STORY | HAARLEM

A Civil Wedding at the Stadsloket in Haarlem

By Aleksandria Rudenko | Updated 28 October 2026

Newlyweds kissing under the Stadsloket sign after their civil wedding in Haarlem, two guests beside them with their hands raised to their faces

This civil wedding in Haarlem took place at the Stadsloket, with only a few of the couple’s closest people in the room. I photographed it all, from the rings and the vows inside to a short walk by the water afterward.

Small, joyful weddings like this one are a big part of why I love working as a photographer in Haarlem.

Inside the Stadsloket in Haarlem

The room for this civil wedding in Haarlem felt more like a living room than an office. Pink-beige curtains, round ring lamps and velvet chairs in orange and blush gave it a warm glow. From the first frame, I let that warmth set the tone.

Wedding room inside the Stadsloket with round ring lamps, the couple kissing at the front while guests in orange chairs film on their phones — The wedding room inside the Stadsloket

Before the ceremony, two gold rings waited in a blue box on a round wooden table. Next to them lay the bouquet: cream flowers, striped tulips and eucalyptus. Only a handful of friends and family came, dressed in lime green, leopard print and coral, with their phones at the ready.

Two gold rings in a blue box on a round wooden table, beside a bouquet of cream flowers, striped tulips and eucalyptus

A Gavel, Two Rings and a Kiss

The officiant had everyone laughing from the start. In glasses and a black leather jacket, he stood behind a small white table with a wooden gavel and a stack of papers. Meanwhile, I stayed at the side, so nothing came between the couple and their guests.

Wedding officiant in glasses and a black leather jacket smiling behind a small white table with a wooden gavel at the Stadsloket in Haarlem

She wore a lilac one-shoulder dress with soft pleats, and he wore a dark blue three-piece suit. When he slid the ring onto her finger, they both turned and smiled, as if to check that everyone had seen it.

Groom in a dark blue three-piece suit sliding the ring onto the bride’s finger, both smiling, her lilac one-shoulder dress catching the light

Then came the first kiss, his hand on her cheek and hers holding his. Behind me, the guests filmed every second on their phones.

Groom kissing the bride with one hand on her cheek during their civil wedding in Haarlem, warm curtains and empty chairs behind them

Signatures and an Orange Armchair

Next, they signed the register together at the little table by the window. Afterward, they sat down in an orange leather armchair and held up their blue marriage booklet, laughing.

Bride signing the marriage register at a small white table while the groom sits beside her, sheer curtains glowing behind them

Newlyweds laughing in an orange leather armchair, holding up their blue marriage booklet with the rings on their fingers

Their two witnesses signed too, and something the officiant said made both of them burst out laughing. That is the moment I wait for at a civil wedding in Haarlem or anywhere else: unplanned, and gone in a second.

Two witnesses laughing out loud as they sign for the wedding in Haarlem, the officiant holding a folder and the couple standing beside them — Two witnesses, one joke from the officiant

Before we went outside, their hands rested together on the bouquet for one last detail. Two new rings, her pale nails and his silver watch: small things, yet they hold the whole day.

Close-up of the bride’s hand with a slim gold ring resting on the groom’s hand and ring, over cream flowers and a striped tulip

A Wedding Kiss Under the Stadsloket Sign

Outside, a gray sky gave soft, even light that was kind to every face. The couple kissed right under the big Stadsloket letters, and two guests could not hold back: hands to their faces, eyes wide. That frame opens this story.

Bride and groom kissing at the entrance of the Stadsloket in Haarlem, her lilac dress and shawl lifting in the breeze

Newlyweds walking hand in hand along the Stadsloket in Haarlem after their civil wedding, bikes and trees lining the street

Then everyone lined up on the square and threw their arms in the air, with the bouquet held high above their heads.

Wedding party cheering in front of the Stadsloket in Haarlem, the bride holding her bouquet high and the groom raising one arm — The Stadsloket in Haarlem, just after the ceremony

We ended with a short walk by the water, past willows, bikes and the red-brick houses of Haarlem. A swan drifted by while they waved from the bike posts. Finally, on a white footbridge, the newlyweds had a quiet minute to themselves.

Bride, groom and a friend in red trousers waving from bike posts by the water, a swan floating past the red-brick houses

Bride and groom on a white wooden footbridge after their wedding in Haarlem, red-brick houses and green trees behind them

Groom hugging the bride from behind with his hands resting on her belly, the water and red-brick houses behind them — A white footbridge, the last stop of the walk

Planning a small wedding of your own in Haarlem? Discover how I work as a photographer in Haarlem.