Another Mennonite Wedding

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  This time it was from the Kleine Gemeinde church. The bride is sort of related, thus the invitation.
  Who the guests will be is decided by the bride and groom, as a result many close family members and church members are actually not invited due to the family tree being so big.
  Anyways, lets enjoy the wedding. It was a typical KG wedding, no decorations and adornments in the church building, he wore a plain suit and she a plain white dress. One or 2 congregational songs, a short intrudoctory sermon, the main one, the vows, then a few choir songs; songs are generally in English but everything else is in Low German. The reception building is allowed to be more festive, the amount of decorations depends on how conservative the bride and groom are and also on their budget. Some singing is done and testimonies are shared. Usually the meal served is very light, the guests stand in line soup kitchen style then sit at the tables. The servers ration out the food. This practice is mostly done among Plautdietsch Mennonites, however, you can go back for seconds but even then sometimes someone is on the lookout at the tables. Between the service and the reception the couple poses for pictures. After the meal the couple leaves for their honeymoon. Gift opening is optional.
  Please note: only on weddings and funerals are spouses allowed to sit together, and it's mostly done to make non-KG guests feel more at ease from what somebody told me. Umarried male and female KG members still sit separated.
  Now that's a Kleine Gemeinde wedding. I'll write more on weddings soon, this time about the Holdeman Mennonites.

Schoenthal Church, the biggest KG church in Spanish Lookout



Bride and groom

Children playing on the porch

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