Axel + Sammie by Alice Mahran - Together Journal

Axel was having dinner with friends, who were joking that they’d left their wives and kids at home. So when Axel asked for my number at the end of the night, I was convinced he was married and refused to give it to him.

Sammie ——Axel is a storyteller, copywriter and creative director. He works on a freelance basis for advertising companies and brands worldwide. He’s a windsurfer at heart and when the wind disappoints, he loves to play tennis, cycle and meet up with friends. I’m a project manager and recently started my dream company, an interior design studio called Nicemakers. Besides that, I’m a people’s person, happiest with friends and preferably accompanied by good music, food and drinks. We have two kids, Vos (4) and Liv, who was born last year.

We met at Palladium, a restaurant in Amsterdam where I used to work. Axel was having dinner with friends, who were joking that they’d left their wives and kids at home. So when Axel asked for my number at the end of the night, I was convinced he was married and refused to give it to him. It was only after he put both hands in the air to show there was no wedding ring that I accepted his number. Within two days, I’d texted him, and a week later, we met for a first date.

We’d been together for a couple of months when I left for California with a friend for three weeks. We were so in love and so heartbroken at being apart that when I returned, I unpacked my bag at his home. I knew I’d never leave again.Axel ——Sammie made me feel like the person I wanted to be.

We’d been together for about five years when we took a trip to Bali. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Sammie, so I got the ring and carried it on my person during the flight, ready to propose at the security check if I had to. Halfway into our trip, we spent a few days at the beautiful Alila Ubud, where I had planned to pop the question. We both weren’t feeling very well, so we hung out by the pool and in our room most of the time.Proposing by the pool felt too public, so the room terrace it was. Sammie had just come from the shower wearing a hair mask (I was told later—men don’t notice these things)when I went down on bended knee and asked her to marry me.

We were lucky to know one of the owners of El Fenn in Marrakesh quite well. He convinced us to come and see the hotel, and once you’ve seen it, there’s no going back. Having this gorgeous backdrop for the wedding meant there was little to add. They provided the right ambiance, the flowers and a beautifully styled dinner on the rooftop. Most of our guests were staying at the hotel and we had a nice casual dinner the day before, so everyone knew each other on the day.

During the ceremony, right when Sammie was about to walk down the aisle and everyone was quiet in anticipation, a waiter walked into the courtyard with a tray full of clinking glasses. At the time I was super nervous so I couldn’t really appreciate the humour but looking back, it was such a slapstick moment. Let’s say it did break the tension.