5 reasons to get married on a boat in Amsterdam

  • Thomas van Loon
  • 🕐 6 min leestijd

Getting married on a boat in Amsterdam may just be the most beautiful way to say yes. No banquet hall, no generic décor — just the iconic canals as your backdrop, the soft sound of water, and a day your guests will never forget. More and more couples are choosing a wedding on a boat in Amsterdam, and for good reason. In this article, you’ll find out exactly why.

1: Amsterdam as a backdrop at its most beautiful

There is no location in the Netherlands that can match the atmosphere and character of Amsterdam’s canals. The narrow canal houses, the arched bridges, the blossoming trees lining the quays: it’s a setting that simply cannot be replicated. And when you get married on a boat, you’re right in the middle of it all.

What a fixed wedding venue can never offer is movement. Your guests don’t enjoy a single view, but an entire journey past the most beautiful parts of the city. Along the Herengracht, over the Prinsengracht, through narrow canals where you can almost reach out and touch the facades. That’s what makes getting married on the water in Amsterdam so special: the city itself becomes part of your wedding day.

For photos, it’s pure gold. Every moment on the water produces unique images, with Amsterdam as a living backdrop.

2: Complete peace of mind from start to finish

Organizing a wedding is stressful enough as it is. The last thing you want is a venue where you have to arrange everything yourself. On a boat, you don’t have to. A good boat company takes care of not just the cruise, but also the catering, drinks, music, and crew.

That’s exactly how it works with us. You step on board and everything is taken care of. Captain, hostess, bar, snacks, and drinks — it’s all included in one package. No hassle with multiple vendors, no last-minute stress. We are your single point of contact, from your first inquiry to the moment you step back ashore.

Want something specific? No problem. We’re happy to work with you on the details of your day, so the program is exactly what you have in mind. Take a look at our packages for weddings and special occasions for an initial idea of what’s possible.

3: Space for small and large groups alike

Getting married with an intimate group of thirty, or would you prefer a large celebration with a hundred guests? Both are possible on the water. That’s one of the great advantages of renting a boat for a wedding: the capacity adapts to your wishes.

Most boat companies in Amsterdam operate exclusively on the canals with small open boats or salon boats for a maximum of thirty people. We are one of the few operators in Amsterdam with boats large enough for a full wedding. Our fleet accommodates up to sixty people per boat on the canals, and for larger groups we combine multiple boats or switch to larger vessels that can also sail beyond the canal network.

That means a wedding with a hundred guests can absolutely take place on the water, without any compromise on comfort or atmosphere. Want to know more about the options? Visit our page on getting married on a boat in Amsterdam.

4: Fine dining on the Amsterdam canals

A wedding without great food isn’t really a wedding. And fortunately, you don’t have to make any compromises on the culinary front when you’re on the water. Quite the opposite: a dinner on the canals has a magic that no restaurant can match.

We offer several catering formats on board, depending on what suits you best. Think of a walking dinner where guests move through the boat and sample different courses, a plated set menu at laid tables, or a luxury drinks cruise with refined bites. The entire group has the boat to themselves, giving the occasion an intimate and exclusive feel.

Below is an overview of the most popular packages for weddings:

Package Duration Best for
Drinks cruise 1.5 to 2 hours Reception or drinks after the ceremony
Walking dinner 3 hours Informal dinner with movement and interaction
Three-course dinner 3 to 4 hours Formal wedding dinner at the table
High tea cruise 2 hours Afternoon celebration or brunch-style event

There’s always a format to suit your wedding day, whether large or small, formal or relaxed.

5: Quiet, sustainable sailing for a peaceful atmosphere

Something many people overlook when planning a wedding on the water is sound. On a conventional boat, the engine drones constantly, making conversation difficult and disrupting the atmosphere. Our boats are different.

All of our vessels are fully electric. That means no exhaust fumes, no engine noise — just the soft sound of water against the hull. Your guests can have real conversations, the music sounds clear, and the atmosphere is relaxed. It makes an enormous difference to the overall experience of the day.

Electric sailing is also a conscious choice for the environment. For couples who care about sustainability, a canal wedding cruise on electric boats is a beautiful way to show it.

How Rederij de Nederlanden helps with your wedding on the water

Rederij de Nederlanden is one of the few boat companies in Amsterdam that can take care of a complete wedding on the water, from intimate gatherings to large celebrations. Here’s what we offer:

  • A fleet for every group size, from intimate to one hundred-plus guests
  • Fully electric boats for a quiet, sustainable, and relaxed cruise
  • All-inclusive packages including captain, hostess, catering, and drinks
  • Customization available: you set the program, we handle the execution
  • One point of contact from inquiry to the end of the event
  • Sailing area: not just the canals, but also the Amstel, the IJ, and the surrounding region

Want to find out what we can do for your wedding day? Read more about who we are and how we work, or send a no-obligation inquiry and we’ll be happy to think along with you.

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