In September of 2014, my wife and I attended the wedding of a young couple in Germany. The groom’s mother was Nancy’s best friend when she was stationed there in the 1980s and it was a real treat for her to see the whole family again. It was even more special for me to experience the German culture and countryside as we traveled for the marriage of Kevin and his Romanian bride, Julie.
While Nancy had attended German weddings before, I had not and so she informed me of what to expect. Instead of being seated by ushers or groomsmen, guests gathered in the street in front of the church. When the bell struck the eleventh hour, the time for the ceremony, the pastor led the guests into the church with the wedding party soon to follow.
Because the service was conducted in German, I understood almost nothing, except that I recognized the unison praying of the Lord’s Prayer. Nancy assured me that the ceremony was very similar to American ones with only minor exceptions. The congregation participated in musical selections and the pastor administered the vows and the rings after instructions and Scriptures concerning love and marriage. 
I appreciated how the magnificent pipe organ heightened the celebration, for music is a universal language. Following the ceremony in the church, the wedding party and guests recessed to the fellowship hall next door for an extended celebration that combined German and Romanian traditions.
Nancy had us block off that whole day and the reception was beyond anything I’d ever experienced. In addition to being served a full and amazing lunch, there was a break later in the afternoon for the cutting and consuming of the cake along with a whole spread of other incredible desserts. Later we were served a full dinner with snacks continuing after that late into the night. We waddled out about 11:00pm with the party still going strong and we heard that it finally broke up around 2:00am.
We had a lot of fun as there were numerous games for the newlyweds as well as their guests. In one of these, the blindfolded groom had to follow the verbal directions of his new bride in order to maneuver his peddle car through a maze of chairs. In another, they had to sit back to back and answer various questions by an uplifted shoe to see what issues they agreed upon.
One of the most memorable experiences of that afternoon took place outdoors. At the appropriate time, all were summoned to the adjoining driveway where a sawbuck had been set up with a log of approximately eight inch diameter lying upon it. There were work gloves for both Kevin and Julie along with a type of crosscut saw which they proceeded to use to slice off a section of the wood. The temperature was rather warm and since they were still in their wedding duds, my photos document the perspiration that beaded up on their foreheads as they labored together.
When I inquired about the purpose of this odd and strenuous task, I discovered that it is often done at Romanian weddings to demonstrate how the couple must now work together to make their marriage successful. This was their first public act of cooperation and only as they each continued to give and take would their marriage be prosperous and secure. They must have learned well for it still is both!
Although I’ve stressed this concept in premarital counseling with every couple I’ve married, to see it vividly demonstrated in such an obvious fashion was very powerful. I haven’t been able to convince any American couples to include this in their weddings, but I’m still trying!
This fairly simple task was a clear reminder to all attendees of this important truth about marriage. Although we often concentrate on all the romance and excitement, every relationship exists only because of underlying hard work and cooperation. Each party must do their own share and pull their own side of the saw in order to succeed.
As we celebrate this Valentine’s Day, let us do so enjoying all the love and romance possible. But let us not forget nor neglect the hard labor and teamwork necessary to ensure marriage’s long-term success.
Blessings, George