Jojanneke & Jaap-Jene: Rustikales Hochzeitsfest Destination, Hochzeiten, rustikal schön

Jojanneke and Jaap-Jene were next door neighbors while growing up and had known each other for 12 years before they started dating. Jaap-Jene had plans to propose to Jojanneke but he just couldn’t find the perfect ring, so he designed it himself and had it made especially by Rob van der Ham. It was finished right before they went on vacation to Sicily. They had booked a romantic hotel with a sea view. One night it was simply perfect: they were drinking prosecco while sitting outside by the cliffs enjoying a beautiful sunset. Jaap figured this to be the perfect moment to pop THE question. Jojanneke happily accepted.

Their wedding day was simply gorgeous. They both love the outdoors, high grass and wild flowers. All of these elements were incorporated in their day. They chose the historic venue Fort Vuren (an ancient citadel) as their venue for the entire day. Jojanneke found a lot of inspiration on blogs and paid a lot of attention to the details. All the stationery was designed by her. Their wedding rings are their own design also. Jaap wore cufflinks previously owned by his grandfather, and they are actually real working counting frames. Jojanneke found all the vases in thrift shops, and she collected them for months prior to the day.

The theme for the day was “live in love,” and love was incorporated in everything. The favors were packed in cute boxes (the favors were rose quartz stones) for each guest. Both the ceremony and dinner (a barbeque) were outside on the grounds of the citadel. They opted for a first look in the backyard of Jojanneke’s parents’ home, underneath Jojanneke’s favorite tree. I used the same tree to photograph her gorgeous dress in. Another personal touch was the time capsule they both created. They added personal items and letters to each other and shut the box during the ceremony. The box will be stored for the next 10 years so they can open it at a later time and be reminded of their love for each other and the special time surrounding their wedding. Jojanneke’s sister, Lotte, actually made the wedding cake herself (in just three hours!) and it looked so pretty with the “live in love” cake topper and the fresh roses. Since the citadel is located near the water, they chose to use a water taxi as transport from their home to the venue. It made a nice change from arriving by car! Jojanneke wore killer heels, but since she loves her cowboy boots, she brought those along for the photo shoot. Instead of rose petals or rice, Jojanneke had crafted little bags of doilies with fresh lavender for their exit after the ceremony. Smelled great!