5 Beautiful Dutch Wedding Traditions to Incorporate Into Your Celebration

Dutch weddings feature 5 distinctive traditions including the wishing tree (wensboom) where guests write wishes on decorative leaves, serving traditional herring at receptions, and the bruidstoet bridal procession with specific ordering of family and guests. A wedding in the Netherlands opens up wonderful opportunities to bring two cultures together. There are plenty of ways to incorporate Dutch customs, though most are quite traditional.

After six years in Amsterdam, I have attended many Dutch weddings and learned how to weave traditional elements into international celebrations in subtle yet meaningful ways.

1. Set Up a Dutch Wishing Tree

The Dutch wishing tree is perhaps the most adaptable wedding tradition. Instead of a traditional guestbook, guests share their wishes on a tree comprising branches, ribbon, and leaves. This visual, tactile approach to gift-giving feels more personal than writing in a book.

The wish tree itself complements any wedding theme. A rustic, romantic wedding can use real twisting branches lit with twinkling lights. A modern wedding can incorporate metal and crystal for a contemporary feel. After the wedding, couples can display the leaves or even the tree itself for years as a memory.

Alternatively, some couples follow the Dutch wooden box tradition. The bride and groom write each other letters expressing their feelings and dreams for the future. These are sealed in a wooden box with a bottle of wine during the ceremony and can be opened if the relationship ever struggles. This tradition genuinely reminds couples why they fell in love.

2. Serve Herring at the Reception

Food is often the most memorable aspect of a wedding reception. Traditional Dutch herring is a fantastic conversation starter that introduces guests to a staple of Dutch cuisine. Served as a snack during cocktail hour, herring brings authenticity to your celebration.

The beauty of serving herring is watching international guests learn from Dutch guests the proper way to eat it: with or without raw onions, held by the tail above your mouth. I have seen sophisticated international guests hilariously struggle with this technique, creating wonderful bonding moments around a very Dutch food tradition.

3. Include a Dutch Wine or Jenever at Dinner

When choosing beverages for your reception, include a Dutch wine on the menu. For extra meaning, select wine from the specific Dutch region where the Dutch half of the couple originates. This personal touch adds authenticity while celebrating heritage.

For a true Dutch wedding toast, serve jenever, the traditional juniper-flavored, gin-like liquor of the Netherlands. The ritual of sharing jenever brings people together and provides a distinctly Dutch moment in your celebration.

4. Put On a Little Show

At Dutch weddings, performances called "stukjes" are common, though not organized by the bride and groom. Close family and friends spontaneously put on creative tributes. One popular performance is the ABC-tje, where a word beginning with each alphabet letter describes the newlyweds.

Guests can be incredibly creative with these performances, adding props, pre-recorded films, or even singing original songs. While keeping audience attention for such performances can be challenging, they create hilarious, memorable moments that characterize Dutch weddings.

5. Have Your Own Bridal Parade (Bruidstoet)

Historically, Dutch tradition called for the groom to fetch the bride from her home on the wedding day with the bridal bouquet. The couple would venture off together with an entourage in a specific order called the bruidstoet: first the bride and groom with flower girls, then both sets of parents, then witnesses, and finally remaining guests.

Modern weddings typically have everyone arrive at the venue ahead of the bride. Reviving the bruidstoet tradition works beautifully for international weddings, especially those with smaller guest counts. This procession adds ceremony and symbolism to your celebration.

After the celebration, couples can enjoy the wittebroodsweken ("white bread weeks"), a Dutch tradition of six weeks post-wedding where the couple is not to be disturbed. This period allows newlyweds to relax after the wedding festivities.

Some couples also freeze the top layer of their Dutch wedding cake to be eaten at future milestone celebrations like their first anniversary or their first child's christening. This tradition creates another Dutch moment to cherish years later. For more insights on Dutch culture and traditions, explore our comprehensive guides to living in the Netherlands.