Name: Anna van Doorne
Dress + Designer: Elise top & Fransesca skirt - Prea James
Wedding date: 6-10-2023
Wedding venue: Altforst (GE), in the family garden
Photography: Stories by Josan

 
What should a wedding dress exude for you?

For me, a wedding dress exudes authenticity. A custom-made dress that perfectly suits you as a person and emphasizes your authentic qualities.

 

What does a wedding dress mean to you?

For me, a wedding dress means a unique piece that gives me the most confident feeling ever. A dress in which I will forever feel my most beautiful, and how I want to remember the most wonderful day of our lives together.

Did you have certain expectations for a wedding dress beforehand? Were they met?

I had expected that I would choose a very classic dress, also because we got married in the church and I thought that fit very well. And because the inspiration photos I had saved were all very classic in terms of lace and a high neckline. But after trying on various classic options, that style didn't really suit my personality and I felt it wasn't for me.

How would you describe your style in 3 words?

Edgy, comfortable, and timeless

 

What made your dream dress perfect for you?

WOW… that was the feeling my dream dress gave me when I first looked in the mirror. It's hard to put into words, but I felt inside that this was the dress. And when the reactions of my 'entourage' in the fitting room emotionally confirmed this, my feeling was complete, perfect!

What were your expectations of a bridal boutique?

I really hoped that I would succeed in finding my dress in your boutique because I had a very good feeling about you and the designers, so I am really happy that it worked out!

What did you enjoy most about your experience at Wild At Heart?

That my wishes were taken into account extremely well, and of course, that I could share this intensely with my dear friend Sam. She made the experience at your boutique even more personal and unforgettable!

 

What does a wedding mean to you?

A confirmation of choosing each other and expressing that you want to be with each other for the rest of your lives. And allowing this to be expressed in a personal way that identifies us.

Our text on the invitation was: 'Celebrate love with us'. That's mainly how we wanted to shape our wedding. Sharing and celebrating our love for each other with our family and friends around us. 

 

Who all attended?

The evening before the wedding, we kicked off with an extensive dinner with our day guests. These included our families, godparents, and our closest friends. With this group, we also started our wedding day with the ceremony. The church service was open to the public, and we saw that family, friends, and acquaintances had made the effort to attend our celebration. After dinner, about 120 more guests joined, consisting of family and friends, to make it a festive end. An evening filled with live music and a full dance floor.

 

 

What was the highlight of your wedding?

What made our wedding extra special is that my father married us legally. We had him appointed as a registrar for one day, allowing him to marry us. This made our ceremony so personal and intimate, truly becoming the highlight of our wedding. And the unexpectedly beautiful weather that day, which allowed us to have the ceremony in the most beautiful spot in the garden, made it even more special!

 

What advice would you give to future brides?

Go for what YOU want, it's your day so make choices that best suit you. This will make your day very personal and you will never regret your choices. Oh, and definitely don't skimp on lasting memories like a photographer and videographer, those images are priceless!

 

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your wedding day?

It was perfect. We were able to think, look forward, and dream about our wedding for almost 1.5 years. We had hoped our expectations would be met, but it turned out even more beautiful. Thanks to all the help from our dear friends and family, we can honestly say we had the perfect day. We intensely enjoyed the preparations, the days themselves, and our honeymoon. It was our most beautiful day ever, and we are grateful that we will always look back on it this way.