High Times in Norway

The German word for "wedding" actually translates: "High Time" (Hochzeit). And that we had! What do you do the morning of a wedding, when you're in Norway? Of course you enjoy the wonderful fjords and go canoeing, out your back door! The end of August some of us from Deutschland attended Sven & Severina's wedding, and since we were staying in cabins (Hütten) where the evening reception was, at a christian retreat center right on the waterways .... well?! Einfach splendid!

Sven came around noon to pick up his best- dressed, best men (Trauzeugen), Jan and Stefan! Wait, I've seen you guys look like this before... hmmm...

Look who was in a suit about 14 months before this date -- Stefan marrying Dawn!

Here I am with 2 precious girlfriends and seasoned travel mates, Steffi and Christiane. It was my 1st trip with Steffi but Christiane and I had been to the US before.
As you know, it makes SUCH a difference when you travel, with whom you share a trip. Is each person flexible & easy- going? You can really have so many different or even opposing ideas about how each one wants to spend his days-- shopping, sight-seeing, in nature, alone or with others, reading or watching TV in the hotel, etc., etc. Thankfully, we-- along with Lukas-- all got along great! And also thoroughly enjoyed the other guests staying at the Strand retreat place.

One cool tradition I noted: the bridal pair first sits opposite one another in the ceremony, beside the maid of honor or beside the best man. Then sometime during the wedding, they change seats and the bride and groom are unified, sitting side by side.

Julie B., the maid of honor, with the bridal pair! At our evening dinner of reindeer meat!!! we shared various customs-- several Norwegian songs which all of us sang; a few speeches; and the Germans led the couple in some typical wedding games. Several games symbolized the couple's ability to work together as a team-- such as cutting out a large pink heart (from a bed sheet) and then he carried her through the hole.