Picking Sides (of the Atlantic) | Weddingbee

Before and after we got engaged, we were trying to figure out the answer to our biggest question: where to get married. As in which side of the Atlantic Ocean.

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First off, you?ll need to know a bit more about our respective backgrounds. I grew up in Germany. I have relatives here and all my friends are here, but I also have many relatives in the South (of the US). Mr. Bracelet hails from Montana and has a large extended family, who own a big ranch. This means that traveling for a long time is not an option for them.

When it was just Mr. Braclet and me talking about getting married, I favored?

Option 1: Having the complete wedding in the US, maybe even Montana.

I was aware that this option would require travel for my German family and friends. My German family is best described as ?frequent travelers,? and I made sure to ask my friends how they felt about attending an American wedding.

Then we became engaged and more opinions had to be considered. My mother initially favored?

Option 2: Having the complete wedding in Germany, with a reception in the US for Mr. Bracelet?s relatives.

My mother emphasized that it is traditional to get married where the bride grew up, that long-distance wedding planning is difficult, and that?importantly?it would give my future in-laws a chance to see where I come from.

However, I was not a big fan of celebrating a wedding where most of Mr. Bracelet?s relatives would be missing.

After talking things through, we settled on?

Option 3: Having a civil service ceremony (legal wedding) in Germany, followed by the formal wedding in the US.

German weddings are divided into the legal part and the religious part, so people naturally have two events (sometimes even held several months apart). Getting legally married first in Germany gives Mr. Bracelet?s immediate family a reason to come to visit Germany (and do some European sightseeing). The American wedding will be our main event, which hopefully both our relatives and friends will be able to attend. This way each side of the Atlantic has a chance to celebrate with us.

How did you decide how to get married?

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