Spontaneous wedding photography in South Limburg: capturing unforgettable moments
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of photographing a beautiful wedding in South Limburg, filled with heartwarming emotions and unforgettable moments. The day began with capturing the bride's makeup and her best friend at her parents' home in Nuth, where Marlou took care of both the bride’s makeup and hair. The atmosphere was wonderfully relaxed—while the mother got dressed, Dorien and Michael’s little daughter was also dressed. Together with her mother, the bride hung her wedding dress on a beautiful tree in the garden, creating a perfect moment for me to photograph their daughter's adorable little dress.
Capturing the bride getting dressed: the moment to wear the stunning wedding dress
Then it was slowly time for the bride to put on the stunning wedding dress, with the help of her mother, while Marlou styled the hair of the little one. Michael was already on his way in their beautiful classic convertible wedding car. He stopped in front of the door and was warmly welcomed by his mother-in-law before walking toward the beautiful garden, where the couple would meet for the first time in their wedding attire.
Wedding theme: Lord of the Rings featured in the boutonnieres
The wedding theme, "The Lord of the Rings," was reflected in every detail, starting with the boutonnieres. Dorien had hand-crafted them from book pages with this theme in mind. She also created the beautiful bridal bouquet herself (which took 100 hours to make), with flower petals from book pages and a ring attached to the stems.
The bride's ladder entrance into the wedding car
Getting into the wedding car was a bit of an adventure. Since the car had no doors, the bride had to climb into the car using a ladder. She then squeezed between layers of fabric and her hoop skirt. As a finishing touch, she was given a cloth around her hair to protect her bridal hairstyle. Dorien was beaming with joy the entire day, laughing at the adventure.
Getting married at Hoensbroek Castle Museum
I quickly headed to Hoensbroek Castle, where the civil ceremony would take place in a beautiful wedding hall within the museum. After photographing the arrival, the humorous ladder entry, and the walk over the bridge to the castle, the beautiful ceremony began. Of course, their adorable daughter played a significant role by bringing the box with the rings and a bracelet for herself.
Guard of honor at Hoensbroek Castle and wedding reportage in "Living History Limburg" setting
After the ceremony, the newlyweds were greeted with a guard of honor on the bridge. Then, it was time for delicious wedding cake (which I personally tested) and a toast in the castle hall. Once everyone had gathered on the terrace for drinks, I joined Dorien and Michael for their wedding reportage around Hoensbroek Castle. We started with some photos with the wedding car, followed by a few beautiful shots with their daughter. I used the Living History Limburg backdrop for the next part of the wedding reportage. Michael was draped in a real bearskin, which was quite warm, but the photos turned out beautifully.
Editing wedding photos for the evening presentation at Hoensbroek Castle
When the wedding dinner buffet began, I headed home to edit a selection of wedding photos that would be shown during the evening party via a projector.
Capturing the opening dance in Rock and Roll style
At 8:30 PM, I returned to capture the opening dance, a Rock and Roll dance for which the bride had changed into a special outfit. We also made use of the golden hour, with the stunning sunset providing a perfect backdrop for some beautiful photos. The rest of the evening was filled with candid shots of speeches, people dancing, and several more photos of Dorien and Michael, illuminated by the spotlights of the castle.
At around 10:30 PM, I said goodbye to this lovely couple, having captured so many beautiful moments throughout the day.
