Fall has officially begun! That means the peak season of our spring and summer brides is over. We certainly have some very special brides getting married in the fall or winter, but the real peak is over.
The perfect moment to look back at all the beautiful weddings, special brides and unique stories we have seen. It always remains incredibly special to get to know brides in such a short time and to be able to share something so intimate - like picking THE perfect wedding dress.
In the coming period we will share stories from our brides more often. We start with Adinda Leene - van Kuijk. She has conquered our hearts with her captivating smile and fine energy. And what a beautiful wedding she had in Italy!
Name: Adinda Leene-van Kuijk Dress + Designer: Rae by Anaïs Anette Wedding date: 21.05.2022 Wedding location: Borgo Petrognano, Val D'elsa, Tuscany Photographers:Milan Goldbach, Ruben Duipmans, Sterre Loots
What should a wedding dress radiate for you?
A wedding dress should above all reflect who I am as a person. I really wanted to feel like myself. But also challenged myself, by stepping out of my comfort zone a bit. The open back of the Rae dress was exactly what I was looking for.
What does a wedding dress mean to you? Celebrating love with my husband in the most beautiful dress, that I also knew he loved. The dress will forever have a special meaning as it reminds me of one of the most special days of my life.
Did you have certain expectations in advance with a wedding dress? I was quite sober beforehand and had to see if I would know when it is the dress when trying on (I heard that so often). Before the first appointment I had already done my homework well and the Rae dress was on my list. I tried on a total of 8 dresses of which the Rae dress was the last. Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw myself in this dress. So this is it… I thought ;-) I was still hesitating between a model by designer Laure de Sagazan, but the second time I had tears in my eyes again. Then of course I knew enough!
How would you describe your style in 3 words? Sexy, Romantic, Stylish
What made Rae the perfect wedding dress for you? The open back, the subtle fabric and the lace on the front and back. Everything I was looking for in a dress. The buttons - which we had placed next to the zipper - finished it off completely. Funny how such a small detail can make such a difference. This was such a great tip from you!
And the veil, of course. I thought: I'm only going to get married once, I want a veil! I chose Anaïs Anette's Jane veil. A veil of very thin tulle through which the open back was still clearly visible.
What were your expectations of a bridal boutique? I really only had 1 bridal boutique in mind and that was you. I felt in everything that I would succeed here anyway. I expected a lot of dresses in my taste and a team of young, but experienced girls. They could have been friends of mine and I thought it was important to have that feeling when making such an important choice.
What did you like most about your experience at Wild At Heart? All the sweet girls! You feel so very comfortable and they quickly figured out what suited me. Of course you experience this every day, but were genuinely so happy for me. It is special to see that enthusiasm and to feel that you really sympathize with a bride to be.
What does a wedding mean to you? Celebrating love with all the lovely people around you. And consciously choose each other. And create a deeper layer in the relationship alongside our two beautiful daughters, in the presence of family and friends.
Who were all present? In total we had 63 guests. All our dearest friends & family were there.
What was the highlight of your wedding? It's hard to pick 1 highlight. It was a succession of so many beautiful moments. My brother and mother who played such an important role, our two daughters, the morning I got ready, our witnesses and good friends who gave such beautiful speeches and the Moluccan song Gandong é sung by my family, too much to mention to call.
But if I have to mention 1 highlight: everyone visibly enjoyed it! The whole group matched each other so well. The wedding was personal and intimate, for everyone it felt like a gift.
What advice would you give to brides-to-be? Really enjoy every second. It sounds cliché, but really tell yourself that you enjoy every second, it goes so fast. Also enjoy the preparations together with your partner. We have said from the beginning that we are not going to stress about anything. You often get married in a beautiful and special place, all your beloved people are there. And there are food and drinks. That's all you really need :-) What if something goes wrong? Well, then things go wrong. In my opinion, it often happens that people think that their wedding has to be perfect, but that makes you forget to enjoy it. A wedding doesn't have to be perfect, just by letting go you enjoy much more.
Daarnaast vonden wij het belangrijk dat er vooral eten & drinken was. Dat werkt altijd verbindend waardoor er een fijne sfeer onderling ontstaat. En muzikanten! Wij maakten liever hier budget voor vrij in plaats van veel geld aan dure bloemen die - bij wijze van spreken - toch niemand ziet… Gasten herinneren zich uiteindelijk hoe de sfeer was en een bos bloemen doet in mijn ogen dan niet zo veel.
Would you like to share something else about your wedding day? It was fantastic and we still get this back every week from family and friends. It was a bubble we lived in for three days and if your guests experience it as special, it really is a gift. We'll hopefully still be talking about this when we're old and wrinkled.
