A toy piano wedding march and a Dadaist veil add moments of delight to a cheerful winter celebration in Berlin.

Who: Kerstin and James

Date: February 6, 2009

Ceremony: In Germany, it’s compulsory to marry at the local Standesamt, a civil registration office, sort of like a town hall. Kerstin and James married at the Standesamt Berlin Mitte, right in the center of the city. The bright, cheerful room, known as the Parochialzimmer, was decorated with a tulle-swathed amaryllis and paintings of the TV Tower. A dapper man in a smart three-piece suit officiated.

Reception: After the ceremony, the bride, groom, their parents, and all their guests went across the street to a cafe called Weinwirtschaft im Podewil where champagne, coffee, and Häppchen (a German hors d’oeuvre similar to Italian bruschetta, with meats and cheeses) were served. The cafe was decorated for spring, with fuchsia tulips on the tables, and arrangements of birch logs and forsythia.

Bride Wore: A chartreuse blouse with a knee-length black skirt, black tights, and 1920s style shoes. A friend presented Kerstin with a powder blue hat which she wore  during the reception.

Flowers: Kerstin carried a bouquet of red carnations. During the era of the German Democratic Republic, red carnations were popular flowers. Symbols for the labor movement, they were usually present at celebrations, a tradition that often continues in former GDR regions of Germany today. “My grandfather often brought carnations,” Kerstin said.

Intriguing Details: Before the ceremony, the bride and groom kissed under a small white canopy made of tulle and lace. “It could be a cheese cover, or a fruit cover, or a Dadaist bridal veil, in this use I assume it was a bridal veil,” explained Kerstin.

See more photos from Kerstin and James’ wedding.

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