Pepingen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Pepingen, LVB’s Sander Geerts proposes weddings outside the town hall, suggesting the Peace Garden. TEAM Pepingen disagrees, citing standards. Council to debate; first-time alternative venues may be allowed.
As VRT News reported, in Pepingen, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, the opposition party List van de Burger (LVB) has proposed that couples should be able to marry outside the council chamber of the town hall.
The party argue that there should be no limits to a single location for weddings, and rather, people should be able to hold their ceremony in as many locations as they want. Opposing councillor Sander Geerts (LVB) shared that the idea has already been embraced in other municipalities.
What is Pepingen considering for wedding ceremonies beyond the town hall?
Sander Geerts, a member of the council (LVB), indicated that the current council chamber in Pepingen’s town hall is inadequate for wedding ceremonies. He mentioned that the room gets very warm and uncomfortable on warmer days, particularly when the attendance is high.
Geerts proposed the Peace Garden, which is located directly behind the town hall, as a better location. He added that with some improvements, such as new landscaping and suitable outdoor furniture, the garden could become an attractive and practical place for weddings.
The suggestion was presented at a council meeting and met with some hesitation from the governing majority, TEAM Pepingen. The party mentioned they were not opposed to additional wedding venues, but did not believe the Peace Garden would be appropriate. According to the majority, the venue simply does not have the appropriate standards to be recognised as a venue.
“The garden serves as a passageway to the playground of the ‘t Zonneke daycare centre and is not sufficiently accessible for people with limited mobility. Moreover, the available space is limited, and setting up additional temporary furniture would result in additional workload,”
According to TEAM Pepingen.
In 2023, the municipality of Gooik introduced an outdoor option for wedding ceremonies next to its town hall. Opposition councillors had proposed the idea, saying the indoor hall was too small to host larger gatherings comfortably.
The governing majority debated the plan but agreed after certain improvements were made. These included adding temporary seating, creating accessible pathways, and enhancing landscaping to meet official standards. The park was officially approved for public ceremonies.
