How to Have a German Wedding in America

A traditional German bride wears an elaborate gown to her religious ceremony.

Hosting a traditional German wedding in America is a challenge, but not due to lack of information. German weddings are full of feasting, fun and family; the biggest challenge a bride may face is choosing which aspects of a German wedding she incorporates into her celebration. If you choose to host a full-scale German wedding that spans several days, send out save-the-date cards as soon as you know the dates of your wedding so that guests won't miss a second of the fun.

Instructions

Scheduling and Planning

1. Host a three-day wedding celebration in keeping with German tradition. The first day of the wedding festivities concerns only the immediate family and closest friends of the engaged couple, all of whom witness the couple's civil ceremony.

2. Plan a casual and festive reception on the second day. This second reception is the perfect time to engage in some traditional activities and jokes. One such tradition has the groomsmen sneaking out of the party and hiding out in a nearby bar where they drink champagne until the groom discovers their location. Once discovered, the groom must pay their bar tab and escort the groomsmen back to the reception.

3. Book the church for the third day, when German weddings traditionally celebrate the religious ceremony. An additional reception is typically held following the third ceremony; this reception is typically more formal than the second day's festivities. These separate ceremonies are integral to a traditional German wedding, and can be easily incorporated into a conventional American wedding schedule.

Food, Flowers and Fun

1. Incorporate traditional German wedding symbols into your flowers and wedding attire for luck and good fortune. Myrtle are the traditional choice for wedding flowers, as the blossoms represent happiness and love. Bread and salt are carried by a traditional bride to represent the bounty that the bride will bring to the marriage. Carry these items in a flower-festooned basket or interpret the tradition by tucking sprigs of wheat into your bouquet.

2. Work with a local German restaurant or an experienced caterer to create a reception menu full of German favorites. Traditional German wedding menus include hochseitsuppe, a broth-based soup, and wedding kuchen, a yeast-based cake topped with fruit. These recipes are time-intensive and require an experienced cook. Give copies of these recipes to prospective caterers when you host your initial meeting so caterers have a clear version of what will be required before you contract them.

3. Take dance lessons in the weeks leading up to your wedding and learn to waltz. While a variety of music styles can be played at a German wedding, a traditional German wedding couple dance a waltz for their first dance. Learning to waltz adds a touch of tradition to your wedding and lets you and your fiance spend time together during the hectic lead-up to the wedding.

Tips & Warnings

• While the civil ceremony is usually held a local government facility, a justice of the peace could officiate the civil ceremony at home.

• For budget purposes, consider making the second day's party into a barbecue or casual event, and save the decorations and elaborate cake for the post-religious ceremony reception.

References

• German Culture; Walking Down the Aisle; Tatyana Gordeeva
• World Wide Wedding Traditions: German Wedding Traditions
• Victorian Bazaar: The Language of Flowers
• "German Lieder in the Nineteenth Century"; Rufus E. Hallmark; 2010
• Delish; I Do Foods -- Global Culinary Wedding Traditions; Sahara Borja
• Pennsylvania State University; German Wedding Traditions; Jennifer L. Driver
• "Barossa Food"; Angela Heuzenroeder; 2002