Nele & Robert

We can't wait to share our special day with you.

Saturday April 23, 2022

Stotfold, UK

1178 days 18 hrs 36 mins ago

View Details

Story

Nele: We met online, on facebook actually.

Robert: I contacted you first.

Nele: Yes, I'd posted a message on a film group after arriving in London, looking for people to collaborate with.

Robert: I liked Nele's post and sent her a private message to say hello.

Nele: Which I completely ignored! It wasn't on purpose, I swear. (laughs)

Robert: Yeah, right (rolls his eyes). A few months later, I saw the same girl putting up a new post about scripts she'd written. I hesitated to reach out again, remembering painfully how she'd completely ignored me the first time around.

Nele: I told you, that was an accident. I meant to get back to you, and it completely slipped my mind.

Robert: Anyway, I hesitated for a while, and ended up sending her another message.

Nele: When I saw the new message (and the old one), I immediately realised how rude I'd been and apologised profusely.

Robert: We started chatting online, then on the phone, and decided to meet up.

Nele: Robert travelled all the way to London to meet me, and it clicked right away.

Robert: After a few months of long distance dating it became more serious and I decided to move to London.

Nele: He moved into my tiny one bedroom flat whilst he was looking for a flat for himself.

Robert: At some point I found one that was really nice. It had everything I was looking for. However, and I admitted this to Nele on the same day, there was one thing missing: Nele wouldn't be living there.

Nele: Aaawwwwwww.

Robert: So as soon as I said that, Nele swooned...

Nele: Don't exaggerate.

Robert: ...and we decided to find a bigger place and officially move in together.

Nele: We lived in a house in Eltham (near Greenwich) for a while, then in Ruislip, and then finally moved out of London to buy our house in Stotfold.

Robert: A year later I proposed...

Nele: ...and here we are!

Tidbits

How did you first meet?

See Our Story!

What's your favorite activity together?

Both being film nerds, we love going to the cinema together, ideally combined with a nice meal out.

Where are you going for your honeymoon?

Everywhere! We're going on an adventurous road trip through Europe, country hopping and exploring as much as we can in 8-10 weeks!

What's the most memorable trip you have taken together?

On the day we were supposed to get married (21 August 2021) we went to Wales for the weekend - the last thing we wanted to do on our almost-wedding-day was sit around at home, thinking about what might have been. So we did epic walks around Devil's Bridge and the Maenarthur Trail in the middle of Wales instead. The best thing was that the weather was glorious, whilst it was raining cats and dogs in Stotfold (good thing we moved our wedding!). On Sunday we climbed Snowdon (which was amazing) and visited Conwy Castle. It was a very short holiday (only about 36 hours) but it was truly wonderful and we're glad we didn't spend the weekend moping at home!

The dorkiest thing about us is

We love playing boardgames! The competition can get quite fierce! :)

How did you propose?

Robert devised a treasure hunt with clues hidden around the house, leading to a map. The map showed an X in the back of the garden, where a small treasure chest was buried. Three guesses what was inside!

Schedule

Saturday, April 23, 2022

Ceremony / Ceremonie

12:00 PM

St Mary's Church Stotfold, Church Road, Stotfold, Hitchin, UK

Reception / Receptie

2:00 PM

43 Heron Way, Stotfold, Hitchin, UK

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Receptie & avondfeest / Reception & party

8:00 PM

de Bosch, Rekhovenstraat, Lummen, Belgium

Gift Registry

Your presence at our wedding is enough of a gift, but should you wish to buy us something, we'd greatly appreciate a monetary contribution. There is no gifts registry, because we have been living together for a number of years now and don't really need any household items. However, we are planning some extensive renovations and are also saving up for our honeymoon, so if you wish, please transfer your gift to our account:

Account number: 64508823
Sort code: 40-47-64

For international transfers:
IBAN: GB60HBUK40476464508823
BIC: HBUKGB41FDP

Address:
43 Heron Way
SG5 4QB
Stotfold
United Kingdom

Thank you!!

Travel

Traveling between Belgium and England

BY CAR AND FERRY
This is the option we would recommend. If you take the car with you on your journey, you have a lot more flexibility at your destination and don’t rely on public transport and taxis. You can also take as much as you want and don’t have to carry luggage around. The ferry in the middle of the journey is a nice break, and if the weather is nice it’s pleasant to be on deck. The ferry also has some shops, restaurants, etc.
All ferries to France leave from Dover, and you can choose to go to Calais or Dunkirk (the Dunkirk ferry takes longer than the Calais one, but the drive to Belgium is 40 minutes shorter).

BY CAR AND TRAIN
Instead of driving onto the ferry you can also drive onto a train. This is quicker, but more expensive than the ferry and there’s no opportunity to sit anywhere except in your car. There are no shops or restaurants here.

BY TRAIN
The Eurostar is very fast (London – Brussels takes less than 2 hours), but you should take into account that the journey is more complicated than that.
People traveling from Antwerp need to get to the Antwerp station first and then take a train to Brussels. Then upon arrival in St. Pancras Station in London, take the train towards Letchworth Garden City from King’s Cross Station (which is right next to St. Pancras) and from there travel to your hotel.
People traveling from England to Belgium should be able to find a train into London, and depending on which station it arrives in, travel by tube or on foot to St. Pancras Station. The Eurostar leaves at St. Pancras and arrives in Brussels. Then you should also book a train from Brussels to Hasselt (Limburg’s capital), and from there travel to their hotel in or near Lummen.
We’ve done the journey by train before, and because we usually go for a longer period of time, we find it’s often more trouble than it’s worth, because of all the transfers and having to carry luggage from one train/bus to the next. However, for a short trip it can be ideal.

BY PLANE
Only having done this once, this is also more trouble than it’s worth. The journey time itself is definitely the shortest (about 45 minutes), but you do have to take other things into account, like security and check-in time, and traveling to and from airports. Of course, it might be the easier option for those traveling from countries other than England and Belgium.
For Stotfold, the best airports are Luton and Stansted – Luton’s only a 30 minute drive away, and Stansted is about 50 minutes driving. Of course, Heathrow or Gatwick will also work, as they both have tube stations so you can take the tube to King’s Cross and from there the train to Letchworth.
For Belgium, the best airports are Brussels (Zaventem) or Eindhoven in The Netherlands. Brussels is slightly shorter, only 45 minutes from Lummen, and Eindhoven is about an hour’s drive away. From Brussels you can also take a train to Hasselt (Limburg’s capital) instead of driving – there is a train going from the airport that takes about an hour, and then it’s just a matter of getting to your hotel. Traveling from Eindhoven to Lummen by public transport is not as simple and we wouldn’t recommend it.

Hotels, taxis & tourist information

This bit of the website mirrors the travel sections in the wedding booklet we sent out months ago. If you scroll down, you will find hotels near Stotfold, taxi services around Stotfold, and places to visit close to Stotfold. Next will follow a list of hotels near Lummen, taxi services around Lummen, and places to visit in Belgium.

OYO Tudor Oaks Lodge

Tripadvisor: 3.5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 4 minutes from our house in Stotfold | Around £41 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | Very basic hotel

0141-536-0166

Taylor's Rd, Stotfold, Hitchin SG5 4AZ, UK

Days Inn by Wyndham Stevenage North

Tripadvisor: 4 out of 5 stars | Distance: 7 minutes from our house | Around £20 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | Very basic hotel

01462-730598

Extra Services Jnctn 10, A1, Radwell, Baldock SG7 5TR, UK

Premier Inn Letchworth Garden City hotel

Tripadvisor: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 10 minutes from our house | Around £35 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | Very basic hotel

0333-234-6602

Station Rd, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3BG, UK

The Broadway Hotel & Carvery

Tripadvisor: 4 out of 5 stars | Distance: 10 minutes from our house | Around £75 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | Basic, but very nice food!

01462-480111

Broadway, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3NZ, UK

Champneys Henlow

Tripadvisor: 4 out of 5 stars | Distance: 10 minutes from our house | Around £200 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | Very nice hotel with indoor pool and spa

0343-210-1462

Coach Rd, Henlow SG16 6BT, UK

Mercure Letchworth Hall Hotel

Tripadvisor: 3.5 out of 5 stars| Distance: 12 minutes from our house | Around £62 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

01462-683747

Letchworth Ln, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3NP, UK

The Farmhouse at Redcoats

Tripadvisor: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 15 minutes from our house | Around £105 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | 3 star hotel

01438-729500

Redcoats Farmhouse Hotel Redcoats Green, Stevenage Rd, Little Wymondley, Hitchin SG4 7JR, UK

Offley Place Country House Hotel

Tripadvisor: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 21 minutes from our house | We couldn’t find a price right away because they’re currently closed, but we expect it to be quite expensive by the looks of it! | 4 star hotel

01462-768787

Kings Walden Road, Great Offley, Hitchin SG5 3DX, UK

The Barns Hotel, Cardington Road, Bedford, UK

Tripadvisor: 4 out of 5 stars | Distance: 25 minutes from our house | Around £97 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | 4 star hotel

01234-270044

Cardington Rd, Bedford MK44 3SA, UK

Eurocabs, Hitchin Street, Baldock, UK

01462-600700

21 Hitchin St, Baldock SG7 6AL, UK

Central Taxis Letchworth

01462-290-000

17 Robert Saunder’s Court, Unwin Close, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3RU

A 1 Cars Private Hire Ltd, Hyde Avenue, Stotfold, Hitchin, UK

01462-734499

37 Hyde Ave, Stotfold, Hitchin SG5 4JD, UK

A Line Taxis Bedford, Tavistock Court, Bedford, UK

01234-330044

27 Tavistock Ct, Bedford MK40 2RB, UK

Staying longer in England? Visit London!

Do I even need to write an introduction on London? A quick summary of the highlights will do: Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Big Ben & Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square & National Gallery, etc.
Traveling into London is very easy by train from Letchworth Garden City (Letchworth is a 10 minute drive from Stotfold and is also the location of several suggested hotels). There are many trains a day going straight from Letchworth into King’s Cross Station (the quickest one takes 28 minutes, no stops). From King’s Cross there are several tube lines going all over London.
Hotels in London are quite expensive, so depending on where you’re staying near Stotfold, chances are it will be cheaper to stay at that hotel and travel into London.

Staying longer in England? Visit Cambridge!

Cambridge is a famous university city with beautiful campuses. Fun fact: it is the home of more Nobel Prize winners than any other city. Going punting on the river is recommended, you’ll be able to see all the university buildings from ‘the Backs’ (that’s how they call it) so you’ll have a nice view of the gardens and campuses.
Again, Letchworth Garden City has great train connections to Cambridge. It takes less than half an hour and you’ll arrive only one mile outside the city centre, so it’s easy to walk there.
It’s also possible to drive to Cambridge from our area, it’s about 45 minutes.

'T Buskruid Hotel, Dr. Vanderhoeydonckstraat, Lummen, Belgium

Google: 4.3 out of 5 stars | Distance: 4 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £96 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

013-53-22-94

Dr. Vanderhoeydonckstraat 64, 3560 Lummen, Belgium

Hotel-restaurant De Pits, Sterrenwacht, Terlamen, Belgium

Google: 4.1 out of 5 stars | Distance: 7 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £87 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

011-85-82-82

Sterrenwacht 143, 3550 Terlamen, Belgium

Hotel Prins van Oranje, Halensebaan, Diest, Belgium

Google: 3.9 out of 5 stars | Distance: 9 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £73 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day | 3 star hotel

013-35-10-70

Halensebaan 152, 3290 Diest, Belgium

Villa Valentino, Diestersteenweg, Hasselt, Belgium

Google: 4.6 out of 5 stars | Distance: 10 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £69 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

011-25-24-00

Diestersteenweg 420, 3510 Hasselt, Belgium

Het Zummerheem, Schuurstraat, Kuringen, Belgium

Google: 4.3 out of 5 stars | Distance: 10 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £82 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

011-22-89-97

Schuurstraat 5, 3511 Kuringen, Belgium

B&B Het Domherenhuis, Dekenstraat, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium

Google: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 12 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £91 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

0497-40-57-87

Dekenstraat 39/1, 3550 Heusden-Zolder, Belgium

B&B la maison de Fille, Schoonaerde, Diest, Belgium

Google: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 15 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £73 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

0470-74-68-62

Schoonaerde 10, 3290 Diest, Belgium

Guesthouse Deladix, Maastrichtersteenweg, Hasselt, Belgium

Google: 5 out of 5 stars | Distance: 17 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £72 for 1 room for 2 adults on a week

06-31247431

Maastrichtersteenweg 300, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

Park Inn by Radisson Hasselt, Sint-Jozefsstraat, Hasselt, Belgium

Google: 4.2 out of 5 stars | Distance: 17 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £72 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

011-71-88-80

Sint-Jozefsstraat 10/2.2, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

Radisson Blu Hotel, Hasselt, Torenplein, Hasselt, Belgium

Google: 4.1 out of 5 stars | Distance: 18 minute drive from/to De Bosch | Around £74 for 1 room for 2 adults on a weekend day

011-77-00-00

Torenplein 8, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

Taxi D&K, 6 Septemberstraat, Lummen, Belgium

0476-29-52-58

6 Septemberstraat, 3560 Lummen, Belgium

Hasselt Taxi Company, Walenstraat, Hasselt, Belgium

011-30-10-20

Walenstraat 2, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

Taxi V - Cab, Molenweg, Zonhoven, Belgium

0495-30-30-30

Molenweg 5, 3520 Zonhoven, Belgium

Staying longer in Belgium? Visit Bruges!

Quite far from Limburg (at least by Belgian standards), but definitely a must-see. Conveniently for those traveling by ferry, it’s (sort of) on the way back to Calais and Dunkirk. It might even be worth booking a hotel there and staying an extra day as it’s such a beautiful city (for those who’ve seen In Bruges: Don’t listen to Colin Farrell, he’s got it all wrong!) Bruges is a city that still looks very medieval and has beautiful canals and lots of bridges and pedestrian areas. A boat ride on the canals is recommended.
Traveling from Limburg takes a little less than 2 hours by car – which is about as far as one can go in Flanders.

Staying longer in Belgium? Visit Antwerp!

This is the province where Nele grew up and deserves second place! Nele’s from a small town called Zoersel, quite a distance from the city of Antwerp itself. There’s much more to it than its reputation of being the center of the diamond trade and being the world’s fifth-largest port. Antwerp’s medieval streets, Cathedral and other monuments are wonderful to visit and there are large art collections by Flemish masters. The station of Antwerp has been voted the most beautiful station of Europe, so bonus points if you’re arriving by train!
Driving to Antwerp takes less than an hour from Lummen and is quicker than taking the train, though it is recommended to head for one of the Park and Ride car parks because it’s difficult and expensive to park in Antwerp city.

Staying longer in Belgium? Visit Ghent!

The whole city centre of Ghent is a pedestrian area. Ghent is filled with squares and markets and it’s very enjoyable to walk around this quirky city. Definitely worth visiting are the Gravensteen, a medieval fortress, and the many Cathedrals and medieval buildings, or enjoy the waterside by taking a boat ride or going on a beautiful walk.
It takes about an hour and a half to drive to Ghent. It’s on the way towards Bruges and the seaside.

Staying longer in Belgium? Visit Limburg?

Hasselt is a beautiful city with an interesting history and is known for fashion. Bokrijk, which is very close to Hasselt, is definitely worth a visit, especially if you have children, as it’s a big open-air museum of historical rural life. There are plenty of activities and re-enactments (mostly on Sundays), old buildings such as working farms and schools, a playground, beautiful gardens, and – to convince the adults – there is a brewery where you can find out how people used to brew beer as well as taste it.

Staying longer in Belgium? Visit the seaside!

Now that our wedding is taking place in April, it might be a bit too cold to go swimming. Nevertheless, the seaside might be a nice place to stop on the way back to France, for those traveling by car. Most famous are Oostende, De Haan, Blankenberge, Nieuwpoort and Knokke-Heist. Expect the usual: sandy beaches, dunes, loads of shops and fun activities for kids such as go kart riding.
Traveling by car from Limburg will take a little under 2 hours, depending on which city you’re driving to.

Staying longer in Belgium? Go abroad!

Paris and Amsterdam are both very close to Belgium (it’s such a tiny country that you’ve passed the border with The Netherlands or France before you know it), so it’s the perfect starting point to discover more of Europe!

Q & A

For all our friends and family who have lots of questions, please check out our Q & A first!

I received film tickets with my invitation for 30/04 at 20:00. Am I only invited to the Belgian part of the wedding?

Everyone who received an invitation has been invited to both parts of the wedding: the ceremony & reception in England, and the reception & party in Belgium. The film tickets indicate that a short film will be shown at the party venue in Belgium at 20:00, so don't be late or you'll miss it!

When is the RSVP deadline?

Please RSVP by the end of February 2022.

Can I bring a date?

Usually the number of film tickets that have been included with your invitation indicate the number of people invited. If you're unsure, just ask us!

Are kids welcome?

Children are very welcome at our ceremony and both receptions. We think the party might be a bit too late and/or loud for them, but they're welcome nonetheless!

Where should I park?

For England - There is free parking next to the GP in Stotfold (Arlesey Rd, Stotfold, SG5 4HB), which is a 10 minute walk to our house and a 15 minute walk to the church. There is also parking at the church, but not as much.

For Belgium - Parking at De Bosch in Lummen for the party shouldn't be a problem. There is a big car park next door where you can park, which will be signposted.

What should I wear?

The dress code is cocktail. It's not necessary to go all the way and wear hats, but please refrain from wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt :)

Is the wedding indoors or outdoors?

Our wedding ceremony is indoors (in a church), our reception will be in our house and garden (we'll have a marquee), and our party will be indoors but there is a garden and terrace attached as well.

Is it okay to take pictures with our phones and cameras during the wedding?

Yes! We would love for you to take photos. Please send them to us afterwards.
However, please refrain from taking photos during the ceremony. Our photographer will take plenty of pictures and we'd prefer it if people wouldn't have their phones out.

Is there a gifts registry?

What does Brexit mean for Belgians traveling to the UK and Britons traveling to Europe?

For Belgians:
One of the disadvantages of moving our wedding to 2022 is that a passport will be required to travel for all EU citizens. It’s not necessary to get a visa (unless for some reason you want to stay for more than 6 months) – but a passport, not just an identity card, is unfortunately required. A passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months when traveling, so it’s probably a good idea to check the expiry date on your passport now. If you don’t have one (or if it will expire by November 2022), buying a new one is usually about 70 euros (depending on where you live), and is valid for the next 7 years.
For Britons:
Because Britons don't have ID cards and therefore all have valid passports, nothing much changes when traveling to Europe, except probably the length of the queue.

How will Covid impact the wedding? Will I need to book a test?

At the time of writing, we don't know yet what the rules will be in April. We don't require you to take a test in order to attend the wedding, but we would appreciate the gesture, especially if the NHS is still handing out free lateral flow tests then. If everyone gets tested, we can all be more at ease. We'd be heartbroken if someone would catch the virus at our wedding.

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