20 couples will marry on Saturday, June 21, at a place where you normally zoom past at 100 kilometers per hour: the A10-South. During the festival On the Ring, a section of the highway will be transformed into a wedding venue, complete with guests, bubbles, and an audience.
Each couple can bring 75 guests. There will be cake and a toast, a refreshment area for the final touches on dresses or ties, and a proposal spot for those who want to pop the question themselves.
Mayor marries first couple
The first ceremony is at 10:40 AM. Mayor Femke Halsema will marry the first couple. Alderman Hester van Buren will also officiate a couple later that day. Between the weddings, there will be a festival: music, installations, food, and performances. And thus, applause and a kiss from the wedding spot at kilometer marker 19.6.
Now we are going for the real thing in Amsterdam
Tianyi Wang from China and Fernando Urrechaga from Spain met via Tinder. Their first date was coffee and apple pie in an Amsterdam café. “I had a lot of doubts because we had little in common,” says Tianyi. “But soon Fernando invited me for a second date.” They turned out to live on the same street in Buitenveldert. Their love grew quickly, and they moved in together.
Engagement ring
During a visit to his parents in the Basque Country, Fernando unexpectedly asked her to choose an engagement ring. Tianyi: “We went inside, but all the rings were very expensive. We decided to postpone the choice. Only during dinner did it dawn on me that he had proposed to me.
Special
We already had a small ceremony in China where both families were present. Now we are going for the real thing in Amsterdam. The city that is our home and has changed us. Marrying on the Ring feels special to us, something we experience together.”
Since the first date, we have been together
Nick Spangler and Kelly Chiu are born Amsterdammers. They met via Facebook. “Since the first date, we have been together,” says Nick. “She didn’t want to leave.” Kelly: “We both grew up with a grandparent in the Jordaan. Everything about us is Mokum. I’m glad I got the approval of his Jordane grandmother.”
Proposal
The proposal happened during a vacation in Greece. Nick: “Out of nerves, Kelly could only say ‘oh no, oh no’. But she meant ‘yes’. And luckily! Because she is really my girl. A powerful woman with a lovely Amsterdam face, beautiful eyes, and a smile.”
Typical for you
They both continue to live in their own homes. Kelly: “Also because of my children. Many people find that strange. But it doesn’t matter. We do it our own way.” According to their friends, marrying on the Ring is typical for you.
With him, I feel truly at home for the first time
Zuzanna Lisowska and Yuri Iozzelli met just before corona. They walked through the Nelson Mandela Park and quickly met again. When everything closed down, they saw each other more often. After 4 months, they moved in together.
Calm
“I am always on the go: rowing, drumming, hobbies,” says Zuzanna. “My mind is everywhere and nowhere. Yuri is calm and balanced. With him, I feel truly at home for the first time.”
Tuscany
She proposed to him in Tuscany during lunch. “I didn’t want to make a drama out of it. Yuri’s worst nightmare is that all of a sudden, all attention is on him. And yet we are getting married on the Ring.”
Every bond is different
Besides Mayor Halsema and Alderman Van Buren, the weddings are officiated by 13 Amsterdam wedding officiants. Some have been in service so long that they recognize couples on the street, or vice versa. “Hey, we have a child!”, people shout then.
Casual
“Every bond is different and unique,” they say. An Amsterdam wedding is often casual, with room for personal input. Rings are not mandatory; sometimes a wedding tattoo is revealed. Sometimes there is no applause, but waving. And on this day: married on the Ring.
Photos: Roos Trommelen