Simone

Well, this isn't really off topic, cos it's our our first step to a visa....
And I know I'm not a british expat (but I have been one, well, and expat, and I'll be one soon again, and I have an Australian passport, and they're part of the commonwealth, so I do have some right to post on here, right??? )

And get ready for a lot of posts, cos I couldn't keep it short, and couldn't choose from the pics!

"The not so standard wedding day"
(standard here would be: all aunts and uncles at the ceremony, having lunch with all them, having a photographer, a white dress, a suit for the groom, having a reception and then a party, in a special ‘hall’ with everybody (about 200 people) sitting at long tables, and a band, and sometimes a bit of dancing, and also stupid sketches being done by friends/family, and the evening ending with sandwiches and coffee at about 12 midnight. Well, this was not for us!) We’ll have a big party (in one of our parents’ gardens when we leave in July, and then we’ll invite EVERYBODY we know, and see who comes, we think about 100)

Ok, well,
It was a great day!

Woke up at 5 am, got out at 6 am, my friends in Australia called at 7.45, which was really great, and I was at the hairdressers at 8!
I was literally sick in my stomach in the morning, and at the hairdressers I nearly had to puke, but I think that also had to do with the hairspray etc.
At 9.15 my mum and dad came by, bringing my bouquet, and 2 bunches of flowers from my work. By this time, sick feeling was completely gone luckily.
We went outside, and there was an old Volkswagen beetle waiting there for us, arranged by my dad and Pascal’s parents. SURPRISE!! So we quickly had to put all our stuff in the thing, and figure out how to drive it (going backwards was hell), which added to the stress levels a bit! But it was really cool.
Then we drove to Pascal’s parents house where we arrived at 9.50. Everybody came outside and made photos and Pascal’s uncle was filming! It was really nice weather by the way, very sunny, and about 12 degrees (well, probably at that time in the morning it was about 6 degrees, brrr).

Simone

Then we had coffee and cake, and my mother had arranged corsages for everyone to match my bouquet (another surprise!).

Simone

At 10.15 we left for Zwolle, picking up Pascal’s grandma on the way. We were at the town hall on time, though parking was a bit difficult!
There was my uncle and aunt with my grandma, and some other people who just came to see us get married (some people we know, and Pascal’s aunt and my aunt and cousin).

Simone

Then we went inside, we had to wait in the hall.
(We also waited for a while for my grandpa and his girlfriend, they were coming by train and were late. But then we had to start without them. They turned up at 11.45, had an hour’s delay with the train!)
Then they turned on the song we had chosen (Bob Cagean by the Canadian band The Tragically Hip.) and we walked in, and nearly sat down wrong (I should’ve been on the right! Lol!)

Simone

Well, it was a very moving ‘ceremony’. We’d had a talk with the woman who did it beforehand, so it was very personal. Also the mums gave as the rings, and at the end the dads read the marriage certificate.
Then we signed it, and our 2 witnesses, both our brothers, signed it too.

Simone

Our brothers signing. Mine on the left, well, it's obvious when you see the other two, duh!

Simone

Then we all went to the lunch place (see http://www.agnietenberg.nl/ and click on De Wintertuin, on the left), and we had a high tea, which is really my style. The lady started by explaining what everything was (brownies, scones, muffins, carrot cake etc), and I was, like, duh, yes, I know. But of course this stuff isn’t very known in Holland yet. Though muffins are up and coming.

Then people decided to start giving us their presents. We hadn’t even planned this in, but this was a good moment! OMG, we got so much, it’s really ridiculous! Hadn’t expected that!

Simone

Then we went for an hours drive to another place were we’d have the horse cart ride thingy (which I can’t really explain!)
We were late, and the cart thingy wasn’t that nice and not romantic at all (cushions were wet, and it hadn’t even rained!) Not that they’re ever romantic, but still, I’ve seen nicer ones! But we had bought blankets to keep us warm, and so we also used them to sit on! And we’d bought some biscuits and chocolates and some packets of juice. Ah, it was all right to fill the gap, and nobody knew we had planned this (only my dad guesses either it was this, or a boat trip on a river).


My brother and his girlfriend on the right. My father in law in the middle.

Simone

Then we went to the Australian Outback restaurant Didgeridoo, which was a great success, see http://www.didgeridoo-restaurant.nl/ It looks really great outside and inside, with heaps of Ozzie things. Like even a lot of the seats/booths are from a Sydney train or something.
And the food is ‘sort of’ Australian. But I think it’s silly to have kangaroo and crocodile, I mean, it’s not really normal to eat that in Oz, well not in my experience.
And they serve Ostrich, and that is actually unforgivable, but I do forgive them.... I have to keep explaining, we don’t have ostriches is Oz. We do have emus but it a completely different bird. 2 toes, 3 toes.......
But, they also had things like snapper, barramundi, lamb (not eaten much here at all), corn on a cob, baked potato with sour cream, lamington. Which is all very Australian compared to here.
They also have meat pie, but it’s a bit fake. Oh, and Rocky road, which they describe (and serve) as a muffin with chocolate ice-cream ??? huh! Well, it was something completely different when we always bought it at the Fruit Barn in Donnybrook among other places. Or does the recipe change??
Ok, I’ll stop obsessing over the food now!
Well, so, everybody enjoyed that! As did we. At about 8.30 it ended, some people had a long drive home. We moved all our stuff from the Beetle into my mums car, cos we were going straight to the hotel, and the Beetle had to go back, so my dad drove the thing back (and afterwards agreed with us that it was a bit scary on the highway, all bumpy and shaking, lol!)

Simone

So we went to the hotel. When we arrived and said our name, and she saw my dress, it was like, “oh, Marleens’s cousin!� (Pascal’s niece works there) “Congratulations, the hotel wants to offer you breakfast in bed, what time would you like it?� We were like, oh cool, as late as possible (10 am) So... that was good. Anyway, hotel was really special, very modern, see http://www.belevingshotel.nl
we went to our room and there was a present from Pascal's cousins and uncle and aunt, bath bubbles, shower mouse etc, and also a present from the hotel, some tea for in the bath, and a candle. Really nice!
And then had a nice quiet weekend!

So, all in all, it was great!

tiredwithtwins

Hi Simone,
your photos are absolutely beautiful, and you look stunning!! Your dress is fantastic - you looked a million dollars!!!!!
Congratulations to you both - you both look very happy!!

sue

ps brought a lump to my throat - I always cry at weddings!!!

tinaj

What a fantastic account- I feel like I was a guest alongside you! You can feel your excitement reading it through and it is obvious that your day was very special. Photos were fantastic and you looked better than Catherine Z-J!!

Many congratulations, I hope you have a long and happy marriage

Simone

Thankyou! And we are verrrrry happy! Though I'm not sure about calling him my husband yet, we're so young, it's sounds soooo wierd!

I am also very pleased with the photo's. I looked much better than usual, of course the dress and fancy hair helps. But I look thinner too, jipeeee!
And luckily the dress wasn't a million dollars, but did look it, lol!!
And of course I chose the best photo's for on here

And, yeah, crying... I didn't think I had to, but a few times my eyes were wet, and I had to bite my lip to not really cry. Cos the celebrant lady was saying things like how much our parents meant to us, and why we wanted to be together, and about us going to Oz next year. My mum had to cry too she said later. But I didn't look at the parents (sitting at the side) on purpose cos I would've really had to cry then!!

Simone

Thank you!
Better than CZJ, yeah right .... but thank you anyway


It's a bit wierd everybody seeing this.... I don't mind the regulars/people I 'know', but it is a bit wierd for others, and they probably think I'm mad posting all this.
Well, I just a very open person, who enjoys sharing (anyway, Mrs Dagboy and Pollyana requested this! lol)
And I'm mad!!

BookBear

Simone,

Your wedding sounded lovely, thanks for the photos. I'm glad it all went smoothly for you both.

Good luck with the next stages.