Wedded Bliss

Weddings really are one of my favorite things.   I love all aspects - the happy couple, their proud families, the first dance, the cake, the music, and the just all around cheerful mood of everyone attending.  Throw an amazing venue into the mix like, say, a castle, and it really can't be beat.  Our friends Sam and Bart got married on Saturday at a fabulous castle outside of Utrecht.  Sam is American and Bart is Dutch so it was interesting to see how the two cultures united to create a great event.

We were also loving this weekend because our friends Jessica and Keith were back in Eindhoven after moving home to the US six months ago.  On Friday night we had a group dinner out at a restaurant where we'd been before, called Vandeijck.  Here's a photo of me and Jessica, followed by a group shot of the ladies.

Miss this girl!

Acting natural.

Of course, we took a few photos of the food since they really make some incredible looking dishes.  

Flank steak.

Sea bass.

Dessert!...with carrot "vegetable" roll-ups.

On Saturday, Jessica, Keith, Todd and I went to the wedding together since they were staying with us for the rest of the weekend.  We had the best time hanging with these two. Why did you guys have to move back home?

Now for a peek into the day.  

Welcome to Samantha and Bart's wedding.

It started with the ceremony at 3pm.   There were several small differences between this wedding and American weddings I've attended.  One being the lack of groomsmen and bridesmaids and another being the signing of the marriage license during the ceremony.  Sam did opt to have her father walk her down the aisle, which isn't customary.  

The beautiful couple!

Following the ceremony came the "receptie", the Dutch word for reception, but not what you Americans out there are imagining.  The receptie is a period of time following the ceremony, but before dinner, when guests can mingle and have a drink while the bride and groom take photos.  Then the bride and groom return for a toast and some speeches.  We took some time during the receptie to take photos of the grounds and the castle.

And then this happened - a bride photo-bomb - definitely the best kind.

After the receptie came the dinner.  The food was amazing, definitely befitting of what you'd expect to eat in a fancy castle.  Oh, and I can't forget the cake, which was made by a friend of Sam's.  It was strawberry and cream on the inside and covered in gold leaf on the outside. Incredible.  

The groom.

Shout out to the Art Director for the day, my friend Katja.  These adorable place holders were her doing.

Following the dinner and some very sweet speeches by the bride and groom's family. It was time for what I would call the reception.  The Dutch refer to that portion of the event as the party. And a party it was.  There was a lot of dancing and good music and it was great to hang out with lots of friends who were there.  

We actually drove the hour home that night to Eindhoven, and didn't walk in the door until 2:30am.  What an awesome day and night!   Thanks so much to Sam and Bart for letting us celebrate their special day with them. It was an honor to the start of a wonderful marriage.

We took it pretty easy on Sunday, starting with sleeping in later than the 4 of us had in a long time.   Sunday afternoon we headed to La Trappe where we met up with a group of friends.  Unfortunately Jessica and Keith were only here for the weekend, so they hopped a flight home on Monday morning.  But it was a fantastic weekend filled with fun and friends!