From Swingers Bus to Escaped Bird: Kapellen Alderman Marks 20 Years of Weddings

For two decades, Kapellen alderman Luc Janssens has been the central figure in countless unions, having officiated nearly every wedding in the Belgian municipality. His tenure has been filled with a spectrum of human experiences, from tense moments involving police interventions to genuinely amusing incidents. "A wedding is always something special: I could write a book about it," Janssens reflects on the ceremonies he has overseen.

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A wedding is always something special: I could write a book about it.

One particularly unforgettable event involved a trained bird meant to deliver wedding rings. The couple, members of a bird association, had arranged for a falcon or eagle to bring the rings to the altar. However, the bird, likely startled by the crowd, flew off with the rings, leaving a mess behind. After a brief chase, the bird returned, and a second attempt successfully saw the rings delivered.

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He let the bird loose and the intention was for it to land on the couple's arm. But the bird unfortunately thought differently.

Janssens also shared a story about a wedding prank that highlighted cultural differences. The groom, a Dutchman, planned a surprise for his Belgian bride's family by arriving in a bus emblazoned with "Parenclub Roosendaal" (Roosendaal Swingers Club). While the groom and his Dutch relatives found the joke hilarious, the bride's Belgian family did not share the amusement at that moment.

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He arrived there driving a bus with on both sides: 'Parenclub Roosendaal'. The young man – and his Dutch family – found that incredibly funny. But the Belgians couldn't laugh about it at that moment.

Beyond the personal anecdotes, Kapellen holds a significant place in Belgian history. On June 6, 2003, the municipality hosted the country's very first same-sex marriage. Marion Huibrechts and Christel Verswyvelen's union marked Belgium as the second country globally to legalize same-sex marriage. However, the couple was not initially aware of being the first, as another gay couple from Ghent had planned a larger ceremony that faced delays.

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Actually, the intention was for a male couple from Ghent to be the first.