Vincent (46) and Maurice (48) are married on Bonaire: ‘A hot and unforgettable day’

Zoetermeerders Maurice and Vincent were married in 2014 on the beach of Bonaire. They rented a villa as a wedding location and said the yes in the presence of family and friends. They opted for an intimate and casual wedding: “Just before the ceremony, Maurice was still in his swimsuit in the swimming pool.”

Vincent was busy arranging their wedding three years before the wedding date. “We wanted to get married on a tropical island, but not at all destinations are allowed gay marriages. Exactly at that time Bonaire allowed it, after which we decided to get married there.

People who make an effort

Maurice and Vincent have sent their invitation to family and friends two years before the planned wedding date. “We wanted to turn it into an intimate wedding, with only people who really wanted to take the trouble to be there,” says Vincent. “A destination like Bonaire is of course quite expensive, so many people dropped out. It was very special for us to experience this together with our parents, brothers and sisters Plus supporters, best friends, two nephews and niece.”

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Ceremony on the beach

All guests were picked up at the end of the morning by bus and taken to the villa. There they lunch together and enjoyed themselves in the swimming pool until the wedding ceremony. The couple hoisted in a suit that they had bought with both mothers, and walked down the stairs in the direction of the wedding official.

The ceremony took place on the beach, just before Golden Hour. Around sunset a reception with cake and champagne followed on a tour boat that sailed along the coast of the island. After dinner at the villa, they ended the evening with an Antillean band.

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Ugly cake

At the travel company they had booked a wedding package in which a wedding planner arranged everything. One of the few banquet bakers on the island was commissioned to do a tight white cake with mango filling. “During the reception we looked up weird when we saw the cake with rainbow fondant. The baker had certainly done its best, but the cake did not look. With our one -year wedding celebration we still had a traditional cake delivered and all eaten at home.”

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Unforgettable day

Vincent and Maurice met online fifteen years ago. After a relationship break, Vincent stayed with someone in the house in Zoetermeer and Maurice already lived there as a born and raised Zoetermeerder. Their first date was a dinner at Maurice’s home. “After our marriage we bought a new house together here.” Then why not get married in your own city? “We wanted to keep it small and not feel watched as gay post,” says Vincent. “For us it was an unforgettable day on Bonaire.”