These newlyweds celebrated their love with an intimate luxury wedding day with close friends and family

Krisje and Koen had their first date and first kiss in September 2006, at the Colour Bar in Antwerp. “Koen then proposed in August 2022 at Kalmthoutse Heide, a beautiful nature reserve on the Belgian/Dutch border,” says Krisje. “We were having a photo shoot with our daughter, Manon, at sunset. I turned away for a moment and suddenly Manon came towards me with a box. Then Koen knelt down. All I could say was, ‘Finally’ and ‘Yes!’”

Shopping for the dress

Krisje found her dream dress in wed2b’s Antwerp store. “I went on my own and the store staff were very friendly,” she says. “I showed them which dress I wanted and within an hour I had chosen. My dress was Pax, a modern crepe sheath with stylish tape lace, and I never for a moment regretted my choice. It’s classic but also sweet, stylish and relaxed. It suited me perfectly and I felt absolutely ‘wow’ wearing it.”

A civil ceremony…

The couple had their civil wedding in the Kapellen municipality. “This was followed by a nice and intimate dinner at Il Divino Di Milano, a lovely Italian restaurant  in Gooreind,” says Krisje.

… followed by an intimate luxury wedding

For their main celebration in July, Krisje and Koen booked Domain Martinus, an elegant hotel in Zoersel. “It had everything right there,” says Krisje. “A very nice garden, good food, good service, a live band, a beautiful ballroom and also a hotel attached to it.”

The big day

“The day before the wedding, my friend Valérie helped me decorate the whole setting,” says Krisje. “Then, on the day itself, she helped me get ready, along with my hairdresser and makeup artist. Then my sons, Donelly and Yenno, took me to meet my husband, and our daughter Manon brought the rings. We also took along our vows and my sons' speeches.”

“The ceremony was at 3pm and the live band played ‘If I Say I love You’ by Mumford & Sons.”

Creams, champagne and gold

After the ceremony, the live band kept singing while everyone mingled. “We used light colours for both the wedding outfits and the decor,” says Krisje. “We wanted an intimate luxury wedding and our colours were cream, champagne and a touch of gold. There was no wedding planner, I did it all by myself.”

"For the evening party, music was provided by our DJs Donelly, Ralf and Geoff,” says Krisje. “Everyone danced and had fun!”

The best bits…

“The most memorable moments of the whole day were the ceremony, the people, the venue, the garden and the atmosphere,” says Krisje. “Everything felt perfect and full of love.”

My top tips…

“My best advice is to follow your heart,” says Krisje. “I'm glad I didn't opt for a wedding planner and I got everything arranged in a year. For me, that was the added value.”

Krisje and Koen’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Stefanie Dewel Photography

Venue: Domein Martinus in Zoersel

Wedding dresses Antwerp: wed2b

Caterer: IdemHairstylist: Roots by Caro

Makeup: Elise Pringels

Florist: Florentia Deester

Live Band: All Included

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