An American Bride in Germany

In Germany it is a tradition, as well as required by law, to first get married at the “Standesamt” (Court House/City Hall), and then have your real wedding ceremony. Most Germans chose to have their ceremony in the church, however, nowadays, many are having destination weddings on beaches, boats, mountains, etc.

Keeping with the German tradition, and law, we will be doing the same. There is a bit of a twist though. Since we are having two “weddings” we'll be splitting them up, as far as invitations go. We are considering the German (legal) marriage to be Andre's wedding. Meaning, the guests at the Standesamt will be his parents, my parents, and his brother.  By the way, here are two pictures of the Standesamt building where we will actually be getting legally married:


For the reception in Germany, we are considering renting a room in his favorite brewery, Uerige, and having a small party for his family, friends, and colleagues. Most likely, the only people attending our State-side wedding from this group will be his parents, his brother, and his two closest friends. Andre has a small family, and even though he has been to America and met a good chunk of my family once, my side is much bigger and more extended.  Here's a picture of the outside of Uerige:


Since the American wedding will be taking place in Florida, on the beach, that is still a destination wedding for everyone except my parents. I would feel awful expecting people to travel twice to celebrate the same marriage.

Buckle up!
Amanda