Mirusia’s Wedding: Rieu provides his "angel" with a groom.

Mirusia’s Wedding

Waltz emperor must henceforth share his muse Mirusia

Rieu provides his "angel" with a bridegroom.

The Telegraaf by Evert Santegoeds: Andre Rieu (64) brought Mirusia Louwerse (30) from afar, Australia, and provided her a new life. The star soprano, from Dutch parents, beams when on the Vrijthof and all the other venues in the world where she performs with the orchestra of the Waltz emperor. But these days Mirusia beams like she has never done before ... on her own wedding, and especially for her groom Youri Wystyrk, a member of André's security team! A year after their first date, they married ...

The rings were presented by her 92-year-old grandmother and Youri's equally old grandfather. Their presence was eased by the absence of her discoverer André Rieu who was on a long ago planned vacation in Italy.

The singer, who had made so many headlines with André's Johann Strauss Orchestra, received a great personal letter of congratulations and all the best wishes for prosperity, love, health and happiness from his holiday address. And Rieu has a special place in his heart for Mirusia, he even compared her with a supernatural being when he found her in 2007 and first heard her sing. "Tears came into my eyes. It was as if I heard an angel sing".

Never before

In the North Brabant Castle of Heeswijk the fairytale wedding took place. But it might have very nearly never have come this far ... "We dared not to speak to each other the first half year. Eventually, while on tour through South Africa, during a chat after a concert the spark immediately jumped over. Last year, after the Vrijthof concerts, Youri lured me to our favorite restaurant. There was a band and some singers and he asked me to marry him. He had written his own text to the beautiful song "Never before" by Herman van Veen. It was so romantic!"

Tossing and turning

In the beginning the two were moving around each other hesitantly and cautiously, and it took a long time until there was a first date. Mirusia and Youri let no grass grow under their feet afterwards. And a year later, they married: "The evening and night before the wedding we again spent apart from each other. That evening I did some nice things with my bridesmaids, who had come over from Australia. Honestly, that evening I just lay there tossing and turning, wondering what he would think of the wedding dress. But he loved it!"

The proud groom, "I really became emotional. I always see Mirusia on stage and even then she always looks dazzling. But this time she surpassed that even more, I had never seen her so beautiful. Our relationship is a fairy tale in every way, and so was every minute of our wedding."

Although the weather did not totally cooperate that day, the sun did break through the moment HARALD BERGMANN mayor of Middelburg; the town where Youri hails from, asked them to pronounce their yes-word. And sun will also still be shining the coming week: "We're going on our honeymoon to Thailand. Although we've seen the world with André, we've never been there. After that we go to my native Australia. Only in February we will be back in the Netherlands as my tour "This time tomorrow" starts!

Thanks to John for the Translation