Wedding in Germany

[KensingtonLou]

Just that really! I am getting married in Germany next year and I have never even been to a German wedding! We're going to try and cherry pick the best bit of both cultures. Can anyone share anything from their German wedding/one they have attended? What did you like/not like? Any tips? Thanks in advance xx

I liked:
Entertainment by guests in the form of sketches, songs, quiz, silly games
"Proper" dancing - nearly all Germans have done at least one dance course and I enjoy watching them waltz, cha cha and foxtrot the night away.
Free bar at the German weddings I have been to.
Cake buffet!
I didn't like:
Kidnapping the bride - a German tradition (but maybe not everywhere in Germany) . Some guests 'kidnap' the bride, whisk her off to eg a pub and the groom pays for any drinks consumed before he finds her. Not keen as the wedding party is interrupted and those who are not with the bride or helping groom to look are at a loose end for a while and both bride and groom miss some of action/chat at main event. If the bride doesn't want the kidnapping tradition, I guess she can say so.
No (or very few) hats.
No speeches.
Bride and groom come into church together as they have already had the civil service at the registry office.

Combine the best bits of German and British traditions and you can have a great day.

I have seen some lovely wedding dirndls /tracht in ivory if you are brave enough.
The Nuremberg loving cup is a lovely idea for toasts/speeches. You can buy them online.
www.german-toasting-glasses.com/bridal_cups/nuernberg_bridal_cup_story.html

My cousin got married in Germany and his dad did a lovely speech in Irish with a written translation in English/german.
It was a very laid back wedding with the locals giving lifts from church to venue with the foreigners and teaching us how to drink beer properly!

Congratulations! I have been to a mixed wedding in Germany. The hymns and I think readings were a mix of German and English ones. There were lots of people who could translate as well.

Was going to mention the bride being kidnapped, you want to think about that.

Another tradition I have seen and liked was breaking of crockery, and how the couple clears it up shows how they will get on in their marriage!

Where are you getting married? I feel the kidnapping is more of a northern, thing. And Dirndl is definitely southern!
Polterabend (breaking of crockery on your/bride's doorstep) is the evening before, there is no stag/hen night. It used to be something that you just assumed would happen, people turn up break stuff for good luck and expect a bit of hospitality. But times may well have moved on a lot (as stag/hen nights have)

I've been to a few weddings in Germany - only South though. Free bar as someone mentioned, I haven't ever bought a drink at a German wedding. I do love that bit. The ceremony is ceremonial, they do the legal bit the day before usually, the bridesmaids don't match and they don't seem to do the whole colours and theme thing which we do here. Lots of coffee and cake! And the courses seem to take much longer as wedding parties go on till the early hours. No speeches unless its a short joint speech by the bride and groom, no best man speech etc - and there's a cool magazine/publication made about where the couple met, and kids photos etc, that's made by the friends of the happy couple and you pay like €5 and it all goes to the bride and groom I assume - wedding games, those are fun, and no hats anywhere 😊