Our arrangements are inspiration, never obligation. Choose freely from our own fleet of 14 historic vessels, salon boats for 2 to 60 guests, historic classic sailing ships for 20 to 200 guests, and design a fully bespoke wedding day with your dedicated wedding planner across the UNESCO canal ring, the Amstel, or the Markermeer.
“We design weddings you cannot book, only experience.”
Design it yourself
No fixed package. A fleet all your own.
You need not choose from our set arrangements. Arriving with your own idea, your own route, your own dream? We build from a blank page. Together we determine which ship from our fleet suits you, how long you sail, from two hours to a full eight-hour day, where you embark, what is served, and exactly how the day should feel: quiet, exuberant, intimate, or grand.
Think of Elise Rijkes, your dedicated wedding planner, as creative director: she arranges the ship, the catering, the styling, the music, the marriage ceremony, and every small moment. Browse our experiences or our ships for inspiration, or simply tell us what matters most to you.
What you decide yourselves
The ship, or combination of ships, from our fleet of 14
Embarkation point and sailing area: canals, Amstel, Vecht or Markermeer
Duration: from two hours to a full eight-hour day, or an entire weekend
Marriage ceremony, dinner, drinks, dancing, or just the two of you
Catering, dietary wishes, flowers, music and photography
Whether or not to have an official officiant on board
“Some couples know exactly what they want. Others arrive with nothing but a feeling, a scent, a song.”
Both are welcome. Our work begins with listening, not with a brochure.
We are not a booking platform. We are an Amsterdam atelier with 25 years of experience on the water: one dedicated wedding planner, skippers and stylists who share a single ambition, one wedding at a time, aboard a historic salon boat or historic classic sailing ship, designed as if it were our own day.
Why a ship instead of a hall
Three reasons to settle for nothing less.
A fleet of 14 ships
Choose freely from 10 salon boats (2 to 60 guests) and 4 historic classic sailing ships (20 to 200 guests). Together up to 400 guests, entirely bespoke.
One dedicated wedding planner
Elise Rijkes is your dedicated wedding planner. From first sketch to last dance, she thinks alongside you, coordinates suppliers, and is present on board.
Exclusive, any sailing area
Your ship is chartered exclusively. From a quiet elopement in the canal ring to a two-day celebration on the Markermeer.
Design process
From first conversation to first dance.
Four careful stages, typically nine to twelve months ahead for peak season, though it can move faster. Never rushed, always personal, always with Elise as your single point of contact.
I
Introduction
An informal conversation of about an hour, at our quay or online, with Elise, your dedicated wedding planner. We discuss guests, budget, preferred sailing area, and the atmosphere you envision.
II
Personal proposal
Within 24 hours you receive a personal wedding plan with ship selection, embarkation point, route, timeline, styling direction and menu vision, including a transparent budget.
III
Refinement on board
A private walk-through of your chosen ship. We taste, listen and refine every detail, from ceremony to dessert card, until it all feels right.
IV
The wedding day itself
A fully catered eight-hour day, from boarding to last dance. In bad weather, you and your guests shelter in the covered, heated interior, the day simply continues.
From the portfolio
Sketches for inspiration.
No two weddings are alike. These glimpses from past celebrations on the UNESCO canal ring and the Markermeer show what is possible, and where your own day might begin.
Dawn elopement
Two hearts, one skipper, mist above the UNESCO canal ring, aboard a small salon boat for two.
Ceremony on the Markermeer
Vows exchanged on open water as the horizon opens around you, aboard the historic classic sailing ship.
A fleet of two ships
A floating estate for up to 400 guests, one ship for dinner, one for dancing.
Sunset dinner on the canal
Multiple courses beneath linen awnings as the city fades to gold.
Weekend celebration
Friday welcome drinks, Saturday ceremony, Sunday brunch, all on board.
Evening cruise on the IJ
A private finale above the IJ, with the skyline in view, just for your guests.
Anything is possible
Building blocks for your day.
A selection of what we have arranged before, aboard our own salon boats and historic classic sailing ships. Nothing is obligatory, everything can be combined, and this list is far from complete.
Ask us for the impossible, we love a challenge.
Drag to see every building block
Intimate elopements
For 2 to 8 guests, just the two of you and the horizon.
Ceremony on the water
At sunrise or sunset, with your own celebrant or officiant.
A fleet of two ships
Up to 400 guests combined, one ship for dinner, one for dancing.
Weekend celebrations
Multi-day, aboard the historic classic sailing ship.
Culinary craft on board
Multi-course menus from our own kitchen, dietary wishes included.
Wine & champagne
Guided by a sommelier, from aperitif to final toast.
Live music
String quartet, jazz trio, or DJ set, within noise regulations.
Floral atelier
From understated greenery to lavish installations on deck.
Photography & film
Cinematic coverage from first glance to last dance.
A dedicated wedding planner
Elise Rijkes plans, directs, and coordinates your day.
Not every moment needs to be part of a single wedding day. Some couples begin with a proposal on board; others add a tasting dinner or a transfer between venues.
01
Proposals on board
The exclusive proposal, private, just the two of you and a skipper, fully arranged aboard a small salon boat. Or intimate, with 4 to 25 guests at a long table dressed in white linen. Roughly three hours sailing, with lunch or dinner on board.
02
Transfers between venues
From ceremony to celebration, sipping or dining on board as you cruise the canals or the Amstel to your next address. An efficient, elegant addition to the flow of the day.
03
Tasting dinner
A private tasting of wines, cocktails, cake, and canapés on board, a small dress rehearsal. Maximum anticipation, and the chance to finalise dietary wishes and menu choices.
04
Officiant on board
Our network of experienced officiants, versed in legally marrying couples on the water. Your vows on the Amstel or amid the canal houses, lawful and binding, with the city as backdrop.
05
Wedding planner at the helm
Elise Rijkes, our dedicated wedding planner, takes the entire organisation off your hands. From invitation to styling, from first brainstorm to embarkation point, one person, one point of contact, one effortless day.
06
Photography, film & drone
Our trusted network of photographers, videographers, and drone cinematographers, for a cinematic account of the day, from portrait to final dance, wherever in the sailing area you marry.
Sailing area
From picturesque Muiden to the UNESCO canal ring.
One of the most beautiful sailing regions in Europe, and you choose where your day unfolds. The canals for intimacy, the Amstel and Vecht for calm, the Markermeer, IJmeer and Pampus for grandeur and open horizon.
We work with kitchens suited to the ship and your story, accommodating dietary wishes and allergies. The arrangements below are for inspiration; every menu is composed personally.
Can we design a wedding entirely ourselves, without your set arrangements?
Absolutely. Our arrangements are inspiration, never obligation. You decide which ship from our fleet of 14, which route, which catering, and which atmosphere suit you. Elise Rijkes, your dedicated wedding planner, thinks and arranges alongside you from the very first idea.
For how many guests can you organise a bespoke wedding?
From an elopement for two on a small salon boat to a historic classic sailing ship for 200 guests. Combine two ships and a wedding for 400 guests becomes possible. We advise on the best ship and embarkation point based on your guest count.
Can we marry officially on board, with a registrar?
Yes. Our network of officiants performs the lawful marriage ceremony on board, so your vows are legally binding, on the Amstel, amid the canal houses, or on open water.
What happens in bad weather?
The wedding day simply continues. All our ships have a covered, heated interior, so the ceremony, dinner, and reception proceed even in rain or wind.
Do you accommodate catering and dietary wishes?
Yes, every menu is agreed with you in advance, including allergies, dietary wishes, and religious preferences. During the tasting dinner we finalise the choices.
Is music and a DJ allowed on board, even after sunset?
Certainly, though we sail with respect for noise regulations after sunset, especially within the UNESCO canal ring. On open water such as the Markermeer or IJmeer there is generally more room for an exuberant evening programme.
How far in advance should we book?
For peak dates (May–September) we recommend 9 to 14 months ahead. For intimate elopements or standalone moments it can sometimes happen within a few weeks.
Are your ships accessible for guests using a wheelchair?
Several ships in our fleet are wheelchair accessible. Let us know at the introduction if guests have limited mobility, and we will advise the most suitable ship and embarkation point.
Where do guests park, and where do we embark?
Depending on the chosen sailing area, the wedding party embarks at a quay in the UNESCO canal ring, on the IJ, or near Muiden, Durgerdam, or IJburg. Parking and clear directions are included in the final timeline.
What is a realistic budget for a bespoke wedding?
All our arrangements are fully catered from €10,000, including ship, crew, catering, styling, sound, and wedding planner. A fully bespoke wedding is tailored to your own wishes and designed transparently, with no surprises later.
Can you also customise just part of the day?
Yes. Some couples choose one of our concepts from /experiences and refine only the styling or the menu. That, too, is bespoke.
Personal consultation
One hour, one coffee, endless possibilities.
Elise Rijkes, your dedicated wedding planner, welcomes you at the quay or online. No obligation, no rush, a first meeting that leaves you with a concrete sense of ship, budget and sailing area. Prefer to browse first? See our ships or our journal.
