Not festive at all
I’m getting married. Yeah, it’s quite a big deal. For some people, this is the happiest day of their lives, but we see it—and this might be because of our age and Dutch background—in a slightly more practical light. We don’t live together, so for us it’s a day of love. A moment when we get everything sorted out for each other. And that’s what this blog is about: getting things organized. Because it takes a lot of planning to make this happen.
It all started with my online research. You can get married for free on Monday mornings. By the way, did you know there’s quite a long waiting list for that? Nine months, no less. When I see that waiting period, it reminds me more of the length of an average pregnancy, but maybe the two are related. They call this “simple marriage.” You can do this on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. I guess someone has Thursdays off. Haha. Sorry, I’m getting a little carried away. And this is only possible in the morning. Apparently, getting married cheaply, for free, and simply is also something you do in the morning.
Of course, you can also have a “regular” wedding. This does come at a price, but it means you can get married in the old council chamber at City Hall, for example. It’s a lot more atmospheric than the modern municipal office at Utrecht Central Station. But setting the location aside, it’s all about love, of course.
And you really have to feel that love for each other when you start this process. It begins with registering your intended marriage. This is a new term for “notification of marriage.” Personally, I think that’s a real shame. “Notification of marriage” sounds a lot cozier, but oh well—all the fun has gone out of it. Because you fill everything out online; it’s a process. You enter your information and that of all the witnesses, and presto: you hit “send.” A few days later, the city got in touch. The two of us had to go to city hall with all our IDs to finalize our intended marriage.
Now, I’m the type of person who likes to “make a special moment” out of things. So we planned a day off and set off together on a romantic trip to the city hall. There, in the main lobby, we got a ticket from a machine. We were told to go to Department C, take the escalator up, and turn right. Our number was called. All the documents were checked one more time, we paid €627 (you read that right—getting married isn’t cheap), and five minutes later we were back outside. Nothing festive about it. Not even a congratulations. Just a procedure. Is it just me, or is this a missed opportunity? They can make up for it on May 15.
This blog was written for CustomerFirst and published on April 15, 2020
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Nienke Bloem is often referred to as the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.
She is a global CX thought leader, educator, and keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She runs a speaking practice, a CX game company, and a training business; she lives and breathes Customer Experience and is the author of two books on CX.
Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for the CCXP, and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and achieve immediate results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she has been hosting a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helping leaders enhance their leadership skills and deliver an engaging CX story, including a solid CX strategy. In addition, she is a modern-day pilgrim and has drawn parallels between her journey and leading customer-centric transformations.
With over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the language of business. Her keynote speeches and training programs on customer experience are inspiring and practical. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA, and her mission is to make customer experience work and help you achieve business results.
