Armin Van Buuren celebrates 17 years of marriage to wife Erika

Inside Armin van Buuren and Erika van Thiel’s decades-long love story.

World-renowned DJ and producer Armin van Buuren recently celebrated 17 years of marriage to his wife, Erika van Thiel. He marked the milestone with a heartfelt social media post featuring a recent photo of the couple alongside another from their wedding day.

“17 years… and it’s always you Erika,” van Buuren wrote. He went on to thank his wife for supporting, believing in and guiding him throughout their life together.

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A post shared by Armin van Buuren (@arminvanbuuren)

The anniversary represents only part of their story. Van Buuren and van Thiel first met while vacationing on the Greek island of Crete in September 1999, roughly a decade before they married. Van Buuren has previously described falling for his future wife at first sight.

Erika entered his life before Armin became one of the world’s biggest DJs and has been by his side throughout his rise. Together, they have two children: Fenna, born in 2011, and Remy, born in 2013.

Armin has been candid about how difficult it can be to balance an international DJ career with marriage and raising a family. He has spoken openly about the daily challenges and the importance of deliberately making time for his wife and children. The life of a touring DJ can mean performing in different countries every weekend, extensive travel, and navigating the pressures and temptations that can accompany fame.

Armin has credited Erika and their family with helping keep him grounded. His marriage has also helped him navigate difficult periods in his life and career, teaching him the importance of intentionally choosing gigs and knowing when to say no. In an interview, he described fame as a world filled with attention, private jets, drugs and women, while explaining that his marriage and family helped anchor him.

Armin has never presented his marriage as effortless. He has acknowledged the challenges, compromises, and intentional sacrifices that both he and Erika have made along the way. At the same time, he has described his wife and children as an important force in preventing his career from consuming every part of his life.

Van Buuren and Erika have largely kept their relationship outside the spotlight throughout his decades-long career. Seventeen years into their marriage, van Buuren’s tribute offered a rare glimpse at one of the constants behind a career defined by movement: Erika.

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Meredith Courtright

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