we realised it's a much nicer experience getting married in another country.” Through their wedding planner, Jules and Mark found their florist Menno Kroon, who owns a property 45 minutes south of Amsterdam, just outside of Utrecht. “People just think of the Netherlands as going to Amsterdam and getting stoned,” Jules says It was really nice to be able to show all our friends the chic side.” Jules shares his and Mark's tips on planning a destination wedding in the Netherlands “We just did not want a cookie-cutter wedding,” Jules says. And while there are lots of parts of a wedding that might feel like a must (or a must-not) and you can spend it however feels best to you that was making things as lively as possible “which means people can drink through the ceremony because I personally hate being desperate for a drink We had a drag queen DJ – they’re actually Dutch cabin crew by day We played ‘90s house during dinner.” Basically your wedding day should represent all the things that bring you joy – be true to that Jacob Van RozelaarJacob Van RozelaarSpeaking of, wedding traditions can be picked and chosenA lot of wedding traditions are borne out of cishet ceremonies But you can – and should – pick the ones that feel good to you “I walked down the aisle with my dad which as a guy But because I leaned into taking that role I had a really special moment with my dad beforehand and I was punching my bouquet in the air,” Jules says “I had this whole thing – just because I'm a man doesn't mean I can't be a bride Jacob Van RozelaarJacob Van RozelaarLet the venue do the hard workOne of the best things about getting married abroad is finding the perfect venue – somewhere that might be unlike anything your guests have seen at weddings before and that can do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of aesthetics that was a florist’s house about 45 minutes south of Amsterdam So we needed to travel outside of the city for the day We found an amazing florist Menno Kroon who occasionally hosts weddings at his estate in Cothen.” Jacob Van RozelaarWedding outfit drama isn’t just a problem for bridesA lot of the conversations around wedding outfits are centred around women and wedding dresses But menswear has a long way to go – most menswear is built for black tie “I found that really challenging,” Jules says “There’s such a lack of diversity.” There are also still pressures around weight and body image they’d say ‘It’ll look better if you just drop a stone.’ I was like Often, your guests are flying from all across the planet to attend a destination wedding – so it’s important to many couples to maximise the time they have with their loved ones “We had people who were flying quite a long distance,” Jules says “But the overseas weddings I went to before were some of my favourites because they were over a period of time.” That might mean arranging dinner and drinks the night before the wedding “Then we met our friends in a bar in Amsterdam All the essentials.” Your guests will probably want to see a little bit of the destination they’ve travelled to so providing recommendations is a dreamy way to make sure they fall in love with it as much as you Jacob Van RozelaarDon’t get too invested in the small detailsPlanning a wedding is stressful – and it’s easy to get obsessed with the little things try to remind yourself of what really matters “A lot of people who plan their own weddings are a broken mess when they can get to the day which we think is really worth it – when you get married overseas there are issues that crop up that you can’t control and having someone look after that for you helps.” But in the end it’s not about the little details – and things will go wrong ‘The invite isn’t coming to the wedding.’ I kept reminding myself I hadn’t noticed when I’d been a guest at weddings where something had gone wrong.” Jacob Van RozelaarJacob Van RozelaarPrioritise the things that are important to youThat might be music, photography or dancing. For Jules and Mark, it was keeping the wedding as sustainable as possible. “We had sustainable dining,” he says. “I didn't want anything that had been imported from outside of Europe Mango has no place in the Netherlands." Communicating these elements of the day to your guests helps to connect them with the things that are important to you we told our guests that we were running a zero waste policy all they had to do was ask and a plate would be prepared But we weren’t about to bring out loads of food that wouldn’t get eaten We also found a homeless shelter to send all the leftovers to.” Jacob Van RozelaarWork with suppliers that you align withA wedding is a great time to use small suppliers or suppliers whose values fit yours – whether that’s a caterer who works with homeless shelters or a UK-based printer “We really were very conscious about who we used as suppliers," Jules says We want to know where our money is going.” A lot of couples who get married abroad fly in a photographer but Jules and Mark advocate for finding someone who knows your venue “We didn’t want to take a photographer over,” he says “We wanted somebody that had worked with the venue before knew what time is the best time for these pictures.” Jacob Van RozelaarJacob Van RozelaarIt’s all in the briefThe truth is even the most low-key seeming wedding party has had a huge amount of thought and planning put into it And keeping all your suppliers on the same page is imperative we know it’s all in the brief,” Jules says and playlists so that everyone we were working with could see the vision.” Jacob Van RozelaarKeep it funAt the end of the day your wedding day (or weekend) is supposed to be fun So keep that in mind when planning the day “We didn’t get married until 2pm,” Jules says “I knew some of the guests would get loose on the night before.” Guests arrived to Champagne and canapés and had cocktails and snacks while the newlyweds took photos “People kept trying to get up to dance,” Jules says Photo by Ashley Rae Photography Photo by Trevor Mark Photography Photo by Lauren Jonas Photo by Tanhya Kae Photography Photo by Anée Atelier Photo by Luna de Mare Photo by Lance Nicoll Photo by Dos Mas En La Mesa Photo by Dacia Pierson of Eager Hearts Photography Photo by Nato Tuke Photo by Ryan Horban Photo by Chi-Chi Ari Love Photo by Asha Bailey Photo by Meg Brooke Photography Photo by Brooke Boyd Photo + Film Photo by Yervant Photography Photo by Belathée Photography  Photo by Towards the Moon Photo by Ana Hinojosa Photo by Sara Lobla Photo by Katie Edwards Photography Photo by Kate Headley Photo by Les Loups Photo by Henry + Mac Photo by Jacob Van Rozelaar Photo by Kristin Sweeting Photography Photo by Blue Note Weddings Photo by Phil Chester Photo by Aaron and Whitney Photography Photo by Lena Mirisola Photo by Lauren Baker Photography Photo by Mae & Minh Photography Photo by Charmi Peña Photography Photo by Alicia Swedenborg Photo by The Nichols Photo by Golden Hour Studios Photo by Agaton Strom Photo by Stephanie Lynn Photo by Lulan Studio Photo by Love Tribe Weddings Photo by Holtz Wedding Photography Photo by Jose Ruiz Photography Photo by Clarkie Photography Photo by Sylvie Rosokoff Photo by Justine Milton Photography Photo by John & Joseph Photo by We the Romantics Photo by Second Shot Photography Photo by Logan Cole Photography Photo by Richard Skins Photography Photo by Red Apple Tree Photography Photo by Gloria Goode Photography Photo by Allan Zepeda Photography Photo by Moni & Adri Photography Photo by Natura Collective Photo by Alexandra Lee Photography Photo by Lisa Ziesing of Abby Jiu Photography Radisson Hotel Group was our great informative and entertaining moderator for both the ROC and the Awards "HSMAI Region Europe have launched several initiatives aimed at marketing our industry with a view to recruiting and retaining the best talents We are proud of how the industry is evolving and of the stellar work many companies are doing to take their brands and their people and customers forward," says Ingunn Hofseth HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the winner of the annual Best use of Brand award Best use of brand goes to a company that demonstrates excellence in the use of brand to influence customers employees or other stakeholders' behaviours Best use of Brand award was The Red Carnation Hotel Collection This is in reflection of the outstanding Summer of Culture Campaign The jury responsible for deciding the successful recipient said of this campaign: "The winner checked so many of the Best use of Brand award criteria Because the activities align perfectly with the brand's identity and values The jury was impressed by the many creative ways in which the winners of this award turned their unique customer propositions into new and delightful experiences the jury wishes it could have been there to experience every part of the campaign That the efforts increased both visibility and bottom line is unsurprising." HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the winner of Best Technology Innovator of The Year award Best Technology Innovator of The Year goes to the company that demonstrates a real change in the hotel landscape with a truly innovative application of technology This is in reflection of the first of its kind Artificial Intelligence product which consisted of industry experts Carl Weldon - COO Europe HFTP Kai Holmberg - Partner Unfold and Matthew Stephens - MD eHotelier said the following of the winner: "The online hospitality ecosystem is continuously changing Hotels are constantly changing rates for existing plans and introducing new rate plans close to check-in-date to sell off their unsold inventory aiming to maximize revenues online The created envisaged solution is a feed that automatically pushes market changes through push notifications to Revenue Managers on a device of their choice The instant alerts give notifications to Revenue Managers or other users as soon as market changes Artificial Intelligence enabled cloud based which tracks intra-day rate and rate plan changes by hotels in real-time and serves them on the go on a device of the user's choice The winner of this award has created an easy to navigate and easy to use interface for users to consume information & respond to it It has created the simple delivery of a complex solution answering a complex question using clever Honourable mentions goes to all finalists in this category which included Criton Group HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the first ever winner of the Sales Professional of The Year award HSMAI Region Europe Awards Sales Professional of The Year Award goes to the individual that demonstrates a true passion for the brand they represent annual Sales Professional of the Year was Mark Beverlo which consisted of industry experts Remi Morken - COO SalesScreen Michael Mernagh - Head of Sales EMEA OTA Insight "We've reviewed and interviewed great candidates for the HSMAI Europe Sales Professional of the Year All candidates have exceptional results to show in 2019 and strongly deserve the nomination The candidates are a mix of experienced and new sales professionals Every one of them has in common a passion for their brand the service they provide and the sales profession The candidate the jury has decided to award the title "Europe Sales Professional of the year" shows a burning passion for the profession the brand and last but not least their customers High activity levels (calls and meetings) combined with a mindset all sales professionals should strive for creates amazing results This year's winner builds trust within their team The winner has broad experience from sales in Europe and Asia and has leveraged the relationships created for almost 2 decades in new business every year." HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the first ever winner of the Young Talent of The Year award HSMAI Region Europe Young Talent of The Year Award goes to the individual that demonstrates a complete understanding of hotel operations and the ability to build cross functional relationships at a young age annual Young Talent of The Year was Philip Steiner Director of Accommodations & Serviced Apartments which consisted of industry experts Gil Mulders - Founder The Talent Network and chair of HSMAI Europe People & Culture Advisory Board Valerie de Corte Global Alliance & Partnership Director EHL Lennart Maas - General Manager Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam Mia Touzin Leffler - Education Advisor HSMAI Region Europe Victoria Roos Olsson - Consultant & Author FranklinCovey said the following of the winner: "The jury was extremely impressed by the quality of each and every candidate We appreciate the time and dedication it took to turn around their applications and produce amazing videos and essays Choosing the finalists and winners has been extremely difficult as we truly believe that every finalist deserved to win this is a competition and therefore there can only be one winner in each category at an early stage in his career acquired a complete understanding of hotel operations but also works closely with finance development and most importantly with the people and culture function of his company This gentleman transformed food safety standards and processes for his company He fought for in-sourcing bringing valuable talents back to the company Helped drive his company values into the business facilitated a leadership programme and successfully mentored one of his colleagues This "master of all trades" at 30 deserved an extra recognition." Top 3 goes to Alex Lewis - Performance & Analytics Manager Kew Green Hotels and Thibault Catala - MD Catala Consulting HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the winner Young Hotelier of The Year award HSMAI Region Europe Young Hotelier of The Year Award goes to the individual that demonstrates a complete understanding of hotel operations and the ability to build cross functional relationships at a young age annual Young Hotelier of The Year was Thomas Goval Deputy General Manager at Katara Hospitality, "The winner of the Young Hotelier Award became General Manager of a major boutique hotel brand at 26 and achieving a bachelor degree from the prestigious EHL he was selected out of more than 1000 applicants for the IHG European Graduate Programme The jury was particularly impressed by how he drove measurable results in each of the hotels he worked for He now manages 820 colleagues as a deputy GM Above his duties the winner is an active participant to the Make a Wish foundation and convinced his owner to collaborate with UNICEF." op 4 goes to Kenji Bourquin-Queva - Hotel Operations Page8 Paul Hunter - Area General Manager Criterion Hospitality and Christoper Darch - Commercial & Operations Director Hilton Hotels (he was unfortunately home sick) A big congratulations from HSMAI Region Europe to all the winners and finalists HSMAI – Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International – is a global organisation founded in the US in 1927 HSMAI Region Europe is the European arm of the organisation pioneer and the go-to industry resource for professional development commercial strategies and sustainability in the hospitality HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry while operating as a leading voice for both hospitality and sales Read More We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Yvonne (Gelders) Rubino created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories The police of Limburg in Belgium have arrested a gang of robbers composed of six members Zonhoven and Kuringen. Five people are already in prison while the sixth will appear this Wednesday afternoon before the investigating judge of Hasselt. Limburg police carried out an investigation following a burglary at a house in Beverlo The gang was 'specialised' in house robberies The stolen items consisted mainly of jewellery and money Plenary Session Terminated after Tensions in Assembly Hall Opposition MPs Climbed through Windows to Enter Assembly Offices Tirana-Besiktas Match Suspended Due to Incidents Strong Security Measures for Bill Clinton's Visit in Tirana DP Accuses PM of Ignoring Albanians Living in Survival Conditions Another car feature from Kevin Raekelboom’s archive and another super clean bagged Euro machine In this case we have a first generation Audi TT built by Maarten Swijns out of Beverlo Like a good majority of the cars that Kevve has brought us out of this region Maarten’s TT has been tweaked in all the right spots Maarten has owned the car for about three years since buying it secondhand from a dealer and during that time he’s experimented with several different wheel and suspension combos from a company called Sat Autosport in Germany Sizes are 18×9 in the front and 18×10 in the rear but like a lot of people Maarten wanted to go lower He eventually went with a GAS air ride kit with adjustable Koni shocks The body has been tweaked with some good old smoothing and shaving the factory rear bumper was replaced a customized USDM version The bronze body color actually comes from a Ford Focus of all things both the bottom half of the dash and headliner have been redone in Alcantara The seats are Recaros sourced from a Ford Mondeo ST220 a scene of the car as it looks when Maarten is driving to work I’ve haven’t been the biggest fan of the first generation TT but cars like this one are definitely starting to sway me i guess ford parts look good when it's euro ford :p Normaly i dont like TT´sBut this one is sick Why are stock cars like this on speedhunters @DanWe've all moved past stupid FWD/RWD/AWD feuds It ain't a race car.I love the color and the subtle upgrades same I'm not a big fan of TTs but these one got me really nicely suprsised although it would look better more smoothed I saw one in a magazine which didn't have an angle on it looked as though it was simply one un-ending piece of metal Even the wingmirrors had been replaced with cameras to make is smoother I don't like the tt's styling in any generation Nice color...nice wheels...nice engine...wait a minute.. Funny matey that doesn't look that stock to me.. Speedhunters is an international collective of photographers writers and drivers with a shared passion for uncovering the world's most exciting car culture stories