A theme based on a country of origin is one of the best ways you can celebrate your special day with a unique wedding theme. Not only do you get to relay your personal history and culture onto your guests, but the traditional ceremony and games are usually enjoyed by most guests. It's a fun experience, and at the same time a learning experience.

            These unique wedding themes are not exclusive to those who are of a particular descent, however. Even people who have no specific ties to a certain culture, and are simply fascinated by it can have a wedding following a certain heritage theme.

German Theme

            A traditional German wedding is a great big party, with a lot of fun and games that go along with the ceremony. For example, the bride walks down the aisle with many white ribbons attached to her bouquet. Later on, the bride gives these ribbons to each guest, which they tie to their cars. When the guests move to the reception area, the cars with white ribbons all form a great convoy, honking their horns the entire time to show everyone that someone has just gotten married.

            Apart from that, all guests are asked to bring old dishes to the ceremony, which they will break in front of the couple. The couple then have to pick up all the little pieces (no one can help them) as a symbol of working together in their marriage. They then march out of the ceremony area with the bride carrying salt and bread and the groom carrying grain while walking on fir boughs, all of which are for good luck.

            One of the most one-of-a-kind features of this unique wedding theme is that as soon as they are out of the ceremony area, the best man must kidnap the bride. He will take her to a local pub or bar and they will begin drinking until the groom finds them. The groom must then pay for all the drinks they have consumed, then bring his bride to the reception venue. At the reception, both fathers have to stand and give toasts that offer words of praise for their new child-in-law. Then the bride and groom work together to cut a log in half to symbolize that they will be united in dealing with the hardships of their marriage.

            Continuing with tradition, the first dance of the evening must be a waltz, and that dance is for the couple. The second dance is the bride and her father, along with the groom and his mother and the bride's mother with the groom's father. This shows the entire family as one, all celebrating together. A veil or money dance is also in order.

            As two final bits of tradition, wedding favors must be a wedding newspaper filled with stories about the couple (often written and printed by friends), and a ribbon is placed on the exit of the reception hall so that the bride and groom must pay a toll before leaving, that toll being the promise to have another party in the future.

            The decorations, cake, and food of a German wedding is up to the bride and groom. But try to serve traditional German food like sausages, pigs knuckles, Zurichers, and so on. The cake can be stollen iced in white in order to give guests a unique twist. And don't forget to serve lots of beer!

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