Rehearsal Dinner

Meet and Greet at the Marriot

Breakfast - Brunch @ Bistro Meraki

Oude Vismijn

Wedding Day

Guests Arrive

Wedding Ceremony

Booze Cruise

Reception

Dinner

First Dances and Dance Party

See you August 26, 2023

Our Wedding

Our Story / Ons Verhaal

We were on a skiing adventure in the Swiss Alps with Dorien's mom (Kristel) and her boyfriend Koen. Andy had the ring and knew he wanted to propose somewhere close to the Matterhorn, the iconic mountain in the Zermatt ski area of Switzerland. The first day we had snowboarded over close to the mountain but it was quite icy and for the rest of the trip Dorien had wanted to avoid this area. On the second to last day of the trip Andy was able to drag Dorien back to that area of the ski resort so he could scout out a place where he could pop the question. On the last run of the day, he finally found the perfect place. Well off the trail on the side of a cliff was perched what looked like a balcony right next to the Matterhorn. There was even a single set of tracks in the snow leading up to the spot, proving that it could be accessed. But how was Andy going to convince Dorien to make the long hike to this rickety walkway? Easy, lure her there by telling her it would be a great spot to drink some champagne and take a great picture! Thinking ahead, Andy had even already purchased a couple of small bottles of champagne and some cheap plastic champagne glasses the day before while in the grocery store. Andy suggested the idea to Dorien and she was agreeable. The plan was coming together. Andy snapped this picture and circled the area so that he could explain the location to Kristel and Koen, in case they wanted to wait for us at the bottom.

Finding the Right Spot

Andy told Kristel and Koen to leave a half hour after we left and by that time we should be up to the proposal site. We set off for the day with Dorien carrying the plastic champagne glasses and Andy carrying the champagne bottle and the ring. We were going through the turnstiles to the first lift when Andy heard a loud cracking sound coming from Dorien's area. It was the cracking of the plastic champagne glasses that were in Dorien's jacket pocket as she pushed her way through the turnstile. Off to a good start! We finally got to the spot where we would leave the ski trail and start hiking. After a few feet Dorien turned around as if to ask "are you sure about this?" Andy didn't think it would be that long of a hike and so we continued.

Starting the Hike

After walking a few hundred feet, we realized that the hike was going to be much more difficult than any of us anticipated. There was a layer of snow on top, then a crusty/icy layer (which would almost support our weight) and then like two feet of soft snow beneath the crust. Every time we would take a step our feet would bust through the crusty layer and our legs would sink into the snow up to our thighs. This phenomenon seemed to affect Dorien more than Andy for some reason. Dorien became increasingly frustrated with every step and soon was really trying to convince Andy to turn around and go back. Andy kept encouraging Dorien since he did not have a backup plan. After stopping to rest/recharge her emotional batteries several times, Dorien never gave up and kept going. Andy snapped this picture very sneakily. It shows a dejected Dorien up to her waist in snow. He knew that if caught taking the picture, the whole operation would likely go up in smoke.

The Long Hike Up

Since the trip was taking much longer than originally anticipated, Kristel and Koen showed up well before we were at the secret spot. While Dorien was resting in waist deep snow, she was looking around and somehow spotted her family watching from below, several hundred yards away, exclaiming "What are my mom and Koen doing down there!?" At this point, Andy thought Dorien was definitely going to put two and two together and figure out what was happening, as she had often done before. Fortunately, Andy had conditioned Dorien over several years that we were probably never getting married. Therefore, when Andy told Dorien that her family was probably just skiing by and happened to recognize us on the side of the mountain and were stopping to make sure everything was ok, she bought it hook line and sinker.

Dorien Spots Her Family

We were finally able to gain traction again and the snow wasn't as deep. Once it became apparent Dorien was going to make it, Andy scurried onto the metal grate walkway on the side of the cliff and hid the ring in a crack in the cliff.

Hiding the Ring

Andy ran back to the start of the walkway, meeting Dorien there. To celebrate that we finally made it, Dorien pops the cork!

Dorien Pops the Cork

There is just one problem, Dorien no longer has the cracked champagne glasses, which we had previously determined were still functional. Dorien claims that as she was high stepping in the deep snow, they were digging into her leg and therefore she opened the pocket they were in so she could walk better. Anyway, all we had were the screw on bases of the glasses, depicted here. We tried drinking from the bases but found it much easier just to drink straight from the bottle, something Dorien would have NEVER done otherwise.

Where are the Champagne Glasses?

After a few minutes Andy finally got up enough courage to ask Dorien to marry him. He propped his phone up on the walkway and told Dorien he wanted to take a picture with the Matterhorn in the background. After setting up his camera and grabbing the ring out of its hiding spot, Andy got down on one knee and asked Dorien to marry him. Dorien was caught completely by surprise! She first asked "are you sure?" a few times and then told Andy "I can be very annoying," to which Andy replied "so can I." After all this, Dorien finally said "yes!" :)

The Proposal

Thankfully nobody slipped on the way back! There was one final minor mishap though. As Dorien was snowboarding back to the trail, she hit a submerged rock in the snow and took a tumble. The first scratch on her snowboard was a memorable one at least.

The Walk Down

Kristel and Koen were still waiting for us when we got back. They even had their own mini bottle of champagne and intact plastic glasses for everyone! Dorien finally figured out why they were waiting.

Meeting up with Kristel and Koen

Our Engagement Story

Jon Rudnicki

Hanne Boudens

Sean Flanagan

Jessica Parker

Mike Wang

Kim Meagher

Chris Todd

Anne Dewispelaere

Brian Parker

Florian Demuynck

Wedding Party

Belgium sits in northwestern Europe with the North Sea to its north, France to its west and south, The Netherlands to its north and east, Germany to its east, and with Luxembourg to its south and east. By area, Belgium is about a third the size of Maine. Belgium is divided into two main regions: Wallonia in the south and Flanders in the north. There is also a small third region for Brussels, the capital. The map above is in Dutch so Wallonia is "Wallonie" and Flanders is "Vlaanderen". Belgium has 11.6 million people. Flanders has 6.6 million. As you can see by the map, Flanders speaks mainly Flemish (a variation of Dutch) and Wallonia speaks mainly French, with the exception of the far eastern part, which speaks predominantly German. The good news is the most everyone will speak at least three languages and English is almost always one of them. As a side note, West Flanders, the region of Flanders which contains Brugge, speaks a very different type of Flemish called West Flemish. It is often very difficult for even native Dutch speakers to understand West Flemish. Dorien speaks, Flemish, West Flemish, French, English, and even some German. Andy speaks English, but does know a few phrases/words in Dutch. He is still a work in progress.

Belgian Geography

Belgium Geography

Some useful information when traveling around Belgium: -Trains are one of the main methods of transportation throughout Belgium and are fairly straightforward and convenient to use (for Belgians anyway). Having said that, it still may be more convenient to rent a car. Although once you get to your destination (Brugge or Gent) having a car becomes a bit of a liability as these cities are very walkable and hotels often charge a fee for parking or valet services. Driving in Gent or Brugge can be a bit tricky at times due to narrow streets, lots of cyclists, trolleys (in Gent), and lack of a grid system (think the North End in Boston). -Bikes are also very popular and used widely, especially in urban areas. -Tipping is generally not done when eating out or at the pub.

About Belgium (for Americans)

The Old Fish Market is located at the confluence of the Lieve canal and the river Lys in Ghent Belgium. Fishmongers sold their goods here from the late Middle Ages until the 1960s. It once was one of Ghent’s oldest markets. It was renovated in 2010.

Oude Vismijn (Old Fish Market) in Ghent

Here is a picture of a map depicting the wedding venue (circled in red) in relation to the various hotels in which we have blocked rooms (circled in yellow). For orientation, the areas (quay) the left (west) side of the river Leie is called Korenlei. The quay on the opposite bank of the Leie is called&nbsp;Graslei. These areas makes up the historic city center of Ghent.

Wedding Venue in Relation to the Blocked Hotels

It is best to enter the venue from Jan Breydelstraat via the Appelbruge Park bridge.

Entrance to the Venue

About the Venue

--140m from Oude Vismijn (Wedding Venue).--Wedding party staying here.--30 rooms are currently blocked until 90 days before the wedding.&nbsp;--On-site parking fee: 7 EUR hourly, 40 EUR daily--Valet parking fee: 55 EUR daily

Ghent Marriott Hotel

--600m from Oude Vismijn (wedding venue)--Breakfast and city tax included--30 rooms blocked until 6 weeks before the wedding.&nbsp;--13 spaces of indoor parking at 26 eruos per day

ibis Gent Centrum St Baafs Kathedraal

--400m from Oude Vismijn&nbsp;(wedding venue)--Breakfast included, city tax not included.--30 rooms blocked until 1 month before the wedding.&nbsp;--GPS:51.054213, 3.723646--Limited number of parking spaces on site for 30 euros per day.

Novotel Gent Centrum

Couldn't upload a link or even PDF here. This is a picture of the form but if you right click and open in a new tab or window, you should be able to print from there.

This is the form you'll need to get the Novotel Group Rate

Some Information About Traveling Around Belgium

There are train connections to the main station in Ghent, Gent-Sint-Pieters, from all Belgian cities. There is also a direct line to this railway station from Zaventem Airport (BRU).&nbsp;-There is also another train station in Ghent called Gent-Dampoort. -If you travel to Belgium via the European high-speed train network, you can transfer to a train to Ghent at the station of Bruxelles-Midi, Antwerp or Lille (France). -The website linked below has a lot of good information about getting to Ghent By Rail

Getting To Ghent By Rail

The trams are the quickest and most comfortable way to travel, especially from the railway station to the city centre. The transport system in Ghent is excellent and usually on time. A single ticket costs € 3.00 if bought in the&nbsp;bus/tram&nbsp;or € 1.60 if bought from ticket machines near stops, such ticket is valid for an hour's travel on all trams and buses. If you are planning to stay for a while, buy a pass for € 16.00, it is valid for 10 trips within the city and can also be used in other Flemish cities (such as Antwerp or Bruges). If you arrive in Ghent at the Gent-St-Pieters train station, you can take tram 1 until the Gravensteen, which is next door to the wedding venue and the Marriott. Journey time is ten minutes. The other train station in Ghent, Gent-Dampoort is located closer to the center (about 15 minutes walk), and is connected with the city center by several bus lines.

Getting around Ghent by tram

You can certainly rent a car and drive to Ghent from Brussels or wherever you area coming from. The dense highway network in Belgium allows you to access Ghent easily by car. Two main highways E40 (Liege-Brussels-Ghent-Bruges-Ostend) and E17 (Antwerp-Ghent-Kortrijk-Lille) cross at Ghent. Brussels and Antwerp are 40 min away, Bruges 30 min. During rush hour you can easily double these times. When driving, be careful that you do not exceed the speed limit as there are cameras on the highway and other roads that will take a picture of your car if you're speeding and then send you a speeding ticket in the mail. After you get to Ghent, using a car is discouraged. In fact, Ghent is sometimes dubbed as "car free." You have to be aware of something called the "mobility plan." It's a measure that was taken by the Ghent city council in 2017 that divides the city in 6 areas (pie slices), making it impossible to get from one area to another by car. It might be technically possible, but you'll have to break a few traffic rules to do it. Make sure to always watch for traffic signs of one-way-streets or forbidden entries; there are quite a few. If the road is painted completely in red, it's either a bicycle street or an infamous "knip" (meaning cutoff). You're allowed to drive in a bicycle street, but you cannot - by any means - overtake a biker. You will get fined if you do. A "knip" or cutoff means you are not allowed to cross there, unless you have a permit. Of course, if you like Ghent and want to up the city's cashflow: by all means, take the cutoff. The inner ring of the city is considered a low emission zone, and your car needs to meet certain emission norms to be able to enter. Foreign license plates always have to register or you risk a fine. You can find the details on&nbsp;<a href="https://stad.gent/en/mobility-ghent/low-emission-zone-ghent" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lez.gent</a>. Street parking is divided into zones and gets more expensive closer to the city center and is often limited in time. More details on&nbsp;<a href="https://stad.gent/en/mobility-ghent/parking-ghent/street-parking" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stad.gent</a>.

 A Note About Driving in Ghent

The hotels all provide parking, however this is sometimes not the most economical and parking is often limited. We find the following website gives a good overview of the parking situation (although some of the links are in Dutch). The Ramen parking garage is closest to the wedding venue and the Marriott.- 15 euro/day.- +32 9 266 29 70- Address: Ramen 23, 9000 Gent Sint-Michiels parking garage and Vrijdagmarkt parking garage are also nearby but each costs 26 euro per day.-Sint-Michiels address: Sint-Michielsplein 8, 9000 Gent-Vrijdagmarkt address: Vrijdagmarkt 1, 9000 Gent

Parking in Ghent

Where To Stay in Ghent

The city where we will be having the wedding! You will often see this city's name spelled Gent as well, which is the flemish spelling. Ghent is the English spelling.

Visit Ghent

Walk into the quirkiest cocktail bar in Ghent, La Limonada! With their trendy lounge interior, neon lights and electro beats you will immediately get in the mood. The wide range of cocktails, which are often served in a peculiar glass, will certainly make you stick around. Phone: +32 9 233 78 85Address: Heilige-Geeststraat 7, 9000 Gent, Belgium

La Limonada

't Gravensteen is a medieval castle that you can visit in Ghent, The current castle dates from 1180 and was the residence of the Counts of Flanders until 1353. It was subsequently re-purposed as a court, prison, mint, and even as a cotton factory. It was restored over 1893–1903 and is now a museum and a major landmark in the city.

't Gravensteen (aka Castle of the Counts)

Where? Kajaks Korenlei! https://en.kajakskorenlei.be

Kajak/Canoe in Ghent!

The best place for all-you-can-eat ribs in Ghent is named Amadeus. Have it with a baked potato in tin foil with an amazing sauce on top! Website: https://amadeus-resto.be/en/Reservation: https://amadeus-resto.be/en/reservatie/Address: Gouden Leeuwplein 7 (Belfort) - 9000 Ghent

Ribs Restaurant (All you can eat)

Cobbled alleyway whose walls are covered in vibrant street art and graffiti by local artists. Address: Werregarenstraat, Gent

Grafitti Straatje 

The house beer in this pub, 'Max van het Huis,' comes in a unique shaped glass. Due to people stealing this nice looking glass, you now have to give one of your shoes as collateral when ordering 'Max van het Huis.' No worries, you get your shoe back once you return your glass. Enjoy this great beer, in your socks. Website: http://www.dullegriet.be/nl/Praatcafe-De-Dulle-Griet-Gent.aspx

Café De Dulle Griet - Shoe Bar

Andy is a map person, so he put this map in here. You can also see the tram lines that are relevant to this area.

Map of things to do in Ghent

Saint Bavo's Cathedral (Dutch:&nbsp;Sint Baafskathedraal), is a&nbsp;cathedral&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Catholic Church&nbsp;in&nbsp;Ghent, Belgium. The 89-meter-tall&nbsp;Gothic&nbsp;building is the seat of the&nbsp;Diocese of Ghent&nbsp;and is named for&nbsp;Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known&nbsp;Ghent Altarpiece also known as the&nbsp;Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. There is no doubt that the altarpiece is a masterpiece of European art, dating back to the beginning of the 1420s and completed in 1432 (attributed to brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, painters). Known as the "first major oil painting," it is regarded as one of the most important works of art in the history of Europe. For tickets and more information: https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/nl/tickets-kopen/

Ghent Altarpiece - Saint Bavo's Cathedral

Things to do in Ghent / Wat te doen in Gent

If traveling to Belgium from abroad and want to make the most of the trip, consider coming a week early. We (Dorien and Andy) are planning to stay in Gent the nights of August 25, 26, and 27, but our tentative plan at this time is to be in Belgium at least 7 days before the wedding and to spend most of that time in Bruges, where Dorien grew up. It is a very well preserved medieval city with brilliant architecture and lots to explore. We should have some fun activities planned for those who want to come a little early.

Week Before The Wedding

This is the city where Dorien grew up. A must-visit!

Visit Brugge - Bruges 

If you are in Brugge and you'd like to visit a nice brewery, go to Brewery The half Moon (Brouwerij De Halve Maan) for a yummy Bruges Zot or Straffe Hendrik! (Fun fact: This brewery also has a beer pipeline in the city!) Cheers!

Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan

You're in Brugge and you want to visit a local, underground pub with an huge selection of belgian beers? Go to 't Poatersgat (pronounced as: t'pottershat)! (Tip: watch your head when you walk in!)

't Poatersgat

The best ice-cream in town... Gelateria Da Vinci! Many great flavors, and if you're not sure of one, ask if you can try it before you put your order and they'll give you a little taster!

Gelateria Da Vinci

Hungry? This very cosy place has a nice variaty of curry's, wok dishes, pasta's and salads. One of Dorien's favorites! You can sit inside or enjoy a nice dinner, lunch or just a few drinks on their cute yard.

De Stoepa

Le Trappiste is a specialist beer bar located in an 800 year old medieval cellar in the heart of Bruges, only 300 metres away from the main Market Square.

Le Trappiste

Besides beer and belgian (!) fries, Belgium is also known for the chocolate! One of the best places to go visit is The Chocolate Line in Bruges. They offer these special tiny chocolates that belgians call "pralines". Besides regular chocolate, the chocolate line is known for their 'special' flavors on the inside of these pralines. Some of these funky flavors are: cola, cigars, wasabi, bacon, fried onion, etc. You can't go home without a box of these!

The Chocolate Line

For belgian hot dogs go visit this little cute place not too far from the big market in Bruges. No red hot dogs here, although these will still give you a great lunch or quick bite! Examples are: a hotdog with caprese salad on top (see picture), hot dog with feta cheese, jalapenos and avocado, hot dog with beet root, cottage cheese and mango chutney, etc.

Paula Mostaert

Visit the Belfry of Bruges which is a medieval belltower in the middle of the city. You can also climb the tower and have a great view over Bruges.

Belfort

If you want to get to know Bruges city by horse, go to the big market square and you will be able to get a ride with one of the tourguides. You will see these all over the city! website: https://koets.sightseeingbrugge.com/

Bruges by Horse-Drawn Carriage

Craving some belgian fries and don't see a Mc Donald's drive through in the neighborhood? Try visiting a frituur! A frituur is a belgian fast food place that you can find anywhere in the city. Is it midnight and you're hungry again? Go to the markt and there will be a green frituur on both sides, in front of the Belfry. These will be open from 10am - 3am on weekdays and from 10am - 7am in the weekend! Besides belgian fries with mayonnaise or cocktail sauce (no, not the shrimp sauce!), you will also find plenty of yummy fried foods here like bitterballen (fried, crunchy meatballs with a meatpaste on the inside), kaaskroketten (cheese croquettes), a mexicano (seasoned fried meat), a 'berepoot' (a meatball/onion-kebab) or one of Dorien's favorites: a frikandel special (a fried sausage with mayo &amp; ketchup and onions). If you're more into a burger, try the Bicky Burger! A Bicky burger is a unique Belgian hamburger that is also popular in the Netherlands, consisting of a sesame seed-topped bun filled with a deep-fried patty made from a combination of pork, chicken, and horse meat.Bon appetit!

Frituur

Belgians love their bikes. You will soon see that traveling in the city is the easiest by foot or by bike. Rent a bike when in Bruges! Website: https://www.visitbruges.be/en/verken/fietsverhuurpunten

Rent a bike! (or a tandem)

This is the smallest street in the city of Bruges. There is barely room to turn around, however, there is a pub at the end of the tiny street that makes it's own beer, that you won't be able to find in any store! Enjoy a fresh 'Garre'! Cheers, again!

Smallest street in Bruges - De Garre

Stroll down the Steenstraat and shop till you drop!

Shopping Street - Brugge

Go on a Beer Tasting in Bruges

The&nbsp;Basilica of the Holy Blood is a&nbsp;Roman Catholic&nbsp;basilica&nbsp;in&nbsp;the city center of Bruges,&nbsp;Belgium. This historical site contains a phial that reputedly contains Christ's blood brought back from the Crusades, and has been built between 1134 and 1157 as the&nbsp;chapel&nbsp;of the&nbsp;Count of Flanders. In 1923 it was promoted to a&nbsp;minor basilica.

Basilica of the Holy Blood

Things to Do in Brugge / Wat te doen in Brugge

Visit the Atomium in the capital city of Belgium. The atomium is the Belgian version of the Eiffel tower. It was constructed for the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels. You can buy tickets to go inside the different parts of the structure and get a great view of Brussels.

Visit Brussel - Brussels - Bruxelles

Spend a day at the Belgian coast and spend some time in De Panne, Knokke or one of the many other coastal towns in our short 65km coastline. Swim in the North Sea, enjoy a beach walk while licking an ice cream, or just relax after a long flight to Europe when taking a nap in the sand. Plenty of options when at the beach!

The Belgian Coast

About 44 miles by road southwest from Brugge is Ypres and nearby Flanders Field. This World War I battleground (part of the western front) is where 150,000 soldiers lost their lives. It is the final resting place of some 368 American soldiers and is the site of the largest military cemetery in Europe. In addition to numerous expansive cemeteries, there is also a war museum in Ypres called "In Flanders Field," (after the famous poem by the same name). There are also day tours you can book from Brugge to see Flander's Field.

Flanders Feild

Day Trips 

Q + A

Registry

Photos / Foto's

A really cosy hotel downtown Bruges in a quite street. They have rooms for 90 Euros a night with breakfast included. Please make sure you don't book your room(s) online but email the hotel first and mention that you are here for the wedding of Andy and Dorien! :) @: info@botaniek.be

Hotel Botaniek

This cute bed and breakfast offers 3 rooms in a quiet place in the city walls, and is only a short walking distance from the city center. They also offer a superb breakfast in a peaceful yard.Take a look for more information or make a reservation (and mention wedding Dorien &amp; Andy) at: www.bellaenbasiel.be

Bed & Breakfast Bella & Basiel

&nbsp;The Crowne Plaza Hotel is in the city center of Bruges, and has everything to accommodate you according to your needs. The hotel is only five minutes away from the Market Square, and located on the medieval Burg Square, you will immediately feel welcomed by the warm atmosphere of Bruges. They also have a great restaurant, and don’t forget to visit the ruins of the old Saint Donatian’s cathedral that located in the basement of the hotel! Make a reservation before July 1 via: https://book.passkey.com/go/dorienenandy Virtual Tour: https://panobirds.com/360/crowneplaza/

Dorien & Andy

Dorien & Andy

Where to stay in Brugge/Bruges

Hotel Botaniek

Bed & Breakfast Bella & Basiel

Hotel Crowne Plaza