It was an intimate wedding, with fifteen guests, including Ruben’s son Jarne (14) and Leen’s daughters Lisa (17) and Lorien (14). The wedding ceremony took place at 11 a.m. in the town hall of Oudsbergen, followed by a dinner in the Orshof. “Only our very intimate circle was aware,” says Ruben Weytjens. “Even friends of ours will be surprised.”
© Karel Hemerijckx
Ruben proposed to Leen, a native of Truien who works as a life coach, in Lapland in January. “We quickly chose this date to confirm that we wanted to grow old together. We both know from experience how fleeting life is. Leen lost her dad to cancer and my story is known (Ruben’s friend Loes died in June last year after a battle with colon cancer, ed.). That is why we choose to live intensely and celebrate life at every moment.”
Close
The wedding day remained rather modest. “Some people will think it’s too fast,” says Ruben. “We have received sour reactions to our relationship in the past and realize that there will be judgments. That’s why we decided to get married in the shelter. Although we also feel that most people grant us this.”
These were difficult times for both of them. Ruben lost his girlfriend, Leen had to deal with a divorce. “But instead of always going back to the past, we mainly want to look ahead,” says Leen. “We may be halfway through our lives. Why do we have to look back when the future is ahead of us? And we want to spend it together.”
Ruben and Leen with their children Lisa (17), Lorien (14) and Jarne (14) — © Karel Hemerijckx
They bore the loss of Loes together. So Leen went to Lapland to scatter her ashes. “Loes was also a friend of mine,” says Leen. “I assisted Loes and Ruben during the illness process. Loes was quite comfortable with the fact that Ruben and I were so close, even though we were not in a relationship at the time. We supported each other in the period of grief that followed and you can also find each other in grief. We have the feeling that Loes would be okay with this relationship.”
The past also means that their choice is not ill-considered. “You don’t take it lightly, especially after what happened,” says Ruben. “I never thought I would get married again, but everything that has happened has made me look at life differently and now I want to commit again. In good days and bad, as the cliché goes. Because of what we have experienced, we can certainly imagine something about that. We already know how we will deal with each other when things get tougher and that we will be there for each other even then.”
READ ALSO. Jarne (14), son of Ruben Weytjens, has a rare autoimmune disease: “One chance in a million”
Maldives
A large party with many guests may follow later. “But that is not an issue for the time being. It has been an intense year and we are longing for some rest,” says Ruben. There will be a honeymoon in October. “We are going to the Maldives, a dream of mine,” says Leen. “Ruben is a tour guide and when we go north, he only sees work. There is nothing to do in the Maldives and we can just recharge our batteries.”
Finally, what was the weather like on their wedding day? Ruben: “It was a fresh start, but with some vapers involved it was okay. And the sun wasn’t shining too hard, which was ideal for the photos.” (laughs)
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