German Wedding Traditions

Wedding Attire (Bride) - as in America, the bride usually wears white with one difference: the gowns usually do not have any trains, and if they do, they are very short, and just a little sweep. Most brides prefer the good old ballroom style gowns, some of them have crinolines to be worn under the dress. Most German brides want the newest style wedding gown, and they browse the bridal boutiques and check out what is new and which style is best for them. However, I have been to weddings where brides wore short dresses or even a white suit.

Veils are usually fingertip length, and very seldom worn over the face when a bride walks down the aisle. Some brides (especially Catholic) wear veils that are the same length as their gowns. Some brides take their veils off during the reception, but NEVER before the first dance with their husband and their father. A veil is not a must. Some brides wear only a flowery headband with ribbons hanging down the sides or the back of their head, some prefer both the headband and the veil. Tiara's, little crowns and hats are also a often seen addition. Most brides carry a little draw string purse down the aisle, and also wear gloves. A bride stays in her wedding dress all day, not only a few hours as they do in America. Most receptions last until the early morning hours, and most brides will not change into a different outfit, but wear their gown the whole time. It is also customary for the bride to get dressed at home (most choose their parents home), and then drive to church already dressed in their gown. Most have a beautician come to the house to fix their hair, veil and make up as well.

Wedding Attire (Groom) - the grooms usually wear a black suit.
Wedding Party - bridesmaids, groomsmen or flower girls etc. are seldom to be seen at a German wedding. It is not customary. Also, usually the bride and groom enter the church together and walk down the aisle together. The reason for this is that in Germany it is not legal to marry "only" in a church ceremony. The couple has to be married by the justice of peace, or as in Germany called "Standesbeamte" first. This usually takes place a few days before the actual church ceremony. So when they marry in church they are actually already married by law. For this ceremony the couple, the closest family members and friends get together in the court house, and then the couple will be married by the "Standesbeamte." Usually afterwards is a dinner. For this type of wedding brides mostly either wear a 2-piece outfit (skirt and jacket) or an informal dress. Some choose white, especially if they don't have a church wedding to follow. Courthouse Weddings last about 30 minutes, church Ceremonies can last up to 1 1/2 hours and more. There is a lot of singing, praying, and a sermon as well.

I was also lucky to get the impressions of the witness who attended a wedding in Salzburg, and he described the event. The marrying couple had chosen a small church not far from Salzburg for the wedding. This is a rule to choose a "special" place for the Hochzeit, rather than the general rule in America of always having the wedding at the bride's family church. The groom's family have arranged everything for this wedding. There was a Catholic Mass, in German of course, and afterwards everyone went to a restaurant for wedding cake and tortes and coffee, then there was beer and "fun music" outdoors with a band from 4pm to 6pm, followed by a formal dinner, and then more music and dancing until midnight. It was truly a day-long party, and everyone had a lot of fun.

This is what a typical German wedding is like in general. But still there are special little details necessary to mention, like bride should carry salt and bread as an omen for good harvest, and the groom - grain for good luck and wealth. Before the wedding, the German bride's possessions would be transported to her new home. The belongings traditionally included linens which she had collected, a cradle into which a doll had secretly been placed, and the second-best cow from her parents' farm. These are only a few of authentic German wedding traditions, one of the most interesting and curious of the being Polterabend, when dishes are broken to scare away evil spirits. Take care: only china is used, as broken glass would bring bad luck. The tradition requires the bride and groom clean up the mess - the first mess to cope with!

Log-sawing is another wedding tradition from Germany. It is done after the wedding ceremony. There will be a log on this log sawing horse and when the newly wed couple comes out of the church it awaits them as the first task they have to accomplish together as a married couple. It is supposed to show how they will manage to accomplish tough tasks in the future. It might be really interesting if bride and groom were not dressed in a white gown and tuxedo...

Another tradition coming from Germany involves the bride and groom carrying candles trimmed with flowers and ribbons. However, even in Germany traditions differ from town to town.