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While researching our ancestors in Holland, I was able to see and record information directly from the original hand written documents on file in the archives where the event took place. Here are copies of three such documents.

The first is the marriage of Hermen van Genderen to Wijntje van Bavelgem in 1813. It happened in a tiny village Well. The document is in French because of the occupation by Napoleon Bonaparte and the new requirements of registering all marriages, births and deaths as a civil event. A marriage first took place (and still does) in city hall and, if desired, could be followed by a church ceremony; however, a priest or minister could not declare the couple to be man and wife. Prior to the marriage, there was the "intent to marry", a period during which the bride and groom had to provide records of their birth, military service and any previous marriages. The ceremony also required the written approval of all parents and witnesses.

The second is the last section of the handwritten recording of the marriage of Pieter Brentjes to Elizabeth Pellegrom in 1819. This document is in the Dutch language.  

Note the signatures of "Piet brentjes" and "maria brentijes". The others were witnesses. These were working people with a minimum education. Obviously the person who recorded all this was more proficient in language and writing skills. Another interesting observation is that the names were not always known and recorded the same way. Aart Pellegrom, the father of the bride, signed his name as Pellengrom (with an "n") and Maria van Meurs (Brentjes) signed hers as Brentijes.

The third and last example is again the last part of a marriage document. It was the second marriage of Pieter Brentjes to Elizabeth van Dooijeweert. This time Maria van Meurs (Brentjes) his mother, signs her name "maria meurs" and the bride signs hers as "Elizabet vandooijewaart". Her father Steven van Dooijeweert signed his name "S Van Dooijeweert".

PS. The words "waart" and "weert" mean the same thing: district. It is just that "weert" is the old way of writing it. The whole name Dooijeweert literally means "dead district".