Esther and Danny’s weddings Rotterdam

We love our real bride's weddings Rotterdam and this fun-filled day is no exception. Our WED2B Real Weddings feature reveals more…

Esther and Danny first met in a café in Rotterdam. “I didn’t give him my number but Danny went out of his way to track me down,” says Esther. “After two dinners, the spark struck and I couldn't live without him.” 

Navigating life’s ups and downs

“There was no real proposal,” says Esther. “We always wanted to get married but it never happened due to a lot of setbacks. Having shared all the valleys and climbed the mountains together, everything was going well. We were happy and healthy, so we planned it together and got married on Friday 13th March, exactly 20 years after the day we got engaged. It was the best day of my life.”

Shopping for the dress

"I used to cycle past the WED2B shop in Rotterdam, which is where I found my dress,” says Esther. “The lady who helped us was very patient. Lots of the dresses were almost right, but not quite. She knew in her head exactly what I wanted but she didn’t think it was in stock in my size. Luckily, her colleague said it was there in my size and it turned out it had been hung up wrong. And, then the tears came and I found my dress!” 

Esther chose Constantina, a mermaid style with beautiful lace. “I have a lot of big tattoos on my back and wanted to keep them exposed,” says Esther. “This dress made me look very feminine without looking like a princess, which I’m not. I also bought some lovely ‘Bride’ pyjamas too.”

For similar styles take a look at Magdalena, Annika and August.

Weddings Rotterdam

The couple married at t manneke in Berkel en Rodenrijs. “We wanted everything in one location,” says Esther. “It was a beautiful setting with a nice big flower garden.”

The big day

“The night before I slept at my parents' house with our daughter,” says Esther. “On the day, Danny and our son and daughter-in-law came to pick us up in a beautiful Maserati. The weather was perfect, sunshine all day and nice and warm but not too hot.”

“My husband walked our kids down the aisle first to ‘I Feel Good' by James Brown,” says Esther. “My father then walked me in to the song ‘Still The One’ by Teddy Swims. It was a beautiful ceremony with a smile and a tear.”

Dinner with family and friends

“Afterwards, we had a lovely dinner with all our friends and family and then had a great party,” says Esther. “For our opening dance, we did a bachata to 'Say You Won’t Let Go’. The whole day went like clockwork, I wouldn't have wanted to change anything. It was beautiful.”

“Dinner was a luxury bbq and everything was delicious,” says Esther. “We also had a beautiful three-tier wedding cake with pink marble print and flowers. Our thank yous were little Buddhas to give everyone a little bit of happiness. We also had a DJ and a fantastic photo booth with lots of props, which was really great for young and old.”

The best bits…

“The most memorable moments were the ceremony, where I finally got to marry the love of my life. Plus, the final dance with all our friends and family in a circle around us and ‘You'll Never Walk Alone’ playing through the speakers.”

My top tips…

“Above all, enjoy and stay in the moment,” says Esther. “This is your day, enjoy it because it will be over before you know it. Don't worry about things that are out of your control.” 

Esther and Danny’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Amanda and Giovanni at Media Vidgio

Weddings Rotterdam: 't manneke Berkel en Rodenrijs

Wedding dresses Rotterdam: WED2B

Cake: Danny at Taada Cakes

Hair: Bella Bella by Saskia

If you would like us to feature your big day, like our weddings Rotterdam feature, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for your nearest store and here for what to expect when you visit.