couldn’t land on the lawn at the property so instead touched down in a field nearby where Jean-Pierre’s son awaited in a gorgeous Bentley to be their chauffeur.

It’s not uncommon for destination weddings to move at a different pace but European weddings differ even more.  There are no vendors rushing you from one event to another.  Instead, the day moves at a nice pleasant pace with a mini cocktail hour and cake cutting after the ceremony.  From there, guests are free to relax at the venue and play games or to go back to their hotels to get ready for the evening.  One key difference at this destination wedding is that after the dinner hour, guests did not immediately head to the dance floor that already had the music playing.  Friends and family headed outside and enjoyed their cocktails, cigars and social hour simply relaxing and chatting.  Once the sun set, the dance party began and continued all night to conclude an absolutely perfect day.

If you’re planning a local or destination wedding, the number one tip I can give you is to make it your own.  When you create a party and celebration for your family and friends, you will have an absolutely amazing experience.