Bis das der Tod uns Scheidet

They met on a train in Germany.  He helped with her luggage, and she began the conversation. When they got to Munich, he changed his plans and got on the train she was taking.  Eighteen months later he proposed and she said "Ja."

Now living in New York City, they planned a small and intimate ceremony in their new apartment.  Before they moved in, they invited their closest friends and their parents to come for their wedding.  With no furniture except a few chairs, there was plenty of room for everyone to mingle, sample the buffet luncheon, and drink champagne.

For the ceremony, I thought it was important for some of the ceremony to be in German.  So their friend read a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, and they spoke their vows in German.  My high school German permitted me to pronounce a few phrases without embarrassing myself.

Because there were a small group of guests, the ancient wedding ritual of ring warming worked beautifully.  Everyone present held their rings and said a silent good wish for Caro and Felix.

Ceremony Tip:  The ceremony area was decorated with many candles.  It created charming an elegant and warm setting...but we had to watch that the bride's gown didn't get too close.  Remember that the staging of a ceremony takes more space than most people think.   It's a good idea to actually place stand-ins for the wedding party in the space and see just how much space is needed.  The usual problem is that the front row of seats are too close to the ceremonial space. For this ceremony, it worked out, but we were mindful during the entire ceremony of the nearby flames.

Julie Laudicina,Celebrant!