#EnzoaniRealBride: Elles + Ryan

On the 21st of June 2014, Elles & Ryan married on the day of Swedish holiday Midsommar. They thought it would be nice to give the wedding a Midsommar touch. The children had garlands in their hair and Ellis' bouquet existed out of seven different flowers – according to the Swedish Midsommar-tradition where girls pick seven different flowers and lay it under their pillow, so at night they dream about the man they are going to marry.  

We live in Sweden, but because I’m born in Kapelle (Zealand, NL) and I still feel like a real Dutch girl, I really wanted to get married there. That’s why the ceremony took place in Kapelle; first the civil marriage in the city hall of Kapelle, and then the religious part in the Reformed Church in Kapelle. The reception started shortly after the church service and then we left to De Stelhoeve in Wemeldinge, where both families stayed for the weekend and where we celebrated our wedding with a big barbeque dinner on Saturday. 

Ryan and I know each other because Ryan’s sister married my brother. We saw each other at different family meetings. Not that often, because Ryan and his family lived in Sweden and my family in The Netherlands. But at my brother and his sister’s wedding we met each other. However there wasn’t really a ‘spark’ yet. When I decided to move to Sweden with my brother and his family, Ryan and I saw each other more often. He came around for dinner (in the beginning I lived with my brother’s family), we had a birthday party with the whole Dias family, etc. That’s how we got to know each other better and became more interested in one another.  It took Ryan some guts to ask me out but eventually he tried. I was completely flabbergasted and needed some time to answer. Finally I said “yes” and the next day we went on our first date. At the end of the evening I knew it: “This is him”.

One year later Ryan took me to Gotland, an island in front of the Swedish coast where he spend his military service, to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. Ryan arranged everything and I had no idea what he had planned. Although I had the feeling that a proposal was one of the things he had planned. We went to Visby, a gorgeous medieval town that Ryan knew well. He arranged a beautiful boat trip, a romantic hotel, a guided tour through town, dinner at a renowned restaurant with typical Godland’s food, and even a little bottle of wine in our hotel room. He also brought some mysterious things and he asked the reception for two large cups of ice cubes. After dinner Ryan arranged a walk, which I found a bit suspicious. The way he kept repeating that we would go for a walk after dinner, made me think this could be a very special walk. And that’s what happened. We walked by the old town-wall, till the Kärleksport (The Lovegate) where he brought out a bottle of champagne – that explained the ice cubes. He said he had something for me, but before he would give it to me I had to answer a question….

I waited long for love and the subsequent wedding, so I had a lot of time to fantasize about it. Although I didn’t have a specific image of what dress I would wanted - over the years my taste / preferences changed a couple of times… That’s why at first I couldn’t tell Mirjam from Verliefd Bruidscouture which dress I wanted. During my first visit in her bridal shop I tried on 10 different dresses. Some weren’t my style at all, some were okay, but there was none that were definitely ‘It’, until Mirjam said: “I know it’s not what you’re looking for, but try this one.” In the mirror I saw a princess in a white dream gown, I immediately knew: “This is it!”. Elles chose Halo, Enzoani 2013

My favourite moment is the moment I could finally wear my dress! I tried it on in the bridal shop a couple of times, but every time I had to undress again. I didn’t like this because every time I felt so beautiful and elegant in my dress – a feeling I didn’t have often. But this time I could put it on and keep it on. And I could finally show it to Ryan! I still see myself standing at the top of the stairs at my parents’ home, waiting till I could finally go downstairs to greet my fiancé. That was the only moment that I felt nervous. I was even shaking a bit. Ryan was a bit stunned and didn’t know what to say. He always thought I was pretty, but he couldn’t imagine he would marry such a beautiful bride. 

Vendors: 

Photographer:
Lieneke Uittenboogaard - www.lienekefotografie.nl

Florist:
Bloembinderij ’t Blommetje in Kapelle

Bridal shop:
Verliefd Bruidscouture - www.verliefdbruidscouture.nl

Catering:
Taste Culinair – www.tasteculinair.nl

Registrar:
Bianca Noomen – www.trouwikjou.nl

Party location + stay for the families:
Recreatiebedrijf De Stelhoeve – www.destelhoeve.nl