A Spring Wedding at Delft City Hall

Marloes and Joost met as students in Delft, so a wedding at Delft City Hall felt like coming home. On the last day of May, I followed them from the Markt to a garden party under the plane trees.

First a ceremony in the old city hall, then cheers on the square: days like this are why I love working as a photographer in Delft. Their little daughter Fleur came too, in a white dress with lilac flowers.

Blue Sky Over the Markt

I arrived early to photograph the place before the guests. Delft City Hall stands on the Markt with its red shutters, and across the square the tower of the Nieuwe Kerk rose into a deep blue sky. Inside, a glass cabinet full of Delft blue plates waited by the window.

Meanwhile, the guests gathered on a blue carpet in front of the building. Just before two, a dark car stopped at the end of it, and Marloes stepped out with her father. I stayed in the shade of the doorway, so the whole square framed them: the carpet, the crowd and the tower straight ahead.

Vows in Delft City Hall

The wedding room is a hall of dark beams, brass chandeliers and old portraits, with a golden harp in the corner. Joost waited inside with Fleur on his arm while Marloes walked in on her father’s arm. Her veil was so long that it trailed far behind her over the checkered floor.

Then they sat side by side and smiled at the registrar. When it was time for the vows, Marloes read hers from a small sheet of paper, and the room went quiet. I kept to the side of the room, so nothing came between the two of them.

Next came the rings. Joost slid hers on carefully, with the harp right behind them. After the kiss, the whole room applauded.

Walking back down the aisle, Marloes could not stop laughing, her bouquet of white orchids and peach roses swinging at her side.

Cheers Outside City Hall

Before we went out, we stopped by the cabinet of Delft blue plates for a few quiet portraits, and that frame opens this story. Then the doors opened onto the Markt, where the guests were waiting with cheers and phones. A few friends had come in kilts, which made the moment even more fun.

For the group photo, everyone gathered on the square while the couple waved from the top of the steps. I asked for one big wave, and the whole wedding answered at once.

Champagne in the Garden

After that, the party moved on to Central Park, a hotel in the white villa of the Vreugd en Rust estate in Voorburg. A string trio played on the terrace, and a tower of champagne glasses waited on a white table.

Between the guests, I took the two of them aside for a few minutes. They laughed cheek to cheek by the balustrade, with the bouquet between them.

Soon it was time for the champagne tower. Together they poured from the top until the foam ran over the edges. Her grandmother watched with a glass of her own. Later, they cut the cake, and Joost got the first bite.

The children had a party of their own. Fleur laughed in her mother’s arms, while a boy in a blue waistcoat drew at the table with colored markers.

A Quiet Moment on the Terrace

Late in the afternoon, Marloes pinned a fresh white rose to Joost’s lapel. By the balustrade, he kissed her temple while the park stayed soft and green behind them.

The last frame is a quiet one: the two of them from behind on the curved terrace, talking with an older guest by the glass houses. It was a gentle end to a wedding at Delft City Hall that felt like one long afternoon with family.

Planning a wedding in this old city? Discover how I work as a photographer in Delft.