Since I met Lotte, it's always about getting married. A year and a half ago, I gave her the DVD The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez, because she started the training to become a wedding planner. Our conversations were not so much about our own weddings (yeah okay, a little bit), but mainly about organizing. Well, that seems really fun to me, but also the most stressful thing that exists. Not for Lotte.

With LOTTE has now existed for almost a year and she has heard some people say “I do!”.

We meet each other at Coffee Coconut, our favorite spot in Amsterdam and order scrambled eggs with avocado and a ginger tea.

Busy weekend

Lottie, two weeks ago you did the weddings of Nicolette van Dam and Lilian Bunders. Both on July 4th. One in Spain and the other in Amsterdam. You are already the best wedding planner ever for me, because how can you be in two places at once?

“Well, that’s not possible, of course. Nicolette had been planned for a while, so she took priority. I joined Lilian a bit later to take over the organization and handed over the script to someone else a week before the date.”

Crazy work

At Lilian's, there were also camels at the party, how did you get those?

“I did research for that, but it was easy because there were already sheep at their engagement party, so I knew where to look.”

Did Nicolette have any of those funny wishes?

“No, that was actually quite manageable. It was the most romantic weekend ever. I seriously only have one word for it and that was love. I often had to hold back from crying myself. I think I need to remain professional. But well, in some videos, I secretly let myself go.”

Dress code

Of course, we extensively viewed the photos from July 4th in the editorial office, especially the dresses. Both a hit. What do you wear when you are working? Comfy shoes, I assume?

“No, I wear heels, but just not too high. Later in the evening, I sometimes switch to something flat. I always try to stick to the wedding theme. For Nicolette, for example, it was summer chic and preferably short. I chose a soft green dress with sheer sleeves. I always send photos of my outfit to the bride first (Lotte kept saying bride, melts…). I want to make sure she’s okay with it. And of course, a handy bag that I can wear crossbody. I always have a small scissors, sewing thread, pen and paper, my phone, and blister plasters with me. For anyone.”

Super nervous

I can imagine that the organization leading up to the wedding makes the couple nervous. You must need a lot of patience for that, I think?

“The first thing I ask is to make the guest list. That’s an incredible task where most disagreements arise. Once that’s done, we’re already quite far. Besides, every woman already knows how her wedding should look. We all dream about that as young girls, right?

The men so we often go along with what the women want and leave it a bit to them. Because of that, they sometimes don’t know what to do and feel a bit useless. Assigning tasks. That’s what I do. Like making a playlist, arranging cigars for his friends, and keeping an eye on the budget. That keeps us busy for a while. Nick (from Lilian's wedding) wrote all the invitations, which is also a nice calming task.”

Money on the bank

The budget, huh, if I want a somewhat decent wedding, how much should I have saved? Should I start now?”
“Well, they say 15,000 euros, but if you really want good champagne, it’s more. By the way, the dress is not included in that. That’s always separate and if the bride is lucky, it’s paid for by parents or in-laws (think about 4000 euros), which happens often.

Catering and the dress actually cost the most money. Renting a venue is manageable, of course, it becomes a different story if it’s a multi-day wedding. I always try to find something where you don’t need tents. They are ridiculously expensive. For the rest, I make sure to get deals for the couple everywhere. No matter how much money they have to spend, I ensure I stay within budget. I also enjoy asking friends around me to help out. A friend of mine, for example, is making the wedding cake for this weekend and I want to ask two other friends for catering soon. That way, I build my own little black book. Well, you can make it as crazy or as low budget as you want.”

And what about you?

“I am very flexible, I can also just give advice, be present only on THE day, or be involved in the entire organization and lead-up. Those things differ in price, but I always work it out with the couple.”

Your own day

I assume you can already see your own wedding in your mind?

“So, do you have a moment? I definitely want to be engaged for at least a year. I think “fiancée” sounds nicer than ‘my husband’. Then I have two ideas for the wedding. One lasts a whole year and then a small party each season. Each time a different group of people and then at the end of the year an intimate ceremony followed by a huge party. Then I have another option, which is a world trip, just a deux. In each country, we marry again in the style of their culture, with traditional clothing and such. When we return, a party for family and friends.”

Hallelujah, that’s quite a party.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m not getting married yet. Oh yeah, while I’m at it: a black engagement ring I would find very beautiful. Just like in Sex and the City.”

Well, and who on earth dares to be your wedding planner?

“I hope I’ll be a bit bigger by then and can ask for an assistant. Of course, I help a lot with the organization, but on the day itself, I let everything go. Really, I notice that with every couple: once the date has arrived, they don’t worry about anything anymore.”

You can see more beautiful wedding pictures at With LOTTE