From a chance Tinder match across two countries to a surprise proposal at the top of the London Eye, step inside Emily Ricard-Clarijs and Dennis Clarijs’s elegant Amsterdam wedding.
The story so far
We matched on Tinder in February 2023, a very happy glitch in the system: Dennis was based in Haarlem, in the Netherlands, and I was at home in London. Dennis’s first message was: “Hey, your future husband here.” We started messaging and clicked instantly, texting all day, every day. A few weeks later, I booked a weekend in Amsterdam. We met on the platform at Amsterdam Centraal and spent three wonderful days together.
I moved to Haarlem in August 2024, after many trips back and forth, and Dennis proposed in February 2025 at the top of the London Eye. I was under the impression we were there for a promotional event, so I dutifully started taking pictures and was in complete shock when Dennis dropped to one knee.
We chose and designed the ring together (London Victorian Ring Co): a classic emerald-cut trilogy on a platinum band, with a central diamond flanked by green sapphires, bringing together the green of his birthstone, emerald, and mine, sapphire. He knew the timing was the only surprise, and chose a London proposal so I could celebrate with my family.
Venue
We decided to look for a venue in Amsterdam, as so many guests were travelling in for the weekend and accommodation would be easier to find there than in Haarlem. We fell in love with both the Pulitzer and Het West-Indisch Huis, and booked them immediately. The Pulitzer is a wonderfully unusual hotel, made up of several canal houses knitted into one, and we loved its quirkiness, charm and luxury: it felt like the perfect base for us and our families, and the ideal place to host an intimate pre-wedding dinner and a post-wedding brunch. It was also within walking distance of Het West-Indisch Huis, our wedding venue.
Het West-Indisch Huis fitted our Dutch golden age inspiration exactly. It was accessible by boat, had a beautiful courtyard for pictures and – most importantly – three distinct rooms in which to hold the ceremony, reception and party, which removed the problem of moving guests between venues. Unlike many central Amsterdam venues, it also let the party run into the early hours.
Fashion
My dress was by Halfpenny London. I didn’t feel like a traditional bride, and the designs spoke to me in a way that others didn’t. I had fallen in love with the dress online because it was so unusual, dramatic and regal; it was the first one I tried on, and nothing afterwards came close. I hadn’t imagined myself in full lace, but it was perfect. The sleeves were ordered to match the rest of the dress, and the veil was made longer for maximum impact. I felt like a queen.
My something blue came from my shoes. I love the classic Manolo Blahnik Hangisi, but I didn’t find them comfortable, and I liked the idea of a softer, rococo blue. I had seen a pair of L.K.Bennett heels online, but they were from a past collection and sold out everywhere. I eventually tracked them down on a Dutch discount site, and they were perfect: a low heel, a soft colour and a heart-shaped embellished brooch.
Dennis’s suit was bespoke from Suitsupply, in navy. Instead of a white shirt, he chose the palest blue, and paired it with a rust knitted tie, an orange and blue pocket square and tiger’s eye cufflinks. It worked beautifully with the soft oranges and blues in our ceremony.
Jewellery
I wore a pair of diamond studs, a gift from my father, and a pair of baroque pearl and diamond earrings he designed for my mother years ago – my something borrowed. I also wore my engagement ring by London Victorian Ring Co, and a vintage Wedgwood sage green jasperware cameo ring, which was my something old.
Bridal party
The bridal party was very small: just my sister Charlotte, founder of La Fête, as maid of honour, with my four-year-old niece and three-year-old nephew coming down the aisle ahead of her. Charlotte wore a one-shouldered cape dress by Needle & Thread in ice blue with silver embellishment, and silver shoes. My niece wore a matching caped dress in blue, and Dennis’s young niece wore the same dress in gold. My nephew wore navy shorts, a white shirt and a navy Austrian-style jacket.
I gave everyone pink and blue pyjamas and slippers to wear while we got ready, and gave my mother and my sister a Rituals set each in their favourite scents.
Transportation
Being in Amsterdam, we knew from the start that we wanted a canal boat to feature in the day. Dennis and I travelled from the Pulitzer to Het West-Indisch Huis in the hotel’s own boat, which dates from 1909. Our guests made their own way to the venue: many on Dennis’s side came from our neighbouring hometown of Haarlem, which is very well connected, and guests on my side had chosen nearby hotels, most within walking distance.
Tablescape
The colours of the tablescape were drawn from the red beamed ceiling of the room and from the season, autumn. We wanted to move from a soft, romantic ceremony to a more dramatic dinner. We gave our florist carte blanche here, with only two requirements: that the arrangements were low enough for guests to see each other and talk over, and that they cascaded onto the floor. We wanted it to look organic and magical, as though the flowers were sprouting straight from the tables.
We kept the candles simple, and chose traditional glassware, vintage-inspired plates with a gilded edge and gold cutlery. The napkins were monogrammed in green and red, alternating along the table. The tablecloths were carried over by hand from the UK – we were certain that this woodblock floral print was the best fit for the table, and in fact Charlotte had included it in the very first mood boards.
We chose red menus in Dutch and English, featuring our monogram and an illustration of traditional canal houses, which went hand in hand with our favours: hand soaps moulded in the shape of canal houses, in extraordinary detail. It was important to us to bring the city into the day, and to give guests something they would actually use.
Food & drinks
Dennis is a fan of steak, so that had to be the main course, with a pressed potato pavé. We started with a potato vichyssoise and finished with a deconstructed cheesecake. The dessert table was a real highlight: macarons, brownie bites, banana and salted caramel cakes, Delft blue iced biscuits filled with chocolate and hazelnut, and my favourite, mini Victoria sponges.
Alongside a selection of wines, we served classic cocktails, plus The Dennis (vodka Red Bull) and The Emily (a Kahlúa espresso martini). I was seven weeks pregnant, though, so I stuck to the non-alcoholic list.
Entertainment
Our first dance was to ‘Magnificent’ by Hurts, which had become our song very early on.
For the ceremony we had a string quartet, with a brief for Bridgerton-inspired arrangements of some of our favourite contemporary songs. Dennis walked in to ‘Gonna Fly Now’, the theme from Rocky, which got a laugh from everyone who recognised it; I walked down the aisle to Calum Scott’s ‘You Are the Reason’; we signed the paperwork to Train’s ‘Marry Me’; and we walked out to Coldplay’s ‘A Sky Full of Stars’.
In the evening we were lucky enough to have a brilliant live band, who turned the celebration into the best party. They played a mix of 90s and 00s classics that got everyone onto the dance floor, and were wonderfully interactive, dancing with us and pulling us up on stage.
Beauty & wellness
In the run-up to the wedding I had monthly facials, including red light therapy. At home I used sheet masks regularly, and Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré as a moisturiser, and, in a thicker layer, as an overnight mask.
I knew I wanted a hair and make-up artist, and I knew I wanted Bex before we were even engaged. As well as being the loveliest person, she had done my sister’s make-up for events for years. We did a trial and it was perfect: I looked like myself, just the glowy, bridal version. She stayed on for touch-ups, and did my sister’s and mother’s hair and make-up too.
Favourite wedding gifts
The greatest gift was having our loved ones travel from across the world to be with us that weekend. Beyond that, we asked for contributions to our honeymoon fund: it felt special to know that our friends and family would be part of such wonderful experiences and memories.
Honeymoon
We went to Japan for two and a half weeks, a couple of days after the wedding. It was the trip of a lifetime.
Advice
Pick suppliers whose work you deeply love, then trust them to create your vision. Our planner – my big sister, Charlotte – gave everybody detailed mood boards, and from there we let each supplier come up with their own interpretation, which we loved. At most we tweaked a few details. Not feeling the need to micromanage took away so much stress.
Make sure the day is a true reflection of who you are as a couple. Don’t fall into the trap of ticking off all the things you think a wedding should include; choose things because you love them. You’ll have far more fun, and you’ll spend the day celebrating rather than working through a list of moments staged for Instagram.
Be flexible, and accept change. Some things are beyond your control, and beyond your planner’s. The wedding industry in the Netherlands is very different, and much smaller, than in many other countries, so bringing in a local planner and stylist to handle hire, set-up and local communications was vital. Charlotte then worked in tandem with our Dutch planner, which made the day seamless, ensured everything was covered both locally and internationally, and – crucially – meant that my sister, and maid of honour, could still be there for me and enjoy the day she had worked so hard to create.
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