The following is second part of an occasional series on Amish courtship and weddings. A local Amish minister, who requested not to be named, was interviewed for the story.
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Traditionally June is the most popular wedding month. But for the Amish in Central Pennsylvania, the wedding season occurs from late October through December, with November the peak.
Why the autumn wedding tradition? “I think it’s just because years ago everyone was a farmer and this is when the harvest would be over,” explained the minister. “Also,” he added, “food keeps better.”
Amish weddings happen at the bride’s home on a Tuesday or Thursday with preparation occurring the day before; the day after is for clean-up.
Anyone involved in planning a wedding knows the seemingly endless list of details and decisions to be made. But imagine hosting one at your home, without the help of a caterer, with 250-300 guests who will be fed — not once, but twice during the day.
Yet, this is a typical Amish wedding scenario. Its orchestration is an admirable example of efficiency, logistics and cooperation. All details are considered ahead of time and everyone knows their job.
The day begins at 8 a.m. with several hours of sermons and singing. At 11 a.m., the wedding takes place. Both bride and groom each have chosen a young man and woman to sit next to them during the ceremony — their equivalent of a bride’s maid and best man.
At noon it’s time to eat. Many of the wooden benches are quickly gathered and placed into special frames to form tables, transforming church into dining area. For efficiency, all benches are numbered by length; so three #9 benches will make one 9-foot table top.
Food preparation and serving is the responsibility of the bride’s family and members of her church district.
“A lot of the food is prepared the day before,” said the minister, “but all the cooking is done the day of the wedding.”
Many Amish have extra ovens in the basement to help with the requirements of this scale.
What’s on the menu? About 36 roast chickens with filling, creamed celery, potatoes, and cabbage salad.
“Certain people are appointed to take care of potatoes, others take care of roasts, a couple of grandmothers are taking care of the gravy,” he explained. Everyone knows their task.
Eating is done in shifts. Youth eat first, then adults, then the workers; as each shift finishes, they go outside to make room for the next. After everyone has eaten, the youth come back inside for more singing and seat themselves at the tables in an alternating boy/girl arrangement. Compared to the morning’s songs, these are more light-hearted and fun and a variety of snack foods are passed around.
“When 4 o’clock comes, it’s time for the youth to clear out because it’s time to eat again,” said the minister. “But this time it’s the workers’ turn to eat first.” While the others are served, the young people play volleyball then come back inside for more singing but this time each boy sits by a different girl.
There is no honeymoon in Amish culture. In fact, the next day the bride and groom will help with clean-up and the newlyweds will live with her family until spring. Each weekend, for the next few months, they’ll travel to the homes of their wedding guests to visit and receive gifts. The gifts are modest and practical, such as a hammer for the husband or a cooking utensil for the wife.
By spring, they are usually ready to move into their own place, which the husband’s parents help to find. The bride’s family often furnishes appliances.
And one of the first things they do is plant a garden.
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Bill Kavanaugh/For The Daily Item
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Bill Kavanaugh/For The Daily Item
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Bill Kavanaugh/For The Daily Item
Discussion
An autumn Amish wedding tradition
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