You can visit a museum, but you can also get married in the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen. So did Damy and Maureen (27), who said yes to each other in the Wieringer chapel. “The nostalgia it exudes, I think it’s very beautiful.”
They have been together for almost 11 years. Where Maureen already dreamed as a young girl, that was not immediately the case with Damy. Great was the surprise when he got down on his knees before her. On the day of their wedding, the weather is not good, but the newlyweds arrive at the Zuiderzee Museum at exactly the right time.
45 weddings a year in the Zuiderzee Museum
There they are greeted with applause by friends and family. From there they walk through the historic outdoor museum to the Wieringer chapel: a popular wedding location in Enkhuizen. About 45 marriages are celebrated every year. Ever started in the 1970s when the museum was just under construction.
When everyone is seated, the bridal couple enters the chapel, sit down, and are welcomed by wedding official Judy Kaagman. And despite the fact that the couple have prepared the wedding down to the last detail, there are nerves. “I thought it was quite exciting,” says Maureen. “Especially in the beginning, but then the tension washed away,” adds Damy.
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Laughing at the yes: ‘A bit dry in the throat’
When Damy says yes, his voice rises briefly, followed by another yes. The room no longer comes to, the bridal couple also burst into laughter. “A bit dry in the throat, my tie was tight. But twice counts,” says the groom laughing.
The choice to get married in the Zuiderzee Museum is a conscious one. “It is very atmospheric. Also nice to get married in a chapel instead of a town hall,” says Damy. It also has a special reason for Maureen. “I work here and it feels like my second home to me, so where better to get married.”
Exceeded expectations
After the ceremony, the reception will follow, a little further on in the museum. After cutting the cake, the tension is gone and the couple enjoys the beautiful day. “It’s even better than I had imagined. To see everything like this was very nice,” said Maureen. Damy thinks so too. “Looking back on it now, it exceeded expectations.” And then the dinner and the big party has yet to begin.