Wedding car hire in Vlaams-Brabant (Belgium)

Getting married in Vlaams-Brabant: from Leuven to the Pajottenland

Vlaams-Brabant forms a ring around Brussels, so it has many different areas. With its Gothic town hall on the Grote Markt, Leuven is one of the best-known wedding locations in Flanders, and the Oude Markt and the university buildings give your photos a historic backdrop. To the east of Leuven lies the Hageland, with hills, vineyards and quiet villages around Diest and Aarschot.

To the west lies the Pajottenland, a rolling region of farms and small chapels. This is also where you will find the Kasteel van Gaasbeek, and not far from there the moated castle of Beersel. In the south-east are the Zoniënwoud, the Park van Tervuren and the Druivenstreek around Overijse and Hoeilaart, with its characteristic greenhouses. The Kasteel van Horst is near Holsbeek. So in a single province you can choose between a city ceremony, a party at a castle farm and photos in the woods.

English classic or open-top car: what suits which area

Because the province is so varied, it is worth planning the route first: from the town hall to the photo spot and the reception venue. Only then can you see whether you will mainly be driving through the city, along narrow country lanes or on the motorway, and which car suits that.

Formal in the city

For a ceremony in a historic town hall, many couples choose a stylish limousine. The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud from the fifties and sixties has a spacious back seat and a stately grille, and suits Gothic facades and market squares. If you want a different classic feel, take a look at a Mercedes-Benz W123 or a Volvo Amazon, which also have four doors and are easy to get into.

Playful through hills and villages

The narrow roads of the Pajottenland and the Hageland call for a small, nimble car. A Fiat 500 convertible from the sixties is playful and fits through anywhere, although it is a tight squeeze for a big dress. A Porsche 356 Speedster or a Mustang convertible gives you more glamour. You can see the full range of open models at convertibles as wedding cars.

Practical tips: the Brussels Ring and the time between locations

If you get married in Vlaams-Brabant, you will almost always have to deal with the Ring around Brussels. It can come to a standstill even on a Saturday, especially during events or roadworks. If the town hall and the reception venue are on opposite sides of Brussels, it is better to choose a route along regional roads and allow plenty of time. A classic car drives best at a steady pace and prefers not to sit in a traffic jam for long.

In Leuven, part of the city centre is largely car-free. Agree a drop-off point with the rental company close to the town hall or the church, and have the car waiting there again after the ceremony. Rental companies that drive in Vlaams-Brabant sometimes come from Antwerpen, Oost-Vlaanderen or the Netherlands. So ask about the departure time and whether there is somewhere the car can wait during the reception.