I've not been to many weddings and any I have been to have been in the UK and in churches. So there's a lot of firsts for me. A registry office wedding(Or the Dutch Equivalent), a wedding between two men, my first Amsterdam wedding and my first wedding where the happy couple arrive and leave in a boat.
All in all I get to be a tourist with a new adventure in Amsterdam which I used to think was a rare thing, but I've come to realise it's a question of frame of mind. Despite the weather report, it's a lovely day. The view over the Amstel is beautiful and reminds you how nice the city can be.
The wedding takes place in the City Hall - which is commonly called the "Stopera":
I make the mistake of entering through the wrong door, so have to wander all the way through the various functions of the building. It's slightly bigger than the small registry office in my home town. I see a few people I know and realise that I am moving in the right direction. I arrive in time to see the couple come out of a very decorated boat which has arrived from their home a few canals away. Most of the people who are here, are people who I know from bar's and party's around my friend's home, so for a good while, I spend time looking at these cleaned up and dressed up versions of the people I know. The people are looking the same way at me - my preparation yesterday must have been time well spent.
Eventually the ceremony starts. I am surprised at how friendly and relaxed the registrar is. He is very good at making everyone feel relaxed and happy. The room is packed with about 60 people.
The ceremony is roughly the same legally as it is in the UK. There's a poem reading by a Scottish woman who is a friend of the couple. The registrar commends her on her "sexy" accent. I can't imagine this ad-libbing in a UK ceremony, but what would I know. Before long the proceedings are over and we have a married couple:
The couple then leave so that they can eb greeted by all the guests - a surprise awaits outside. Someone has organised a piper to be outside.
He plays all the standards(Scots way hey, Flower of Scotland, Mairie's Wedding etc.) I'm pretty shocked to discover that the piper is Dutch. It's a pretty strange profession for a Scotsman - there are far more interesting instruments in my opinion - but for a Dutch man???
We are soon back at the marital home. There is Champagne and some wonderful food:
The dancing then begins. 4.45pm may be the earliest I've ever salsa danced. I eventually head home around midnight, as I want to conserve my energy for the weekend, but not before getting a photo of the happy couple on top of the cake.
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