Imagine a beautiful bride in a Cinderella-esque wedding gown. The crinoline beneath her dress is so full that she appears to be gliding, no, floating down the aisle. The groom is decked out in a crisp, tailored suit and fills the role of Prince Charming to a "T". The ceremony begins and is filled with personal touches to reflect their love for each other (they choose to sing their vows to each other) and honor the bride's German heritage (they perform a double-ring exchange so that they will have a set of rings to wear on both their left and right hands). After the ceremony is sealed with a sweet kiss, the groom takes the bride's hand and leads her down the aisle and out of the church. It is at this special place, just steps away from the chapel doors, that the groom hands his beautiful bride the giant 4-foot saw that will be needed to cut through the wooden log that lays before them. Wait...what?
I got a firsthand lesson in German wedding traditions on Saturday and was able to witness the symbolic "sawing of the log." This is traditionally the first task that the bride and groom must accomplish together as a married couple and is supposed to be an indicator of how well they will face challenges in their future. As a first-time log-sawing viewer, I thoroughly enjoyed watching our friends dressed to the nines and sawing away at the log. I don't think they broke any speed records, but they managed to get the job done in style.