We love a city wedding here at One Fab Day, so you can imagine our excitement when we get to see a celebration in a new city for the first time! In the case of today's real wedding, we were instantly charmed by the couple (Carina and Patrick), the city (Leiden in The Netherlands) and the photography (by Maja Tsolo Photography), as well as the chic details that make the day look oh-so-cool and atmospheric. Carina and Patrick weren't afraid to throw out the rule book, either - they had an adorable troop of flower girls and page boys instead of a typical wedding party, they wrote their own ceremony, and they even took their guests on a pre-dinner boat ride! Their big day at Leiden Botanical Gardens is such a treat for the eyes - we can't wait to show you more!

This gorgeous pair met in the summer of 2003, when they were both working at a beach pavilion in Noordwijk in The Netherlands. "We spent our days selling snacks and ice creams, and having heated debates about politics," Carina remembers. "While it was quickly obvious to our colleagues, it took us some time to realise that maybe we were enjoying each other's company a bit more than the average colleagues! After a while, I started dating someone else, which was the wake-up call that Patrick needed, and about two years after we met, we finally became a couple!"

Patrick called for Carina on the morning of the wedding, with her bouquet in hand - what a sweet and simple way to do the First Look!

The city of Leiden looks so cute with its abundant trees and cobbled streets - I think we've just found ourselves a new holiday destination!

When Carina moved to London to complete her PhD studies, the couple faced their biggest challenge yet - six years of living apart. "This wasn’t always easy, but it made us stronger as a couple," she says. "It also meant that on our wedding day, we knew for sure that we were not getting married because we couldn’t be without each other, but rather because we didn't want to be without each other anymore! Patrick recently found a job in London so, for us, our wedding day really marked the beginning of the rest of our life together."

Carina chose a stunning BHLDN dress for the big day. "I knew I wanted a lace dress with an open back, and ended up finding the dress in Chestnut Hill while on holiday in the States," she tells us. "I especially loved how comfortable it was!"

Patrick picked a pretty magical time to pop the question - he got down on one knee just as the sun was setting over Lake Inle in Myanmar. “We were traveling around Myanmar to mark our ten-year anniversary and had just arrived at the beautiful Paramount Inle Resort, which is built on stilts on the lake," Carina remembers. "As an unsuspecting millennial, I was checking my emails while watching the sunset, so Patrick asked me to put my phone away. He got on one knee, and popped the question, and obviously, I said yes!”

The Orangery at Leiden Botanical Gardens is so bright and airy - it's a perfect place for an intimate wedding ceremony!

Carina and Patrick both wanted a ceremony that was hugely personal, so asked a close family friend to be their celebrant. "Carina’s maid of honour and sister both gave speeches, and we also wrote our own vows," Patrick says. "It was really nice to be able to say to each other why we were choosing to spend the rest of our lives together, in front of all our friends and family."

This speechgiver is me at literally every wedding! I can never hold back the tears!

When it came time to choose a wedding venue, Carina and Patrick wanted a space that could host the day in its entirety. "We were looking for a classy and beautiful venue in the centre of Leiden where we could have our ceremony, reception, and party, and the botanical gardens had it all. The historic Orangery has beautiful high ceilings and windows, is surrounded by amazing gardens and greenhouses. Having the wedding in one place definitely helped keep things simple, especially when planning it from abroad!"

I love how the couple clashed trends with their wedding cake! Their SweetDeluxe creation included two rustic naked cake layers and one contemporary layer with gold leaf decoration.

The couple describe their day as, "a relaxed and joyful celebration of our love for each other, surrounded by our family and friends from all over the world. It was heartwarming to see how everyone was sharing in our happiness, and we felt very loved."

How cute is this little wedding party!? We can see lots of couples stealing the shirt, short and suspender combo for their page boys!

The couple made room in the day to take their guests on a short tour of the local canals! "We wanted to show our foreign friends around the city, so after the ceremony and drinks reception, we walked to the docks at the edge of the botanical gardens and went on a boat trip on the Leiden canals!"

A beautiful venue like Leiden Botanical Gardens needs very little decoration!

One of the first things the couple booked was their wedding photographer, Maja Tsolo. "We knew that the day was just going to fly by, so we wanted to have great photos to remember it by. Maja had been the photographer at my friends’ wedding and we loved her style, so we were very happy that she was willing to fly from London to the Netherlands to capture our wedding!"

The venue's greenhouse make a sensational backdrop for wedding portraits, don't you think!?

The greenery illustration on this menu is so pretty! If you're looking for a way to include more florals and accents of nature into your wedding, stationery is a great one.

Carina and Patrick kicked off the evening reception with a LOL-filled round of the wedding shoe game, a close relation of the Mr. and Mrs. Game, which has the couple answering questions about each other using their footwear! What fun!

What a lovely, joy-filled day! At this point, we have to say a huge thank you to Carina and Patrick for allowing us to share their wedding, and to Maja Tsolo Photography for providing the beautiful images.