Organic & Grass-filled Netherlands Beach Wedding

Who knew The Netherlands was such a smashing beach destination? (Okay maybe you all did, and okay yes I can see the map…)

But really, while we know it’s on the coast, generally speaking when we dream up weddings in Holland it conjures fields of vibrant tulips, iconic windmills & colorful homes. While we LOVE such things, this dreamy, taupe-colored, dried grass-filled Netherlands beach wedding is something unique.

And as all weddings do, this gorgeous celebration has plenty of stories & personal details that make it extra special. The longtime couple baptized one of their sons on the same day (how sweet?!) and the entire wedding was planned based on the advice of a dear passed family member: make your wedding day absolutely what you want – which we wholly endorse.

Our Love Story

From Eva’s point of view: It was just before New Year’s Eve. I was successfully single for a year and I wanted to stay that way because three weeks later I would fly to New Zealand for a few months for work & travel. Shortly before New Year’s Eve, I messaged with Markus on a page similar to Facebook. So far we only knew each other from the internet.

After some messages, I suggested making a phone call. This became Markus’ longest phone call of his life. Over five hours we talked about everything. I immediately fell in love with his voice and his sense of humor. Since I was planning a big New Year’s Eve and farewell party, I spontaneously invited Markus as well. Although Markus lived 150 km away, he actually came to my party.

Long after midnight, when all the guests were already gone or sleeping, he pulled me in passing and kissed me. This was the special moment! We immediately became a couple. But first, we had to survive the separation by New Zealand. We did! And even though Markus had to go to Afghanistan for five months after my return (he was a soldier), we also survived this first difficult year full of spatial separations, fears and yearning one after the other.

Exactly nine years after we met, on our anniversary, the proposal followed. It was New Year’s Eve again and after we came back into the house with our children from the fireworks and the celebration, I put on my jogging pants first, of course. That is what I do.

I took Markus in my arms and thanked him for the last 9 years, our two wonderful children and that he stands by me and my family in this difficult time of my stepfather’s cancer. He said, “Wait a minute and close your eyes, I have a little something for you.” When I opened my eyes, he knelt down in front of me and asked me if I wanted to become his wife. I forgot to answer. But since I had been waiting for this moment for ages, the answer was actually clear!

The Ceremony

Since we had already gotten married in Germany one year before (my stepfather was able to join us on this wonderful day!), it was no problem to get married in a Protestant church abroad. The old church is beautiful and our pastor preached a sensitive and humorous sermon that fascinated the guests.

For the music in the church, we decided against organ music in an unconventional way. Our musician Thilo played our family song “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” accompanied by his ukulele and other pieces with guitar accompaniment. He is incredible! You have to listen to him.

The Photography & Videography

Choosing Kathrin Krok as our photographer was a decision from the bottom of my heart. I met her at the Vintage Wedding Fair and was immediately in love with her and her pictures. One picture moved me to tears and I knew: I had to have her! I was able to convince Markus immediately when he met her personally.

This decision was exactly the right one! She not only captured the most wonderful moments of our wedding and the christening and made them unforgettable, no – she was also at my side every single moment of the day, supported me and made me laugh. She was like my Maid of Honor. Since then, I’ve called her “the best non-maid of honor in the world”. Even today I still have a lot of contact with Kathrin and she has become a good friend. I am very happy that now I can also support her at her own wedding with small flower arrangements and that I can also be a part of her wedding.

Our videographer Kat Erdelyi is also a photographer and would now like to add videography to her services. Therefore she offered to support our wedding for free. This was great luck for us and we are incredibly grateful to her! She has done her job so well, is an absolutely lovely person and we wish her continued success!

The Destination & Venue

At the time when I received the marriage proposal from my husband, my stepfather was in the hospital at the age of 52, as he had had a serious stroke and turned out to have terminal cancer. He was so happy to hear that we were finally getting married. He and my mother had married only six years earlier and her wish was a beach wedding. Because the families were against this idea, they decided to marry only in a beach club near Cologne (not at the sea). In his sickbed he gave us the tip: marry exactly how you want it! It does not matter what others say. It is your day!

So we decided on the sea in the Netherlands. With Holland, we have so many common memories, also common holidays with our two children, my stepfather and my mother. We already fell in love with the Witsand in pictures. When we could finally visit it live in Noordwijk, it was clear to us: this is where we will get married and have our youngest son Toni baptized at the same time! At that point, my stepfather had unfortunately already lost the fight against cancer. He would have loved it there!

The Dress

I found my wedding dress in the wonderful bridal shop of the “Brautbluete“. It was indeed “love at first sight. Although I tried on others and more expensive dresses, no dress came close to “my dress from Anna Kara“. On top of that it had been reduced by 50% that very day. I am sure it was a gift from heaven from my stepfather. The customer service was incredibly great. I can only recommend it to every German bride: look for your wedding dress at the “Brautbluete”!

The Decor & Florals

My heart beats for the cool, boho style. Unconventional and natural. The location fits perfectly to my style. The colour palette resulted almost automatically from my love for dried flowers, the beach and the sea: white, beige and a light greyish blue.

Since I love to work with natural materials and have always been creative, I wanted to do as much as possible by myself. So I created the following things: macrame, flower-wreaths, a painted branch with mandalas, two big seaweed baskets with pampas grass, palm leaves and dried proteas, dyed table runners made of gauze, flags made of dyed gauze…you see, when it comes to decoration I am in my element. That’s why I also wished to decorate our wedding by myself. On the morning of the wedding, with the help of my dear husband and two wonderful friends, I decorated the location in two hours before we went to get ready.

For the rest of the floral decoration, like the wonderful table arrangements, we were supported by dear Janet from “Mehr Konfetti, bitte“. Janet is a soul of a person and I have taken her into my heart. We have been in contact for a long time and when we found out that she was decorating the wedding in the neighboring beach club on the same day of our wedding, she offered to support me as well. The incredible bridal bouquet was a wedding gift from Janet to me. Isn’t she a sweetheart?

Advice to Other Couples

Choose your vendors not just by their skills but also by your sympathy. They will make your day and your memories as well filled with the extra portion love.

On your day, just let it flow. It’s not important that everything is perfect. If someone ruins your dress with coffee, don’t cry or be mad, just laugh and enjoy. It’s a special moment you’ll never forget. (It happened to me, too).

Give the tip to your vendors in advance – they will love you for that and will try harder to support you.