My Recollections of Our Wedding

 

Friday, October 13, 2006

 
Thankfully we asked everyone to NOT come over until noon, though that only served to slow them down slightly. Jolanda and Eveline, her daughter, had 'hair' appointments at 10am, so in theory I had an hour or so to get my act together in relative peace. Hahahaha. NOT!!! But Jolanda and I had plannned a bit of a surprise for everyone. It seems that since they had only ever seen me in jeans and t-shirts, with a few exceptions when I wore a shirt with buttons, they pretty much expected me to be a tasteless hick and dress in jeans and (hopefully) a nice shirt. So I decided to feed them. I was wearing jeans and t-shirt when everyone started arriving at the house, Jolanda's parents, Matthijs, her oldest son, and his girlfriend, Stefanie, Reinout, her brother, and his wife, Yvonne, with their friend, Gerard, my friends from Haarlem, Sandra and Martijn with their two children, Flynn & Gwen.
 
When Jolanda and Eveline got back from their 'hair' thing, the house was full, lots of energy. So I finally took the opportunity to go upstairs and 'dress' for everyone. Blue jeans indeed, along with my bluest and brightest Hawaiian shirt, a leather dinner jacket, blue boat/tennis shoes. What a sight!!! The looks of shock -- no other word for it -- were priceless. Of course, I had let Reinout, Yvonne and Eveline in on the joke so that they were ready with their cameras to capture the looks on the faces as I came down the stairs. Everyone just had to tell me how wonderful I looked after Jolanda came up and threw her arms around me, telling me how wonderful I looked, how proud she was of me. I was ready to fall down laughing at the obvious struggle on some faces.
 
But then I went upstairs and put on my tux, naturally. Even we ignorant uncultured Americans know how to dress.........sometimes. :)
 
Then Jolanda went upstairs with Eveline to put on her dress -- I haven't seen it yet, at all. When she came downstairs, she was a vision of loveliness. She glowed with happiness and her dress sparkled with the jewels sewn into it. She was so beautiful and I felt so lucky, so proud. Giving her the corsage we had together designed was such a treat. Everything looked perfect, just perfect.
 
So, after some pictures, it was time to head to the school in Wichmond where Jolanda teaches. They had a little something they had put together and both she and they wanted to see her in her wedding dress -- they couldn't beliieve she was marrying someone so old!!!! What a reception they created! I felt like a king being greeted by all the adoring subjects. It was just fantastic. Inside they had prepared skits and music and there were cards and gifts. Incredible. It made me realize just how much Jolanda was loved by her students, and their parents who were also there.
 
But we had limited ourselves to only 30 minutes at the school and it was time to head to Vorden, where we were to be married in the castle there that was built in 1315. We met up with everyone who had been invited to the ceremony and had some pictures before heading into the castle for the ceremony. Very different type of ceremony than what I'd seen before. The bride and groom sit in front of the official for most of it, then stand and hold right hands while they say their "I do's". When it came time for the rings -- Jorrick was our Ring Bearer -- I couldn't get Jolanda's on her finger, so I had to lick/suck on her finger first -- hehehe -- then it slipped right on. Then it was my turn. Bummer, but mine went right on, no licking or sucking required. And we were married. Woo-hoo!!!
 
The witnesses all signed the marriage documents after Jolanda and I, Matthijs and Eveline for Jolanda, Martijn for me. And it was a done deal. Finally. Lots of hugs and kisses and congratulations from everyone, and some more pictures, then it was into another room for champagne and cake(which we also designed, down to the very ingredients). I've never ever been to a wedding where people kept lining up for more wedding cake, never. It was so good!!!!
 
We were then treated to a tour of the castle by its current owner, along with a history lesson about it. Then it was outside for more pictures. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm much more comfortable behind a camera than in front of one, so this was a challenge for me, one that I feel I came through quite well. But now I'm hungry -- we're all hungry -- so it's time to head to Bronckhorst, the smallest official 'city' in Holland, where we were to have our wedding feast at The Golden Lion, built in 1644, with the party to follow in a different area of the establishment.
 
When we got there, the cheese & drinks reception that we had planned pre-dinner was in full swing, but the restaurant staff had had trouble reproducing the napkin fold that I wanted for the dinner, a Bird of Paradise -- we had even had a class with them where I demonstrated and taught them how to do it -- so I jumped in and started folding napkins. Just like old times!!! Reinout and Yvonne, our major domos, placed the place cards at the four tables so everyone would know where to sit. Everyone had a choice of meal styles, meat, fish, chicken, and the food and its presentation were fantastic, very delicious. It was a wonderful meal.
 
And then to the party in the other end of the building where the rest of the friends showed up to join in the celebration. Matthijs had a bit of entertainment planned which he MC'd, and Douwe, Jolanda's boss at school, and her colleagues, also had a skit they had put together. It was great fun. We had hired Jan Muldour for our music. He plays several instruments, not least of which are guitar, saxophone and flute, and I/we had specified that the music was to be of the 60s and 70s with NO macarena, line dancing, etc. And there must be Pink Floyd! There have to be some standards, right?!?!
 
So we whiled the evening away dancing, partying, visiting with friends. It was so much fun. When things finally wound down, Jolanda and I retired to our Charles Dickens Suite -- courtesy of the establishment -- for the night. There was a copy of Great Expectations by the bed and the Charles Dickens museum is right across the street. We were happy, and oh, so tired. We also knew that we had to get to the airport the next day and fly to Florida and then Jamaica for our honeymoon, but that's another tale altogether.