German Wedding Traditions

My father's family is very German. Like, mostly German going back quite a ways into their family tree.

My brother in front of Neuschwanstein Castle around age 10.

Because of this, I thought it would be interesting to research some old German wedding traditions. Who knows? If I like one, I might think about incorporating it. Here's some of the ones I discovered.

• Apparently my parents were supposed to plant trees when I was born so that they could later be cut down and sold for my dowry. That's a pretty old one though.
• Why didn't I get trees? DAAAAAAD!

• The Hochzeitslader: A guy in fancy clothes sent around to invite each guest personally. He's covered in ribbons and if the guests accept, they take one of the ribbons and pin it to his hat. Then they invite him in for a drink.
• I'm trying to picture sending one individual to multiple states and countries to make this work. I mean, really. Picture this guy showing up at your door.

The traditional Hochzeitslader wardrobe. (x)

• The Polterabend: The night before the wedding, the couple invites friends and family to smash china dishes to scare away evil spirits. Not glass though, because that's bad luck.
• This symbolizes that while some dishes break, the marriage never will.
• It's up to the couple to clear away the shards, to show how well they will work together as a team.
• I want to smash.

• Brides carry a little salt and bread to bring a good harvest. Grooms carry grain for good luck and wealth.

• A little game during the church service (if they have one, we won't): When the couple is kneeling, the groom intentionally kneels on top of the gown to say he will "wear the pants" in the relationship. Then they stand up and the bride steps on the groom's foot to show that she will hold the upper hand.

• Exiting from the service, the couple may be stopped by ribbons across the door. The groom must earn their freedom by promising a good party.

• The throwing rice thing is pretty common, but I didn't know that the number of grains that stick in the bride's hair represent how many children they will have.

• When everybody drives to the reception, guests tie white ribbon to their car antennas and honk their horns to drive away evil spirits. Apparently this one is fairly modern.

• The Baumkuchen: Also known as a tree cake, the baker makes round cake rings in a rotisserie and when it is cut open, it looks like the rings of a tree.

• The Brautbecher: A cup that is hinged with a well on each end. The couple tries to drink from it at the same time to show teamwork. It's also another way to comically compete to see who will rule the house.

The traditional brautbecher. Notice the bride's cup (the top) is smaller. (x)

• Random end-of-the-day mischief:
• Guests kidnap the bride and take her to the nearest pub (only in small villages) and the groom has to find her and pay the kidnappers' bar tab.
• Guests might mess with the hotel room. 
• The bed could be taken apart.
• They could fill the room with balloons.
• Hiding alarm clocks is another good one.

So, what are my conclusions about these traditions? Seems like there is a lot about who controls the household. Is this a German thing or an in-general thing? I can so see some of Mr. Wolf's friends messing with our hotel room in some way. Actually, if I mention this to the Best Man, I can almost guarantee it. 

Unfortunately, my dad's parents have both passed away. A few years back, our family returned to northern Wisconsin, where they were from, to inter their ashes. I heard though that at my parents' wedding they made it a rule that if guests clinked their glasses, both sets of parents had to kiss too.

All information collected from Paired Life.