An American Bride in Germany

There's an adorable German wedding tradition I just found out about, but it's too late to do it... In Germany when a couple has a baby girl, several trees are planted in her honor. When the wedding date is set, the family sells the trees for her dowry. Since my parents never told me about any trees being planted in honor of my birth, I'm assuming this tradition is a bust. Well, that, and nowadays, there isn't really a dowry anymore, at least not in the German and American cultures.


A pretty cool tradition that I hope our German friends are planning is the creation of a wedding newspaper or magazine. Apparently the friends and family of the engaged couple put together a little magazine or newspaper type of thing and sell it either at the Bachelor/Bachelor-et parties or at the reception to help the newlyweds pay for their honeymoon. I'm interested in this tradition, not because of the money, but because of the keepsake we'll have. This is a tradition that I think should be used in America as well. Maybe a bridal shower gift of sorts?

Here is a photo of one done to look like Cosmo:



Buckle up!
Amanda

Seeing as I've been out the the States for over two years, I am a little out of the loop when it comes to music that isn't popular in Germany. For example, no one here has ever heard of Dave Matthews Band, Steve Miller Band, or the Doobie Brothers... Blaspheme!

If you know me, you know I went through a serious DMB phase towards the end of high school into the early college years. While I was researching songs I liked for use at the weddings and receptions, I stumbled across this very sweet song “You and Me” by Dave Matthews Band. If you haven't heard it before, here's a link to them performing on Ellen.

Dave Matthews Band "You and Me" live on Ellen

I really like the lyrics. I know he's not the easiest singer to understand, so, below you will find the lyrics. I'm sure you'll understand why exactly I have fallen so deeply in love with this song.

Wanna pack your bags, Something small
Take what you need and we disappear
Without a trace we'll be gone, gone
The moon and the stars can follow the car
and then when we get to the ocean
We gonna take a boat to the end of the world
All the way to the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We're gonna teach them to fly
You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes

You and I, we're not tied to the ground
Not falling but rising like rolling around
Eyes closed above the rooftops
Eyes closed, we're gonna spin through the stars
Our arms wide as the sky
We gonna ride the blue all the way to the end of the world
To the end of the world

Oh, and when the kids are old enough
We're gonna teach them to fly
You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yes, yes

We can always look back at what we did
All these memories of you and me baby
But right now it's you and me forever girl
And you know we could do better than anything that we did
You know that you and me, we could do anything

You and me together, we could do anything, Baby
You and me together yeah, yeah
 
Buckle up, and enjoy the ride!
Amanda

Todays flowers are mostly yellow with a blue guest. I'm contemplating adding yellow to my color theme because, well, blue and yellow look so happy together. First up today is Buttercup, pictured below, which is representative of childishness, which, well, if you know either Andre or me, you know that although we're legally adults, we will always be children at heart.  By the way, if this looks different than the Buttercups you're used to, that's because it's a Persian Buttercup.




Our next yellow contender is Lesser Celandine. I don't know exactly why it's lesser than any other celandine, however, it is pretty and it's meaning, of forthcoming joys, is also very nice.



The last of our yellow blooms today is one I'm sure you're all familiar with, the Dandelion. While most people think of it as a weed, if you knew it represented happiness and faithfulness, you might think twice before ripping it out of your yard. Plus, it's a very cost effective addition to any bridal bouquet.



The blue blossom I promised earlier is the Forget-Me-Not. This precious perennial supposedly embodies true love, memories, and hope. What bride could possibly go without that on her wedding day? Not me!



Buckle up!
Amanda

Since I'll be legally wed in Germany, to a German, it goes without saying that das Bier will flow at both (German and American) receptions.  Some of you may already know that here in Düsseldorf there is a special beer called Altbier. Alt is German for old, but the beer itself is not old, however, the recipe is. If you're really interested in the history of it, you can read about it here at Wikipedia.

Andre's favorite Altbier brewery is Uerige, which I believe I've mentioned before. It's where we're currently planning on having the German reception. Here is a photo to give you an idea of the atmosphere.



There is another Düsseldorf specific beverage which will most likely be consumed on the wedding night, and that is Killepitsch. It is a liquor based on herbs, similar to Jägermeister, but better. Well, my Mom thinks it's just as terrible, but my Aunt Kim loves it because it clears out her sinuses. Anyhow, it's right next door to Uerige, and we may just all have a stop over...



And while many people think it is tradition throughout Germany to wear Lederhosen and a Dirndl (the woman's version), it's actually only a Bavarian custom. However, if I were carrying this much Bier, Andre wouldn't mind.  We are getting married in October after all...



Speaking of Andre's love of Bier, I saw this cake and I'm tempted to have it for the German wedding even though they don't drink out of these mugs in this region of Germany...



Buckle up! (but take a taxi)
Amanda

Seeing as I'm ditching Wedding Movie Monday for just Movie Monday, and it will henceforth be a non-wedding blogging day, I am trying out a new theme for Wednesdays: Whimsical Wednesday. What do you think? Since I'm toying around with the theme “Oh the Places You'll Go!”, courtesy of Dr. Seuss, I think this is fitting. And on the topic, check out this cute Seussical cake:




And the balloons below fit well to the theme too. Although this inspiration board is based on the Disney movie “Up”, I still think many of the images, or ideas, would work for “Oh the Places You'll Go!”



This is just an adorable couple on their engagement photo shoot:



And here is another inspiration board I found quite whimsical.



I think I've got some good ideas going here, what do you think? Any favorites? I think I'm going to enjoy Whimsical Wednesday...

Buckle up!

Amanda

I'm having the most difficult time finding a cute blue dress for our court house wedding in Germany. I originally wanted something a bit Audrey Hepburn in “Funny Face”, or perhaps Jackie Kennedy inspired.




But I've realized, while they were both style icons, I am neither Audrey nor Jackie. I am Amanda, and I should stay true to me for my wedding(s). I don't want to look back in 20-50 years and say to myself, “what was I thinking?”

I think this dress is cute and very me, but not quite special enough for a wedding:



Then I saw this super cute sailor/vintage inspired dress and fell in love:



But it's sold out :-(

Oh well, the search continues...

Buckle up!

Amanda

Dear Readers,


I think I'm going to ditch Wedding Movie Monday simply because I've been having trouble finding really good wedding movies. Most of them are just fluffy “chick flicks”. If you do happen to know of any good ones, let me know. The last one I tried to watch was “Monster In Law”, and even my computer didn't want to see it all the way through, and decided to keep me from seeing the second half of the movie. It's probably a good thing too...

So, what I thought was maybe I'll just make it Movie Monday, and write reviews about movies I've seen recently. I may also end up replacing Wedless Wednesday with something wedding related, a switcheroo of sorts.

The most recent film I saw was “Date Night” with Tina Fey and Steve Carell. Since I'm a fan of both of their styles of humor, I found it quite amusing. Sure, some of the action sequences were ridiculous, and Carell's “Maxwell Smart” approach to the stunts was missing, but the dialogue was spot on.



Some of my favorite moments involved Tina being the “every-mom” and counting to three, as well as their little game of “what's their story”, which involved them deciding the story behind other couples in the restaurant and creating humorous dialogue for said couples.

Another aspect of the film that made it so enjoyable for me was the actors' ability to go beyond absolute silliness. Some moments, including their disguises, were a subtle nod to Python nonsense-ity. In all, there was witty repartee, slapstick, goofballary, and a lot of fun for a comedy lover like me. Action, comedy, and romance? Sign me up!

Buckle up!

Amanda
 
P.S.  Marky Mark is shirtless throughout the entire film, if you're into that ;-)

In my research, I discovered a few more German wedding traditions, a couple of which, I'm not so excited about. The first one that I'm hoping to forgo is the kidnapping of the bride. The story is, the best man (or wedding party nowadays) kidnaps the bride and takes her to a hidden location, most of the time a pub of some sort. They drink champagne until the groom eventually finds them. I've read conflicting information on this tradition. Some say that at every pub the groom stops in, he has to give a round out, while others say that he only has to pay the tab at the pub where he eventually finds the bride. Knowing Andre, this could end badly... He may never find me because he's having too much fun bar hopping.




The second wedding tradition I'm not too excited about is one that actually follows the ceremony. While the bride and groom celebrate with their family, the bridal party basically breaks into the newly weds house and sabotages their first night together as husband and wife. They place many hidden alarm clocks all around the apartment set for different times so the couple has to get up to search for each alarm every 20-30 minutes. They also often fill the bedroom to the rim with balloons, making it impossible for the couple to even get to the bed without popping them all. If the bridal party is really evil, they've even disassembled the bed, or removed it from the house entirely. Imagine this picture, but literally floor to ceiling.



Here's hoping it won't be too bad...

Buckle up!

Amanda

Throughout my research so far, I found out there are more than just a couple songs I have to worry about... I thought there was my walk down the aisle, my walk “out” of the ceremony, the father daughter dance, and the first dance as husband and wife. I hadn't given any thought to processional and recessional music for the guests and bridal party, a cake cutting song, last dance, etc. Now I find out there's a reception entrance song, a bridal party song, a unity candle song, an interlude, a prelude... AGGGHHHH!!!

I love music, but this is getting out of control fast! And then at some point I will have to make the decision of having live music or a CD for the ceremony, and a live band or a DJ at the reception. I think I want to do it like one of those museums where you get headphones when you come in, and depending on what room you're in, you hear exactly what everyone else hears, and you can choose your own language. I'll make a playlist, and everyone will wear headphones, and I'll have the control.

While I'm not sure exactly what I do want, I know for SURE what I don't want. There will be no Electric Slide, no Macarena, and no “Duck Dance”. There, I got that out in the open. I am, however, open to the Hokey Pokey. :-D

Thanks to The Knot, I have a few ideas, although, in the long run, Andre and I are going to have to sit down and decide on a few things, like first dance and whatnot. Even though the wedding in America is “my” day, it is OUR “first” dance. Hmmm, I'll have to look into the German dance tradition... Check back later for the Traditional Sunday post about dancing at German weddings.

Below is a list of songs I'm currently considering for the ceremony itself. When exactly they'll be used, or if at all, is still up in the air, we are over a year away.

“Once Upon a Dream” from Disney's Sleeping Beauty
“So This is Love” from Disney's Cinderella
“A Dream is a Wish” also from Disney's Cinderella
“Love Will Keep Us Alive” by The Eagles
“Young at Heart” by Frank Sinatra

If you have any suggestions, or opinions, please leave them below in the comments section.

Buckle up!
Amanda

I have been really inspired by what flowers symbolize or “mean”, and I'm quickly becoming obsessed with having exactly the right combination of flowers in my bouquet, if it's at all possible that time of year to get all the flowers I'd like to have. Todays blooms have some rather beautiful, and possibly, surprising meaning.

First up is the Peony, which I for one was surprised to learn represents a “happy marriage and a happy life”. Sounds like the perfect addition to any bouquet, especially if you're colors are any shade of pink:



I had never seen or even heard of a White Violet, and then I found out it means “let's take a chance”, and now I'm convinced it MUST be a part of my floral arrangement:



Yarrow is another bloom that bounced into my life for the first time this week. It's symbolism of “good health” and variety of color is a plus, and it can also take the place of Baby's Breath or Queen Anne's Lace as a filler in center pieces.



Last, but not least, is Zinnia. I found many “meanings” for this blossom. Pink Zinnia mean “lasting affection”, red represents “constancy”, white symbolizes “goodness”, yellow is “remembrance”, and a mixed bouquet or arrangement is for “thoughts of an absent friend". If one is paying homage to family and friends that could not be at the wedding because they've gone to a better place, what could be better?



I hope you learned as much as I did today...

Buckle up!
Amanda

Unfortunately, last week's “research” didn't go so well, because the bartender didn't have Hpnotiq to make the drink with. However, I did learn something very useful. As long as you have a good “mixologist”, they can match ANY drink to the exact color you're looking for. The lesson I learned, is find a drink that's already in the color category you're going for, then have your bartender make it your signature color.

That being said, I thought I'd mix it up for you today and take a look at some pink drinks. First up, the classic Cosmopolitan:



Next, a cute pink drink that looks like it could quench your thirst at a hot summer southern wedding:



And last, but not least, our featured drink this week, the X Rated Summer:



1.5 oz X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
2 oz Watermelon Juice
4 Basil leaves
0.5 oz Meyer lemon juice

Muddle fresh basil, lemon and watermelon. Add ice, X-Rated Fusion and shake. Strain into champagne flute and top with dry sparkling wine or soda

If you have any "signature drinks" to suggest, please leave your recepie in the comment section below.

Buckle up! (But take a taxi!)
Amanda

I want to start off by apologizing for my slacking of the blogging last week. I hadn't decided on a theme for Friday and Saturday, so I didn't post on Sunday, and subsequently, I didn't post at all last week because I was behind. I'm currently back-logging the missed blogs and trying to get some pre-written, so that when I don't have an idea on a specific day, I'll have something to post anyway.

I've received a little feedback about the blog, but I would love to receive more. One reader sent me the idea and links about the candy bar from the previous Something Blue-sday post, and my aunt Kim is still the only person to actually leave a comment on the blog itself.

I hear from my parents that some of my family members read the blog, but if you could leave a little note yourself, or become a “follower” (on the right side of the page), it would help to keep me motivated. Then I'll have to think of the “readers” I'm letting down if I fail to post one day.

So, instead of spending too much time on a post that was supposed to be done last week (on the 7th of April), I'm going to move on to the next “back-logged” post, so I can officially catch up. I hope to hear from you soon!

Buckle up!
Amanda

Today for something blue, I thought I'd bring up this cool idea one of my readers sent me. It's a CANDY BAR!! Not like a Snickers, but like a bar, where you get candy! Since Andre and I are both still kids at heart (and sometimes in the brain), I think this is a super cool idea. In the first photo, you'll see that jelly beans and rock candy have been put into little glasses/vases. The idea there is that they are both a favor for the guest, and an escort card to let them know what table they're at. Savvy!




This candy bar is a little more sophisticated or posh, but still really cool:



While browsing blue wedding ideas, I came across this beautiful inspiration board, which is doing its job of inspiring me:



I like how they did cupcake tiers instead of just a cake. Then I found this picture of both cake and cupcakes, with a beach twist, PERFECT!




Another interesting beach-y idea I came across, was a substitution for flower boutonnières, using a shell, and of course, blue:



I really love these ideas, and hope you do too!

Buckle up!
Amanda

This weeks movie was “Father of the Bride”, which I probably haven't watched since it came out in the early nineties. Now, my parents aren't Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, however, there is a certain similarity to the relationship between father and daughter in that film which parallels the relationship I have with my father.




This scene in particular made me laugh, and tear-up at the same time:

I met a man... and we're getting married.

Another scene which made me think of my dad was when Steve Martin is in the attic of his house trying on his old tux from the 70's and singing “What's New Pussycat”. I had a mental image of my dad trying on this old suit:



All joking aside, if you haven't seen the movie in a while, it's worth a watch. I don't think we'll have the same “budget problems”, because I'm not having Fraaank as a wedding coordinator. And when it comes down to it, I imagine it would be a little bit of a role reversal with my father reminding my mother not to cut costs. After all, she is the one who convinced me I had to have a coupon to buy anything!

For me though, what really hit home was how “normal” they were as a family unit. While they bonded over basketball, we bond over boating. Also, the line about the daughter being like the father and the future husband being like the mother... I am “daddy's little girl”!



Buckle up!
Amanda

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

One aspect of the wedding that I am most looking forward to planning is the music. Many brides just chose the typical “Here Comes the Bride”, “Cannon in D”, and the “Wedding March” for their big day. That's way too traditional for me, and Andre.

Thanks to bridal forums like The Knot, I have noticed that many modern brides are mixing it up and having fun with their walk down the aisle. I have thought about “So This is Love” from Disney's Cinderella, and “Once Upon a Dream” from Disney's Sleeping Beauty, but I never thought about having a string quartet play a contemporary song of my choosing.

Since both Andre and I are fans of classic rock music, and thanks to the discovery of the Vitamin String Quartet, (thanks Knotties!), here is my funny pick for Processional/Bridal Entrance music:

AC/DC Cover by Vitamin String Quartet

We'll probably go with something a little more wedding appropriate, but Andre and I were laughing our butts off thinking about walking down the aisle to that song!

Buckle up!
Amanda

While planning my wedding I have to take flowers into consideration. Not only can they be a costly part of the ceremony and reception, but they kind of make or break the feeling of the day. A bride has so many things to take into consideration when choosing flowers; what's in bloom on the wedding day, what are my wedding colors, real or fake, etc.

One thing I haven't heard any brides considering is, what does it mean? We all know that different colors of roses symbolize different feelings, but did you know pretty much every bloom has it's own symbolic meaning?

Floral Friday's will explore the “meanings of flowers”. Wait, that sounds better in German: “bedeutung der Blumen”. Of course I'll be concentrating on the flowers I will most likely use, but I will also include flowers that I think other brides should consider.

Below it the flower from the Yucca plant, commonly referred to as Adam's Needle, and symbolizes Best Friends:



Next up is Arbutus, another lovely white flower. This one means “I love only thee”:




Our first blue flower today is Flax, which symbolizes domesticity and kindness:




Our last flower for today is Primrose, when in blue, this bloom means “I can't live without you”:




That's it for today, check back next week for more meaningful flowers.

Buckle up!
Amanda

Since I've been a busy bee in regards to being a new bride to be, I've noticed through my research that many couples (especially if on a budget) cringe at the thought of the open bar bill.  Some savvy savers have come up with ideas to cut costs, but still supply spirits for their guests.  One of my favorite ideas being "signature drinks".  The couple hosts and "open bar" of wine, beer, and their signature drinks, and everything else is there and available, but becomes a "cash bar". 

Seeing that some members of my family, myself included, like to party on special occasions, I find this a brilliant idea!  While I plan, I will be doing trial runs of some blue beverages to offer my guests, and I thought I'd share them with you.  Once I decide on an accent color, I'll be testing some of those recepies too.  Tonight will be my first night of official "research" on this matter, and I will post my findings in next weeks edition. 

In the meantime, however, here are some pics of drinks that look lecker! (that means tasty in German)


This one is basically just sparkling wine with blue Curacao, but I've heard of some people putting pop-rocks or rock candy in the glasses before filling them.



I don't know what this one is called, but I love the starfruit on the rim, very cool!



Here is the recepie for the last one, it's called "The Something Blue" drink.

•2 oz Hpnotiq
•2 oz white wine
•1 oz ginger ale
 
I'm gonna have to try these out!  :-)  If you have any blue drink tips or recepies, pass them this way!
 
Buckle up! (but take a taxi)
Amanda

For now, Wednesdays will be the day where I don't blog about wedding stuff...  Today's topic being, German Holidays.  I decided on this topic, because Easter is this weekend, and that means, long weekend for me!

Nation wide in Germany, banks, post offices, schools, shops, and everything else is closed from Friday until Monday.  I get an extra day off because many people schedule their vacation around the long weekend, just like we do in America, and take Thursday off to have a five day weekend.  If you live in Germany that's enough time to take a weekend trip to pretty much anywhere in Europe.  Sweet, huh?

Unfortunately, the Fire Department doesn't close for national holidays, and therefore, we will not be going on a five day European adventure.  We will however, probably drive up to the Netherlands for a day trip, or maybe Hamburg, Germany, since I've never been there.  I'll let you know next week on Wed-less Wednesday where we ended up going.

Another German holiday I get to celebrate is May day, which I find the perfect start to my Birthday month.  It's also when I start my count down.  However, the best event of the year, what I and Andre look forward to the most, takes place in July.  It's not a holiday, however, Andre gets off of work every year to attend the "Grosse Kirmes am Rhein" (the big carnival on the Rhein).  Rollercoasters and rides, fair food and beer, and gorgeous weather to boot!



But back to Easter.  Germans and Americans aren't so different when it comes to celebration and traditions on Easter.  They too have the Easter bunny, egg hunts, and baskets of candy.  One cool tradition which I may use in the future is the burning of the Christmas tree.  I don't know exactly how this tradition originated, but I do know that if you never get around to throwing out your tree, just keep it around until Easter, then burn it and say you're German!

If you'll excuse me, the sun is out, so I'm going to run and take advantage of the nice weather!  Happy Easter!



Buckle up!
Amanda

I was going to go with "Tuesday Shoes-day", but I noticed by browsing other wedding blogs, it's been done.  Also, I came across these shoes and had an "ah-ha" moment:



I LOVE these shoes, and it also fits with Tuesday, so, there you have it!  Besides, it's perfect since one of our wedding colors will be blue.  I will probably go all out with the something blue idea, since it is, and always has been, my favorite color.

I'll do the shoes, bouquet, and hair piece:



And probably a blue sash, unless I ditch the white and get an entirely blue dress!



I obviously haven't decided on an exact shade of blue, but it will most likely be on the "lighter" side of the spectrum.  Aqua colors tend to lend themselves better to a beach wedding.  But who knows, I could always change the theme to "Come Sail Away" and use a nautical blue...  We are tying the knot after all!



Stay tunned, and buckle up! (in case of emergency, your seat cushion may be used as a floatation device)
Amanda