Let's celebrate love (forever)

Was this a wedding? Yes and no. It isn’t a ceremony so much as a celebration of our love for each other and our love for you all (and, dare we presume, your love for us).

What you expected:

🎪 A weekend of activities and games around Amsterdam
❤️ Maybe some vows or something romantic (if we felt like it)
🎶 Music, dancing, eating, drinking
🌷Tulips, windmills, orange stuff, canals and boat rides
🐕 Seamus (the real reason we know you came)
💒 A white dress and a suit (but which of us will be wearing which and when we wonder?)

What was reality:

A chaos schedule 📋
So many different kinds of plants and flowers, but mostly tulips💐
Organic seating arrangements 👍
Presents (just being there was enough for us but YOU STILL WERE SO GENEROUS!) ❤️

Frequently Asked questions

• If I can't make it and I want to contribute somehow, can I give you something? You really really really don't have to but if you insist, here's a European payment link or Venmo @elaine-simpson or write a check to Elaine

• Where's everything? You are here, on this planet, and the links of venues are in the program below

• What's the dresscode for the main party? Cocktail Attire 💃🏼🕺🏽 and the rest is however the weather is ;)

• What's there to do in Amsterdam and around? Scroll on! This site is RICH! And it will stay up for you.

the program / het programma

the MILAINEvents
Mostly-Informal, Lively, Adventurous & International Nuptial Events

NOTE: We are not having bridesmaids (because Laine is not a bride) or groomsmen (because Milan is not a groom) but we do have Party P.E.O.P.L.E. (Persons for Enforcing and Officiating the Particulars of Lighthearted Entertainment). Some activities may be only for family and/or Party PEOPLE. If you are one of these people, you already know ;)

Tuesday-Thursday april 19-21

Depending on the weather, we'll be doing trips to see the tulips or the beach, walking around the city, or maybe doing museums. Milan is back on Tuesday from Bologna (work) and will join as soon as he's able.

Thursday April 21 💜 17-20h

Boat ride (selected family and Party P.E.O.P.L.E. only).

Thanks Patrice, 💜 Elaine's mom

Thursday 💜 evening

Meeting at a bar (we'll let you know where) in an area, probably Jordaan or city center.

Friday april 22 💚 daytime

Similarly depends on the weather, likely going to see the tulips if it hasn't happened earlier or doing a group tour of Amsterdam.

People can come by Seamus' house for a meet and greet (walking distance of where the welcome party is happening).

Friday april 22 💚 19-23h+

• Location

Welcome party at Café Restaurant Hoogendam for light snacks and drinks (on the terrace or inside, depending on the weather).

This will be a great time to meet and talk to each other (since Saturday will be mostly dancing) so we hope to see many people there!

Afterwards, we may head to another bar in the area, as there are many.

Thanks David 💚 Elaine's dad.

Saturday april 23 💛 daytime

• Location

We recommend you check out the Noordermarkt for an Amsterdam food, organic market and apple pie.

Saturday april 23 💛 13-15h

• Location

Lunch 1pm (family and Party P.E.O.P.L.E. only) at Noorderlicht
Depending on the weather, may have an activity in Noord after this.

Thanks Elmer, 💛 Milan's dad.

Saturday april 23 💛 19-01h+

• Location

MAIN MILAINEvent is happening at the Brewery de Prael Houthavens (not center, press the link for the right address). Snacks and drinks, music, dancing, and love.

8pm will be a bit of a "ceremony", so please be sure to arrive before then

💃🏼🕺🏽💃🏼🕺🏽💃🏼🕺🏽💃🏼🕺🏽💃🏼🕺🏽💃🏼🕺🏽💃🏼

💃🏼🕺🏽Dress code is cocktail attire, that means cocktail dresses for ladies and suits for guys. But most importantly wear your dancing shoes! 🕺🏽💃🏼

Sunday april 24 💙 11-13h

• Location

Brunch from 11am, Spanish brunch with Sangria and tapas at Tasca Bellota (in our building). Hopefully in the sun, but there's enough space inside too. We will have some base food and drinks provided here, there's room for you to buy extra or stay longer.

Thanks Lucienne! 💙 Milan's mom.

Sunday april 24 💙 Rest of the day

Depending on the weather, may do a chill/recovery day at Westerpark.
Depending on the recovery, may check out some more of MILAINE's favorite brown cafes that evening or terraces around the city center.

Monday april 25 💜

Chilling...

tuesday april 26 🧡

Daytime Pancake lunch on a boat on 't IJ, pretty epic. Talk to us about the reservation.

King's night party at Seamus' house (friends and Party P.E.O.P.L.E.).

Wednesday april 27 🧡 kingsday

King's day - wear your orangest clothes and be prepared for a marathon of a party throughout the WHOLE CITY!

Thursday april 27 ❤️ and onward

TBD, if you're still around then let us know what you want to do and still want to see (as always in Amsterdam, it will depend on the weather).

In the end, do what fits best for your schedule. We'll be happy and grateful if you can make it!

Amsterdam; Museums, food, bars, parks, what to see, etc

For the people coming here we want to give you some tips so that you will not be bored but also that you see the right things and make the best use of your time.

Milan collected a list for you of bars, museums, restaurants, cafes, things to see here for you, below you can find more specific lists.

Cycling in the city!
Bicycles are the most fun and fast, rent one through a rental shop like this one (€20 for 48h is a pretty good deal). Or if you want a bike for longer, like 5 days then choose this. Here's some tips ha ha ;)

This one's more helpful than funny:

Taxi and ubering
You can't just wave your hand and hold a taxi, this is not New Amsterdam. Also, you gotta be patient because there's not many taxi's on the road. But yeah Uber is a thing here, actually, a lot of the app is made here.

Public transport
Public transportation is great, metros, trams and buses go through the whole of the city. You need a digital card for that which you can buy at stations and most of the bigger tram stops, for example on squares. More info on how to get one here.

Coffee and coffeeshops
If you see “Coffeeshop” (all one word, English spelling) this is a cannabis store. Meanwhile, a “Cafe” is a bar.

If you want to find actual coffee (it can be bought everywhere, even at the 'coffeeshops' or cafes, so it won’t be hard) make sure the business says “Coffee” (without “shop”) or “Koffie” which is the Dutch spelling.

Visiting the Netherlands, what to say, do and eat

In the Netherlands you can speak (American) English plus you can visit any place within a 2h train ride, but if you ever want to get outside the amusement park called Amsterdam, here's what you need to know.

Go by train to anywhere really, other cities or the beach
You need a public transport chip card, which you can use in every city but also in the trains in the Netherlands. Here's more info on how to get one, they're basically sold everywhere where you can use them.

Cycling out of the city
We heard that some people want to get a bicycle and get out of the city. Here's a useful site for that and we also have some printed routes. Additionally, the google maps cycling feature does wonders.

Dutch food to try?
From mini pancakes to croquettes from a vending machine, the Netherlands (but also Amsterdam) offers the hungry traveller plenty of unique (culinary) experiences. Don't go home without trying at least one of these traditional Dutch foods.

How to pay?
Some places don’t take cash, and other places won’t take credit cards. (A European bank card is a sure thing everywhere, except for Germany, but obviously that’s not an option for Americans). It’s probably good to have both cash and a travel credit card on you just in case. Places in touristy areas are more likely to take credit cards, but some shops will not. It doesn’t hurt to ask if they take credit so that you don’t end up in an awkward situation.

Why and how to start a tab
At a bar, you can pay as you order, or you can “start a tab” but you won’t give them a card or anything. There’s trust that at the end of the meal/drinks you will come to the bar and pay (so don’t be an asshole and forget). If you are in a large group, you can “split the bill” if necessary but you need to know what you ordered and go and pay for that. At a restaurant the best way to split the bill is to have someone pay and everyone pays them back, or if it’s a smaller group you can say how much you owe (as in the bill is €44 and you say “put €25 on my card and €19 on his”). Sometimes they will do the math for you but it shouldn’t be an expectation.

Giving Tips
Tips are not required in the Netherlands, and if you get really good service 10% would be the highest you would generally tip. Usually, people just round up (so if the bill was €57 you can say “please do €60”).

Dutch Culture
The people all speak English over here, actually the best in the world in their second language according to the WE Forum, but they respect if you try to at least speak some words in Dutch.

The Dutch are very direct, but they’re helpful and polite if you need help. Strangers will usually tell you the right way to do something, especially if you ask for help.

Quick lesson in speaking Dutch
Phrases

I recommend getting to the “Phrases 1” level of (the free app of) Duolingo since this will at least give you an idea of how things are pronounced.

Ja “Yah” = Yes
Nee “Nay” = No
Dankjewel = Thank you (“Dahnk-ya-vell”)

Alsjeblieft/Alstublieft = Please (and also sometimes is used as ‘You’re welcome’)

Lekker = tasty (but can also be applied to weather or a person you find attractive)

Gezellig = cosy/friendly/fun (don’t even try to pronounce it, here's a vid on the pronounciation.

Useful
Nederland = The Netherlands
Nederlands = Dutch
Engels = English
Amerika = US
Amerikaanse = American

Gefeliciteerd = Congratulations (also used for someone’s birthday ha ha)

General Pronunciations
J in Dutch sounds like a Y in English (Ja = ‘Yah’, Je = ‘ya’, IJ = ‘eye’)

W sounds similar to a V in English (wijn (wine) is pronounced vine)

V sounds more like an F in English (verse vis (fresh fish) is pronounced fferse fiss)

G sounds like an H if you were also choking while pronouncing it (Goud (Gold) is pronounced Ggghhhggowd)