Hans Warendorf is an Amsterdam attorney. Ian's worked with him quite a bit, helping to translate the Dutch legal code into English, among other things. We decided to have the ceremony be in Dutch and English - Hans was the perfect Master of Ceremonies for this. Below (and after the link jump) is his welcome and introduction.
Dames en heren, familieleden en vrienden. Mijn naam is Hans Warendorf en mede namens Scott en Ian wil ik jullie welkom heten in in de Aula van het Academiegebouw van de Universiteit Utrecht. Ik wil jullie mede namens Ian en Scott bedanken dat jullie hier vandaag aanwezig zijn bij de voltrekking van hun huwelijk.
Ladies and Gentlemen, family and friends, my name is Hans Warendorf, and on behalf of Ian and Scott, I would like to thank you all for your presence here today in the Aula of the Academy Building of Utrecht University, where Scott and Ian will be joined in marriage.
Alhoewel de kern van de toespraken vandaag in het Engels zal zijn, willen Scott en Ian aangeven wat de Nederlandse taal voor hen betekent. Zij hebben mij verteld dat een taal een volk weergeeft. De Nederlandse volk typeert tolerantie en openheid. Als de eerste Staat ter wereld dat het huwelijk voor mensen van hetzelfde geslacht toestaat, willen zij jullie als volk bedanken voor de mogelijkheid dat zij vandaag voor jullie hier mogen zijn. Door het gebruik van de Nederlandse taal willen zij jullie laten zien dat zij jullie openheid en tolerantie hoog waarderen en respecteren.
It is no accident that we are gathered here today. As you know, Ian and Scott have chosen The Netherlands as their home. One of the reasons they have decided to live here is that since 2001, The Netherlands is one of the few places in the world where civil marriage can be celebrated between two persons of the same gender.
As those of you from elsewhere may have noticed, or shortly shall notice, weddings here in The Netherlands are celebrated a little differently from weddings in the United Kingdom. In addition to the obvious differences, there are also a few differences that are not so obvious. Unlike in the United Kingdom and the United States, because of the separation we have here between Church and State, every marriage in The Netherlands must be celebrated by a State Registrar before any religious ceremony can take place. It is this Civil wedding, recognized by The Netherlands, that you have been invited to witness today.
It is also no accident that Scott and Ian have chosen to be married in this particular room. The room in which we are gathered dates back to 1462, when it functioned as a meeting room. In 1579 this room was signed into the historical records of The Netherlands when the Union of Utrecht, the document considered to form the basis of the Dutch State, was signed here.
In 1636, the institute that preceded the University of Utrecht obtained the right to award the highest academic degree, the doctorate, which signified the start of the University of Utrecht. The present Academy building was a gift to the university from the citizens of the city and the province of Utrecht in 1886 on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. The building is still used today for official University functions. Some of you might well be gathered here again before too long for the defense of such a doctoral degree!
It is therefore fitting that Ian and Scott are to be joined in matrimony in the very room where the Dutch State was founded. The Netherlands is for them a special place. The ability for them to stand here today in front of their family and friends and declare their love for one another and have that love recognized by the State is for them beyond words. From the bottom of their hearts, they wish me to thank you for joining them today.
Moving to more recent history, there are two individuals with us today who would like to share with us the story of how Scott and Ian met. Natalie Peck and Bente Braat.
Natalie and Bente - telling the story of how we met. (We don't seem to have a copy of this. Maybe they'll see this and email it to us.)
Continue Reading
