Happy & Healthy

THE WEDDING PART TWO

by Marion Pauw

As I announced, here is part two of my three-part wedding report. And there is so much to tell:

On the day Chris proposed to me, we immediately decided that we wanted to get married in Mallorca. We had been there together in September 2015 and absolutely loved it. It seemed super nice to spend a few days with our besties and then get married as the cherry on top.

We had planned to keep it nice and simple. After all, we were only with a small group of people who were also our best friends or family. How hard could it be? With a little birthday party, you quickly have a decent number of people over, and you do everything yourself. For the wedding day, of course, we had everything taken care of, but the days around it we would just do a little ourselves. Chris and I both love cooking, and shopping in a Spanish supermarket is of course also a lot of fun.

We had rented a great finca. Check it out: finca Osa Major. We slept here with our witnesses and our children. That was actually quite tricky: the witnesses. Because of all my friends I had invited, everyone could have been my witness. It's a bit silly that you suddenly have to create a hierarchy in friendships when you get married. But well, you can't escape that. And the people who didn't sleep at the finca all had little hotels nearby and still came to hang out by the pool and eat with us.

We hadn't really realized beforehand how intense it would be that forty people would come. All coming especially for you. Overwhelming you with heaps of love and attention. It was just really a lot. Especially for me, who normally spends whole days happily typing alone. And when you also have to think about groceries, you go completely crazy. It was beautiful to see how our friends sensed that and naturally took over the whole organization from us. One went cooking, another went grocery shopping, another set the table (for around 30 people, because it was constantly so cozy that everyone kept coming), and another cleared the table. And what was also so nice: everyone became friends with each other!

According to an Italian friend, rain on your wedding day brings luck (“a wet bride is a happy bride”).

We went to Mallorca for the nice weather, but on the day of the wedding, dark clouds hung over the finca. According to an Italian friend, rain on your wedding day brings luck (“a wet bride is a happy bride”). It was just extremely stressful for the owner of the finca, Brenda. She had to come up with all sorts of alternatives in case it started pouring down and we couldn't eat outside. Strangely enough, I was completely relaxed about it. I realized that it’s not at all about the dream dress, the dream location, the dream-whatever, but about what you feel when you look at each other and say ‘yes’ to each other. (but I was just as happy with the dream-everything, of course!). In the end, it started to rain a little during the ceremony, and we all held up an umbrella. And that actually created a very cozy atmosphere.

And then a little about the clothing, because this is still Amayzine (so you probably want to know something about that). My wedding dress was made by Moroccan designer Saïd Mahrouf. I had spotted a dress of his in orange-red on the catwalk and asked him to make it in white. See the photos for the result. What I found very beautiful about it was that it is a fairy-tale dress with a dramatic train and back neckline, but not a typical bride's dress. I didn't feel completely comfortable in that. I did have an extremely long veil that looked amazing in the photos. So tip: wear a veil!

I did have an extremely long veil that looked amazing in the photos. So tip: wear a veil!

I also had two other dresses for the wedding. Because hey, if you're getting married, you might as well go all out. My friend Ashkaine Hora Adema, who just happens to be a stylist, made a really cool skirt for me. A kind of Sex and the City-like tutu with a golden band. Above that, I wore a strapless golden top. In this outfit, I welcomed the guests, so the dress could remain a secret. The skirt was quite sheer, so I had put on a kind of hot pants underneath. I saw a few people looking a bit shocked, haha.

For the pool party afterwards, I had – which I found very funny – scored a slightly tacky white dress with a lot of bling and fringes at the Albert Cuyp market. And believe me: after spending several hours in a dress with a train, it’s really nice to be able to put on something light.

We planned to dance until the sun came up, but we just didn't make it. We did go to the beach the next afternoon where a reggae band was playing. We also danced wonderfully together there.

What I was very happy about was that I really got to enjoy all this greatness to the fullest. From my super handsome amazing man who can also dance very well and did so a lot. From my children who were visibly happy for their mom. From all our dear friends who have now also become friends with each other.

We were really exhausted from all the emotions and experiences when we boarded the plane the following Tuesday. I now also understand why people go on honeymoon immediately after the wedding. You really need that for a bit. We are only going on a trip together at the end of November. And we also had part three back in the Netherlands: the wedding reception. More about that next time.