03 March 2013

Hochzeit! (Wedding!)

I know that I have neglected this blog.  It has been over a month since I posted here.  I am going to try to get in the habit of posting weekly,  I'll start with some big news.

Standesamt Neukölln


Robert and I got married on the 26th of February, 2013.  This is the first opportunity I have had to sit down and write about it.  The whole event, from all the paperwork and bureaucracy leading up to the marriage to just getting ready for the wedding that morning, made me think a lot.

Let's start with the immediate. 

Waking up in Neukölln, I hurriedly to my "abdominal workout to fight depression," shower, and do my hair.  At this point, Robert is already dressed in his pants, shirt and vest and has made us coffee.  Thanks, Robert! I still have to fold myself into my fishnets, put my dress on and do make up.  I don't usually wear makeup, so of course I fuck up my eyes a few times, which makes us in even more of a rush than before.  We can't be late, either, because the Standesamt will cancle and make us reschedule our wedding.  Ack!  Being a girlie-girl is time-intensive!
We practically run from U-Blaschkoallee to the Standesamt, about 200 meters away.  We get to the second floor and everyone, including Sabine, my interpreter, is already there.  But the officials haven't called Robert and I yet, so we can relax.
In the waiting room.  Is Robert playing golf?



The waiting area is all teal carpet and fake beechwood.  I sit on the floor and remove the jeans and wool tights I'm wearing under my dress to combat the cold.  I'm nervous.  I feel like everyone is watching me, waiting for me to do something.  I don't really know what to do.  I sort of want to be alone.  Instead, I get sort of funny, commenting on stupid things, telling jokes, and feel grateful when Robert, Sabine and I get called to a small ante-room to show our passports, sign some papers and have the papers that the Standesamt (my birth certificate, etc.) returned.  We also selected our music from the selection they had available.  We choose "White Wedding" by Billy Idol as our entrance music and "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC as our exit.  And then we go back to the waiting room again. 
I feel so weird standing here.  And yet I won't just sit down.



The wedding ceremony was scheduled for 10:40, but it's 10:42, and we are still all in the waiting room.  What was that about the German bureaucracy always being on time?  Finally, at 10:44, the doors to the ante room open and many people who look like pork come out.  They're all very pink and dressed in tuxedos and fancy dresses.  The bride is the brightest, in a satin fuschia gown that makes her look like an orchid.  And then we go in.  Robert and I sit next to each other and the interpreter sits next to me right ear.  The Standesbeamtin (person performing the ceremony) didn't know us at all. We never met her before.  We didn't have any vows.  It was a civil ceremony.  Different than any wedding I've ever been to.  The interpreter translated in my ear.  The Standesbeamtin talked about love and relationship and commitment.  I guess I got the watered-down, not horribly romanticized version of what she said.  Stuff about how it's important to be an individual and travel at your own pace, but make sure your partner isn't being left in the dust.  Then we were asked if we were marrying of our own free will.  We both said "Ja," and exchanged the ,20€ rings I got out of a vending machine in Kreuzberg.  The Standesbeamtin told us we were then married and we high fived and kissed!
The ceremony




Roberts signs

I sign with the interpreter and AC/DC starts blaring!
After, Robert and I both had to go sign  our Wedding certificate.  He signs first, I sign second.  As I sign this legal document, AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" begins to play.  I am handed the marriage certificate and we all exit.  There is a large party of Turkish people in formal wear waiting to enter the room.  And so the marriage train continues...

I have the marriage certificate in my hand
After the Ceremony, outside the Standesamt

We all get on the U7 the Rauthaus Neukölln to go to the apartment and have a party.  And of course cut the cake that our friend Olaf got us!


Thanks for the cake, Olaf!

I am here in Germany for the long haul, like it or not!  So I better like it! 

The sun came out on Thursday, and it's still shining!

















6 comments:

  1. Congrats Harvey (and Robert). I can't believe it's done: you did it !

    ReplyDelete
  2. wowsers....
    (licks his index and pinky, and proceeds to run them through his two eyebrows and point them harvey's way)

    ReplyDelete
  3. congrats, i wish i had been there!!
    big kisses

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sweet post Harvey. Thank you for sharing it here. A DJ wedding (dj hochzeits) brings much of excitement and emotions in the wedding ceremony. Understanding the cultures and the taste of the crowd he tries to keep the party grooving at his music. Explore various reputed dj hochzeits offering their services in Germany.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ich bin immer auf der Suche nach neuen Inhalten, die mir helfen und mein Wissen besser wachsen können.
    Gr8 ... Keep it up!!
    Vektorgrafik erstellen groupdmt

    ReplyDelete