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Published: July 31st 2011
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Had the priviledge of attending the wedding of one of my 28 AFS exchange students, that i have been involved with, this Saturday. I shouldn't really say they are students, as you try to make each and every one of them part of your family and if it works they become like one of your own children.
So a wedding in Germany. I'm not sure how much of their wedding was traditional and how much was what they wanted to do but this is how it went.
The bridal couple arrived together and mingled with the guests prior to the wedding.
We had the wedding ceremony at a castle where a female celebrant officiated. In the wedding room only 40 or so guests could be seated so the bridal couple invited a selection of family and friends to be part of this.
The bride and groom walked in together while the guest were in the room and the best man played the bridal waltz to accompany their walk.
The best man and female attendant were waiting for them at the front, each wore an outfit of their choice.
The cermony is brief with vows, a kiss and then
signing of the register by the couple and the best man and female attendant.
At the end of the ceremony the couple waited at the front of the room and were personally congratulated by each and very person who came acoompanied by more sax music from the best man.
We all then went out of the room and showered the bridal couple with bubbles as they descended the staircase.
From there we went to the reception area for midday canapes and champagne whilst the bridal couple had photos taken of just them and guests arrived. Many of these guests did not attend the actual wedding ceremony.
We all stayed in the youth hostel next door to the reception area for the night.
The bridal couple arrived mingled and then as the guests arrived they were formally presented with a gift from each of the guests. Many of these were humourous, some flower bouquets and some envelopes containing money.
Then we were all seated and the couple cut the wedding cake. Along with the wedding cake which was iced butter cake and cream with each layer of the cake a different cream flavour, there were NUMEROUS other cakes
Wedding ceremony
one of the present which was money notes creatively arranged made by the guests. German people are serious cake eaters and coffee and cake is an EVENT.
Games were next with various guests preparing and organising them.
One involved the birdal couple in a competion of speed to complete household tasks.
Another was a answer the question game, where to indicate they knew the answer they had to hold up one of their shoes or their partners shoes in their hands high in the air.
Another game involved asking the bridal couple a quizz " how well they knew their guests" with various questions requiring the guests to stand ie who has come from 400 kms away etc.
There was a large blank artists canvas divided into sqaures with drawing materials nearby for each guest to draw in a square.
Blank pieces of paper were given out for the guests to write a message and these were tied to helium ballons and released outside.
Another guest involver was asking each guest to write something meaningful about marriage or the couple, on a piece of paper which was sealed into a box with glasses a bottle of wine and candles for their first anniversary dinner together.
And my favourite was
Wedding ceremony
Serious cake eating where the couple danced holding an umbrella which had very sticky tape on the top side and guests were given streamers to blow and throw across encasing the couple in a sea of streamers.
After a semi decent pause we had a buffet meal, salads, hot food, hot veges, soup and of course more deserts.
And of course there is the bridal waltz, the first dance with the parents of the bridal couple and then dancing all night to the band.
For anonymity purposes i am not including face shots as much as possible this was the couples day and i don't want to www it.
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