Urban Wedding in the Beautiful Botanical Gardens Amsterdam

Welcome to the Amsterdam city wedding of Alex and Taylor! This couple from the US has been living in Amsterdam for quite some time now; this vibrant city is the place they call home. And that’s exactly why they decided to have an urban wedding in the beautiful botanical gardens; Hortus Botanicus. A lot of their family and friends had to fly in from the United States, but sadly, the pandemic had other plans. Therefore, they had to postpone their wedding because it was very important for them to have all their loved ones near on this special day. Luckily, 2021 was finally their moment to shine, and shine they did! Just look at those faces full of joy and affection. As their wedding photographer I made sure this is a day they will never forget. Scroll down to see some of the results of their wonderful day!

A city wedding needs an equally vibrant dress

We need to talk about Taylor’s gorgeous dress! It’s a design from the Made to Order label of Atelier Edwin Oudshoorn, a bridal atelier based in Amsterdam. As you can see, the dresses from Atelier Edwin Oudshoorn are glamorous, modern, young, fun and unique. This design fits the bride, the botanical gardens and the urban wedding vibes perfectly. That’s exactly what Oudshoorn aims for:

“Each dress is crafted by hand, using the same exclusive fabrics used for our bridal couture pieces. Each piece has its own character, its own story. These reflect the stories and characters of our brides.”

Check out some of the mesmerizing details down below.

Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam: Where urban meets nature

The ceremony of Alex and Taylor took place at Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam. The contrasting vibes of the botanical gardens are a perfect fit for this city wedding. There are small pathways through the enormous tropical plants, steel bridges that overpass the palm trees and colorful flowers that interrupt all the green. Everything is surrounded by an industrial greenhouse made out of glass. This location doesn’t need a lot of extra’s to make the wedding photography a tropical paradise. Although, the bridal arrangements of Edénique Floral Design were a nice finishing touch 😉

A traditional American wedding ceremony

The American wedding traditions are a bit different from the European wedding traditions when it comes to the ceremony. Before the bride and groom enter, the bridesmaids and groomsmen make an entrance as well. They walk the isle in pairs and then take their place in the front, behind where the bridal couple is going to stand. Then, the bride and groom walk down the aisle with both their parents. When the parents have given their final blessing the bride and groom take their place in front of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen and the ceremony can officially begin. It is also much more common for a family member or dear friend to perform the ceremony and marry the couple. Alex and Taylor had a loved one do their ceremony and it was beautiful.

Urban wedding pictures from all angles

Did you know you could also book a second shooter? This is an extra wedding photographer to make sure you get an elaborate overview of this special day. For instance, with a second shooter you can get that very special moment on camera from different angles. It also results in more detailed shots and pictures of those funny in between moments. Especially for a city wedding, where there is often a lot of travel involved, a second shooter is a nice addition. Alex and Taylor chose to go for this extra feature, so I got Steef as my second shooter.

Extra urban wedding vibes at Westerliefde

Before Alex and Taylor finished their day with a dinner, they decided to give their friends and family the full “Amsterdam Experience”. They traveled to the final location by boat via the canals; a true Amsterdam wedding. The dinner took place at Westerliefde in Westerpark – an industrial and monumental building surrounded by the green of the park – a perfect fit for their urban wedding. Everything was arranged for and taken care of by the wedding planners of House of Luce. They make sure that everything looks fabulous and that you can enjoy your day care free. All that’s left to do now is to relish the good food, savor the sentimental and spontaneous speeches, and dance the night away.