German Wedding

German Wedding, The Way to Go

A wedding marks a critical point in one's life because, after this ceremony, you either become a wife or a husband. Planning a wedding ceremony is quite involving, especially to the two families that are brought together through this union. The service has to be perfect because it isn't a rehearsal.

If you want to have a lovely wedding, it's better to go the traditional way. There's no better way of doing this that choosing a conventional German wedding. Germans have exciting wedding traditions that will make your day exciting and fun both to you and your guests.

What Traditional German Wedding Entails

A German wedding is lavish in many customs that are a great addition to any couple with a German background. The traditions begin the moment a girl is born. When you have a girl, you'll plant several trees to honor her. It's these trees you'll cut and use to pay for her dowry at the time of her engagement (nowadays, this tradition isn't common).

Another exciting culture is that before the engagement of a girl, she'll start collecting pennies. Later on, she'd use these pennies to buy hochzeitschuhe (wedding shoes). And on her wedding day, her mother is supposed to put dill in her right shoe.

Hochzeitslader, an Aged Bavarian Custom

In Germany, they never send invitations but a Hochzeitslader who goes personally to invite the guests to the wedding ceremony. The Hochzeitslader dresses in fancy robes decorated with flowers and ribbons. He's supposed to visit all the homes in the village to invite them to the wedding.

When you accept the invite, you'll pluck one ribbon from his robes. Then you invite him in for a drink. This invitation process can take several days, depending on the number of invitees. Another fascinating German tradition is the junggesellenabschied (bachelor party). It usually takes place before the wedding. The groom, together with his friends, goes to a pub and enjoys himself one last time before the he gets married.

Church Wedding (Hochzeit) Follows Civil Ceremonies

In Germany, it is a requirement by the law that a church wedding (hochzeit) should come after a civil ceremony. This means, when the couple walks the aisle, they do so as people who are already married. Meaning the father doesn't have to "give" his daughter again to the groom.

Another interesting thing is that the groom's friends and the bridesmaids and not allowed to take part in the procession. A couple may choose one girl to be part of the wedding procession. The girl is dressed in beautiful clothes and has to carry a bouquet. The ceremony can last for one-and-a-half hours, and it involves singing, sermons, and a Wedding Mass (for a catholic couple). 

Bride Clothes (Bräutkleid) And Bridegroom Clothes (Bräutigams Kleidung)

Traditionally, the bride is supposed to wear a strapless white dress. The bridal bouquet comprises of flowers like lilies of the valley, orchids, and roses. The groom is supposed to be in a tuxedo or black suit.

Spitzwecken (The Cake)

Ever seen a cake that's 10 feet long? Well, that's what you'll see at a German wedding ceremony. And there's a ritual used to bring the cake into the room. The cake is placed on a plate (wooden) and is carried by about 10 men/women guests.

As the music plays in the background, the group will pretend that they can't get the cake in (because it's too big); that's the fun part of it. The group is then served with beer from a bucket using a ladle.

After that, they'll need to find how the cake would get in. One of the solutions would be to ax the door. But how is this done? One group would hold a piece of wood against the door frame while another group would ax this piece of wood pretending to be axing the door frame.

Usually, this procedure would "fail" to let the cake into the room. So the next thing to do is to cut the cake into two, sawing it with a plate. Finally, the cake gets in, and lots of applause welcome it. 

Hijacking the Bride

Hijacking the bride is a fascinating part of the wedding ceremony. It takes place between the afternoon cake & coffee and dinner. Some of the bride's closest friends would "hijack her," take her somewhere to drink champagne, and enjoy a Bavarian band with an accordion in the absence of the groom.

The groom will have to look for the bride and bring her the wedding bouquet. Once he finds her, several other games can follow where the groom does some funny things. The groom is supposed to pay for the bills before everyone heads back to the wedding location.

The Veil Dance, the Reception, and the Traditional Dances

While it may look odd to tear the wedding dress into pieces, that's what takes place at the veil dance (Schleiertanz). At the start of this dance, the bride gives away the veil. The veil gets spread out, and the bride and the groom are supposed to dance under it. Music will play, and immediately it stops, single women will rip off the veil into pieces, and whoever gets the most extensive portion would be expected to marry next.

The reception in Germany has some similarities with those in North America. As the meal gets served, there are speeches from the groom, the bride, and their respective family representatives.

The parents and the grandparent of the couple are supposed to sit at a particular table together with the bride and the groom. At the end of the meal, there's a dance to crown everything up. Usually, The Vienna Waltz plays because it is the most famous wedding song.

Sawing Wood

As the couple leaves, they can file a log placed for them on a sawbuck so they can cut it together. They are supposed to cut the log using a saw and harmoniously to reflect how they will work together to make their marriage successful. The couple then gets showered with rice - a symbol of fertility.

A German wedding has everything you may want in a marriage. If you are interested in having one, get a good wedding planner who's conversant with the German wedding traditions. You'll have a ceremony that will last longer in your memory.