Before Kristian took Saskia on a surprise trip to Ibiza, he first went to her mother to ask for her daughter's hand in marriage. The day after arriving in Ibiza, Kristian took Saskia on a boat trip to have lunch in a restaurant on a beautiful bay. They reach the beach without suspecting anything. Until Saskia notices that a private lunch with champagne is waiting. That was a three-blink”oh my, is this really happening?” moment. Kristian asked her to marry him and there were tears of joy for both of them. They drank champagne and spent the rest of the day on the water, listening to their favorite music, fully enjoying the moment. They then spent another three days on a pink cloud in the 'just-engaged' bubble in Ibiza.

Kristian and Saskia immediately know that they are for one minimal, modern and chic wedding. Saskia: “Normally I think the more the better, but for our wedding we wanted the decoration to be modest. We wanted to let the castle and grounds speak for themselves.” The music, dinner setting and an overall personal touch are important elements for the couple. But 'being together' is number one. A weekend with their children, family and friends, full of personal stories, a long dinner with good wines and delicious food, and finally a fantastic party. 

Chateau Citran, a privately owned French chateau in the middle of the vineyards of Bordeaux (Margaux). Kristian always knew he wanted to get married here. He and Saskia lived in France for two years and there they fell in love with Bordeaux. Many friends and family came to visit them during that period. These warm memories form a perfect basis to celebrate their love celebration here. The castle is surrounded by beautiful trees and feels like coming home to them. Moreover, the Chateau makes delicious wine, which is certainly not unimportant. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public, but because Kristian knows the owner, they get carte blanche and can do everything exactly as they wanted.

Saskia's dress is a custom design by Ersa Atelier, via Bloomfeld. The dress is pure handmade, so detailed, with pearls and beads everywhere in the most beautiful pattern. She also wears silver velvet Alexandre Birman shoes. Saskia: “I felt 100 percent myself in that dress. I knew I only wanted one dress – you only wear the dress once! I wanted to enjoy it for as long as possible.” Kristian is wearing a dark blue morning suit from SKIKK Tailoring. They also made his tuxedo: a white tuxedo jacket with black pants.

Saskia knew quite early that she wanted to walk to Kristian on a piano version of Diamonds by Rihanna, because that is one of 'their' songs. A pianist and singer should therefore not be missing during the ceremony. In addition to 'Diamonds', Sonata No. 16 in C major by Mozart, because he is Saskia's favorite composer, and Tous les visages de l'amour by Charles Aznavour should certainly not be missed. Saskia herself writes a song for Kristian that she sings during the ceremony. To add to the element of surprise, she secretly takes piano lessons so she can accompany herself on the piano. 

After the ceremony and drinks, guests are taken back to their hotel to freshen up and change from uniform de ville to black tie. During this hour and a half interruption, the dinner table is set up. This is one of the biggest logistical challenges. But the wedding planner gets it done and the guests return to a completely transformed location. 

A smooth transition to the party is also on the priority list, hence the saxophonist. The guests must immediately get into the party mood, so that the dinner turns into a party in one go (on a high). Music is extremely important to Saskia. The choice is very consciously made for music that means a lot to them, no matter how cheesy, wrong or classic. Saskia has been working on the playlist for dinner for about a year and she still listens to it almost every day. Saskia: “I am so happy that we followed our feelings and what we really wanted.”

From moment one, Kristian has a very clear picture of the dinner: a long table for all guests, under the trees of the avenue to the Chateau. They do the styling themselves and the idea for this was clear from the first moment: white linen, dried Judas medal as decoration, ghost chairs. Not too many frills, but clean, chic and simple.

Because the wedding is quite grand in terms of design, styling and location, it is very important for Kristian and Saskia that the content of the day is very personal and unique. Stiff, impersonal or standard is on the no go list. That means no ceremonial aspects just because that's how it always goes, but only what suits Kristian and Saskia. A dear friend marries the couple together with their children, many speeches from family, friends and vulnerable vows complete it.

What tip do Kristian and Saskia give? “Be a little kind to yourself. Many people tell you not to worry about the little things, but chances are you do anyway. So don't be too hard on yourself if you're worried about the best wine glasses or whether the table is two centimeters too far to the right. We are so grateful for our closest friends and close family who were there for us during the preparations, and we have just then the time of our lives had. We really made memories that will last a lifetime.”