Together with their families

Lee-Anne and Tiaan

Joyfully invite you to celebrate their wedding

Saturday, 24 July 2027

Het Dikke Torentje

Eemnes · The Netherlands

Lee-Anne and Tiaan sitting together on a sunlit doorstep
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How we got here

Our Story

  1. 2011

    We met in high school

    After getting to know each other for a year, Lee-Anne moved to the Netherlands. Never to be seen again. A short encounter, setting off a ripple in time.

  2. 2020

    We meet again

    Tiaan and Lee-Anne meet for coffee, which turned to dinner. A chance meeting that changed everything.

    Lee-Anne and Tiaan dressed up together at an evening event

  3. 2025

    The proposal

    The start of our forever together.

    Lee-Anne smiling on a candlelit terrace at night, holding out her hand with the engagement ring

  4. 2027

    We say ‘I do’

    We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

    Lee-Anne and Tiaan smiling closely together on a winter day

Where it all happens

The Details

We are getting married at Het Dikke Torentje — a 14th-century village church on the Wakkerendijk in Eemnes, half an hour from Amsterdam and Utrecht. Ceremony, dinner and dancing all happen under the same old roof.

Watercolour painting of Het Dikke Torentje: a brick village church with a pointed tower, framed by trees, with a vintage wedding car on the drive
Wakkerendijk 49
3755 DB Eemnes
The Netherlands
Open in maps
The arched wooden front door of Het Dikke Torentje
The front door
Inside the church: timber ceiling, chandeliers and the old organ
Inside the church

Dress code

Semi-formal. Earthy tones are more than welcome — the grass is soft, so consider your heels.

Getting there

Free parking beside the church. From Amsterdam or Utrecht it is roughly a 35‑minute drive.

Gifts

Your presence is the greatest gift. If you would like to give more, a contribution to our honeymoon is lovely.

Saturday, 24 July 2027

The Timeline

  1. 14:30 – 15:00 Welcome Arrive, find a seat, say hello.
  2. 15:00 – 16:00 Ceremony The part we have been practising for.
  3. 16:00 – 17:30 Toast & Drinks Bubbles, bites and far too many photographs.
  4. 17:30 – 20:30 Dinner Seated dinner in the church.
  5. 20:30 – 01:00 Party Dancing until the lights come on.

Making a weekend of it

Accommodation

A good few of you are flying a long way for this, so here is everything in one place: where to stay, and what to sort out before you get on the plane.

Our recommendation

De Witte Bergen

Van der Valk Hotel Hilversum

Still in Eemnes, a few minutes from the church at the edge of the village where the A1 passes. Straightforward, sensibly priced, and about three quarters of an hour from Schiphol by car — which makes it the easy answer if you are landing rather than driving.

Rijksweg 2, 3755 MV Eemnes
  • Free parking
  • Breakfast buffet
  • Family rooms
  • 24-hour gym
  • EV charging
  • Restaurant & bar
Check availability Route from the church

The nights you probably want are Friday 23 to Sunday 25 July 2027. A Saturday in high summer fills up, so it is worth booking sooner rather than later. You can also call +31 35 539 58 00 or email wittebergen@valk.com — do mention our wedding at Het Dikke Torentje when you book.

We will keep this section updated as the date gets closer.

Flying in from South Africa

For the Morkels, the Snymans and everyone else making the trip north.

Getting here
There are direct overnight flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town into Schiphol. From the airport it is roughly 45 minutes by car to Eemnes. Eemnes has no train station, so hiring a car at Schiphol is far and away the simplest option — and worth sharing between a few of you.
Visas — please start early
A South African passport needs a Schengen visa for the Netherlands. You can apply from 24 January 2027, six months before the wedding, and no later than 15 days before you fly. The Dutch consulate asks you to allow around 25 calendar days for a decision, and longer over the European summer — which is exactly when you will be applying. Please do it the week the window opens rather than the month before.
We can help with the paperwork
If your application needs a formal invitation letter, proof of where you are staying, or confirmation of the wedding itself, just ask — we will put it together and send it over. Tick the box in your RSVP and we will come to you first.
What to expect in July
You are leaving winter and arriving in our summer: usually somewhere around 20 to 24 degrees, long light evenings, and rain that turns up without warning. Bring something light and something waterproof, and do not trust a Dutch blue sky for more than an hour.

Making a holiday of it? Amsterdam, Utrecht and the Veluwe are all inside an hour, and we would love it if you stayed a while. Ask us anything — we have made every one of these mistakes already.

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We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

With love,

Lee-Anne & Tiaan