Last Thursday I had the honor of attending a wedding. The bride was a daughter of one of our Amish friends. Her mother, Miriam, regularly offers a journal entry on our blog. The details regarding the preparation for the wedding are available in previous entries. I would like to offer observations from the English point of view.
Only a handful of English were invited to attend. Among the honored number were myself and Jason, our company driver, who has become friends of the family over the years. We arrived at the neighbor’s place around 11:45. The bride’s parents arrived just as we were parking. Our truck looked a bit out of place among the many buggies parked outside the barn. The church service had started nearly an hour before as it is common for the English to skip much of the preaching, done in High German, prior to the actual nuptials.
Upon our arrival the neighbor escorted us to the barn where inside were rows of benches occupied mostly by Amish men and some of their children. The women would arrive shortly; many were busy with preparations for lunch. We were directed to a particular row that would seat all English guests, eight of us all told. The barn was quite dark, void of light but for one open window and the sun that streamed through knotholes older than anyone inside.
About 30 minutes after we arrived, the young couple approached the bishop for the actual marriage ceremony. Still in High German, we could not understand the words, but the seriousness and solemnity of the moment was unmistakable. The entire congregation then knelt on the floor for additional prayer. Thank heaven for the bit of hay that lay across the century-old hardwood floor.
Then, quite abruptly, the young girls and many of the women left for the bride’s home to prepare the noon meal. The other English in our row walked outside as well. We chose to stay with the men and women that remained, and we were treated to a series of hymns sung a cappella. The hymns were beautiful, sung so slowly over such a large musical range that they very closely resembled Gregorian chant.
Following the service, most of the 200 Amish in attendance walked the mile, or so, to the bride’s home for lunch. The father of the bride would escort guests to the furniture shop turned dining area, English first, at a separate table. The men and boys would be seated next; the women and girls would follow. A short prayer preceded a family-style serving of salad, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, dressing, fruit salad, pie, and jelly-roll. The young girls were assigned to individual tables and managed the process.
Following lunch and another short prayer of thanksgiving, the songbooks were passed for the singing that would fill much of the remaining afternoon. A great deal of visiting would occur, people would step outside to stretch, and another voice would replace them. Without telephones and electronic mail, there would be much to talk about during such a gathering. The wedding day would continue into the night for an evening meal and more fellowship. The older folks would eat and the kids would follow. The young folks are given the opportunity to sing their own songs and spend some time together, a sure-fire way to ensure that this will all happen again.
Only a handful of English were invited to attend. Among the honored number were myself and Jason, our company driver, who has become friends of the family over the years. We arrived at the neighbor’s place around 11:45. The bride’s parents arrived just as we were parking. Our truck looked a bit out of place among the many buggies parked outside the barn. The church service had started nearly an hour before as it is common for the English to skip much of the preaching, done in High German, prior to the actual nuptials.
Upon our arrival the neighbor escorted us to the barn where inside were rows of benches occupied mostly by Amish men and some of their children. The women would arrive shortly; many were busy with preparations for lunch. We were directed to a particular row that would seat all English guests, eight of us all told. The barn was quite dark, void of light but for one open window and the sun that streamed through knotholes older than anyone inside.
About 30 minutes after we arrived, the young couple approached the bishop for the actual marriage ceremony. Still in High German, we could not understand the words, but the seriousness and solemnity of the moment was unmistakable. The entire congregation then knelt on the floor for additional prayer. Thank heaven for the bit of hay that lay across the century-old hardwood floor.
Then, quite abruptly, the young girls and many of the women left for the bride’s home to prepare the noon meal. The other English in our row walked outside as well. We chose to stay with the men and women that remained, and we were treated to a series of hymns sung a cappella. The hymns were beautiful, sung so slowly over such a large musical range that they very closely resembled Gregorian chant.
Following the service, most of the 200 Amish in attendance walked the mile, or so, to the bride’s home for lunch. The father of the bride would escort guests to the furniture shop turned dining area, English first, at a separate table. The men and boys would be seated next; the women and girls would follow. A short prayer preceded a family-style serving of salad, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, dressing, fruit salad, pie, and jelly-roll. The young girls were assigned to individual tables and managed the process.
Following lunch and another short prayer of thanksgiving, the songbooks were passed for the singing that would fill much of the remaining afternoon. A great deal of visiting would occur, people would step outside to stretch, and another voice would replace them. Without telephones and electronic mail, there would be much to talk about during such a gathering. The wedding day would continue into the night for an evening meal and more fellowship. The older folks would eat and the kids would follow. The young folks are given the opportunity to sing their own songs and spend some time together, a sure-fire way to ensure that this will all happen again.
Thanks you for the post. The wedding sounds so magical. I have been waiting to hear how the day went. Congratulations to the lucky couple. XX
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