The Wedding Day

Saturday, the eighteenth of September, two thousand and twenty-seven

The order of the day

Saturday 18 September 2027, Parc Broekhuizen, Leersum. Times are a working plan, good to within half an hour; final times here spring 2027.

  1. From 14:30 · Gates openCome up the drive, take a drink, photograph the house. Please be seated by 15:15.
  2. 15:30 · CeremonyAbout 30 minutes, on the lawn, in English. One Dutch reading, printed with its translation. Phones away.
  3. 16:00 · Drinks on the terraceNinety minutes of champagne and canapés. Please talk to someone you did not fly in with.
  4. 17:30 · Photographs in the groundsTen minutes of us in front of a camera. Gardens and cellar bar open; staying put with a drink is respectable.
  5. 18:30 · DinnerSeated, several courses, unhurried. Speeches arrive between the courses, not stacked at the end.
  6. 21:45 · First danceCoffee, something sweet, the last speeches, then we clear the middle of the room.
  7. 22:00 · DancingUntil late. The playlist is a negotiated settlement between a Dutchman and an American.
  8. 00:30 · Late foodSomething hot and unglamorous appears, as it must.
  9. 01:00 · FarewellA last song, then goodbye at the door. Arrange your ride home before you arrive.

Black tie optional, and we mean optional

Black tie if you enjoy it
A tuxedo will be in good company. A dark suit and tie is equally correct and equally welcome.
For Dutch guests, translated
Your best dark suit with a tie, or the dress you would wear to a gala. Not jacquet, not smart-casual.
Floor-length or cocktail, both right
Nobody is counting. Our colours are deep green and gold — not an instruction, just useful.
White and ivory are Ally’s
She has waited a long time for her turn.
Block heels, wedges or flats
The drive is gravel, the ceremony is on grass, and stilettos lose both. Heel stoppers cost three euros.
Bring a layer for after sunset
The terrace is the best part of the evening and it is genuinely cold out there by eleven.

Three days, if you can spare them

Only Saturday is the wedding. The other two are us being greedy about your company.

Friday — welcome drinks
An easy evening for anyone already in the country. Venue named here in spring 2027.
Saturday — the wedding
Mid-afternoon until well past midnight. Do not book a nine o’clock dinner anywhere else.
Sunday — a slow breakfast
Late, long and entirely optional. Place and hour confirmed alongside the Friday plan.

Answered before you ask

Flights, trains and where to sleep live on the travel page. These are about Saturday.

Is the ceremony outdoors?
On the lawn, seated, about 30 minutes. If it rains it moves under cover on site: same hour, same seats, same order.
Will it be in English?
Yes, everything from the front. A toast or two wanders into Dutch and back, and the order of service carries translations.
Can we take photographs?
Not during the ceremony — phones away for 30 minutes. Every other hour, take everything you can.
How do we get home at 01:00?
Book a car in advance; ride-hailing is thin in Leersum at night. We are trying to arrange a shuttle and will confirm by spring 2027.
Is there parking?
Yes, at the estate. Leave the car overnight and collect it on Sunday if the evening goes the way we hope.
Are children invited?
We are settling it one way for everyone, stated here and on your invitation by spring 2027.
Food I cannot eat, or access needs?
Use the notes box on the RSVP form. There is gravel between car park and house; ask and we will have you dropped at the door.
Is there somewhere quiet?
We are asking the estate for a room to step out of the noise, for anyone, at any point. No explanation required.
Should we bring a gift?
No. You are crossing an ocean already. If you would still like to, the registry page has the one easy option.

Worth bookmarking

Tell us you are coming

Details firm up on this page through spring 2027, but the shape of the day will not move. The estate needs final numbers, so please RSVP when you are ready.