Countdown to “I Do”: The Wedding
Well, it happened! Ryan and I got hitched!
Our wedding was everything I had wanted it to be. Small, intimate and focused completely on our love and the lives we want to live together.
It actually doesn’t get much more small and intimate than how we did it. Just the two of us saying our “I Do’s” in Amsterdam.
There were reasons we wanted to do it this way. For me, I attend big weddings all the time as part of my job. And I love those big weddings. I love being a part of your big days and helping you to capture the memories that will last a lifetime. But for my part, I wanted something different. As a couple, we didn’t want to try and collect and organize 200 of our closest friends for our nuptials. We didn’t want extravagant decorations and headaches about bands. We just wanted it to be us.
And so it was.
Amsterdam was truly amazing. Truthfully, we hadn’t expected to love it as much as we did. This was just the first stop on what was otherwise going to be our honeymoon journey. But within hours of arriving, I think both Ryan and I had fallen in love with this town. We had only one day before the wedding, but we spent it exploring on bikes and visiting local sites and bars. Everyone we met was friendly and welcoming, and the scenery was incredible.
The day of our wedding, we were able to take our time and enjoy the process of getting ready. We did some sightseeing in the morning, before being met back at our apartment by a makeup artist for me and the photographer for us both. They initially took Ryan out for some solo-shots while I finished getting ready, and when the time came – he was waiting outside our door with my bouquet in hand.
Apparently this is a Dutch tradition, for the groom to wait outside the door for his bride with her bouquet. I precariously made my way down the very narrow and very steep steps towards him, and when I entered out into the street – nearby crowds started cheering on our moment. It was surreal, and perfect.
We took some photos along the way from out apartment to a small bridge covered in flowers. There we stood with just the officiate and photographers as we exchanged our vows. The ceremony was short, but every word spoken was for us. It was our moment to solidify our love and commit to each other from now until forever. There were, of course, tears as a result of all the emotions surrounding that moment. But we also laughed and fell even more deeply in love with each other. There were no distractions pulling our attention. Just us and our love.
And then, it was time to exchange rings and kiss as husband and wife. Once more, a nearby crowd at the corner bar erupted in applause. It was like a scene out of a movie, with all the pieces lining up exactly as they should.
Because we were in Amsterdam alone, there was no reception to rush off to. We didn’t have guests to greet or reasons to separate. We were able to take our post-wedding photos at a nearby park where we were also able to enjoy a little wedding cake and champagne by the lake. After, we had a romantic dinner and talked about out future,
About forever.
And then, we headed back to our apartment arm in arm. Quietly. Peacefully. Just the two of us.
Exactly how we had pictured it.
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album design by jenniferdery.com | photography by sassen-verstraaten.nl