Joe and Jolien with Eleanor, after the ceremony and before the napkin waving!

Massive enthusiasm to party and a big appetite is a good start. That’s my handsome boy on the left looking ultra cool in his wedding suit. His beautiful bride and his sister complete the picture.

So there we were in Leuven for the big event and discovering the Belgium is crammed full of cars and bikes. Some of these bikes can carry a small load, some a very large one. The cars are generally looking for somewhere to park when not filling the massive road going across the country.

There was a brilliant ceremony followed by a massive party. Not quite like the stiff upper lip events we seem to go for over here with speeches by the best man and father of the bride, the ceremony had people saying how wonderful the couple are, and after at the party, it’s all food and songs. An amazing film by the bride’s father Luc, and some napkin waving from the assembled masses. Over here the napkins stay on the knee, over there they are waved enthusiastically over the head to a range of music including, oddly Neil Diamond! By 1 pm I was flagging, no pun intended. The Belgians lasted till 4-00 in the morning.

Belgian napkin waving at Joe and Jolien’s Wedding Party

So that’s both kids married and hopefully settled. My son in law muttered about a re-run of his wedding with something a bit more “pepped up” like the Belgians, bit late for that now.

We had an absolutely brilliant time. I’m looking forward to my next event where napkin waving might be necessary. Frankly, I should not have been surprised about it really, they are a nation that spreads biscuit paste onto toast, for your information, it’s called Spekuloos

Biscuit spread, really!