Celebrations Part II

3. Weddings. Nevermind the day of the week. Weddings will take place on any day. I guess it is much more important to pick a date that is important to the couple. The wedding lasts the WHOLE day. The wedding I attended, as well as the wedding I watched on video (!), went like this: bride and groom get ready separately; groom meets bride at her house; bride and groom go for pictures; bride and groom and their "day guests" (i.e. those guests very close to the couple and are with them all day) go to "town hall" to be married by the state; bride and groom and day guests spend time together over a light meal; bride and groom and day guests go to the church and are joined by other guests; bride and groom are married again; bride and groom and all guests go to a reception; bride and groom are thoroughly roasted by guests at the reception, who often prepare skits or share special stories about the couple. Guests eat "gebak" and drink "koffie of thee." and then wait for the cold drinks to be served. No bridesmaids and groomsmen, but the wedding dress gets a whole lot more use this way.

4. Births. Baby showers aren’t common, but the newly expanded family will have a trail of visitors. Get baby announcements out within a day or two of the birth so these visitors can come as quickly as possible. Serve "muisjes" in the requisite pink or blue. Don't forget the "koffie of thee.”

P.S. Follow the link for Dutch biscuits in Wikipedia, and you’ll find an interesting link between my heritage and homeplace and LO’s birthplace! For some reason, Trenary Toast sounds awfully good right now.