The Third Wedding!

So we've already discussed the plan for celebrating in Germany... here are a few updates:

The contract has been signed for the Party in the Castle on the 12th of July, 2007. So that is a sure thing. The official registrar's office wedding on the 4th will be final when we sign up for the day, which we can first do six months before the day we want. So look for a post on the 4th of January! Also certain but not yet final is the church ceremony on the 12th; we have yet to pick out the church we want, which we might work on while my mom is here (Dec. 2-10). The details of the Polterabend have yet to be arranged.

Previously hinted at, but now official, is the Big American John and Mareike Wedding Bash. It will take place on the 19th of July at the Knights of Columbus Hall in West Allis. So now we've a third day of ceremony/dinner/party to plan, and we have to work out the details at a distance of 4000 miles (7000 km)! I'll make a list now: invitations, food, drink, seating plan, music, cake, flowers... anything else? Shouldn't be so bad. We'll have the marraige blessed by my parents' neighbor, and then eat and dance and throw flowers and a garter, etc... Keeping it to (my) family and close friends back in America, I think we're shooting for 150. Unfortunately, there's no one at the moment from Germany who's scheduled to make the trip. We'll see if that changes, but if not, everybody's going to have to learn German for the night so that Mareike doesn't feel completely out of place at her own wedding. Clinking glasses to make us kiss? No, you'll have to come up to the microphone and recite a bit of Schiller or Goethe. Sorry, but those are the rules :-)