The Wedding Day, told by the Bride…

I awoke at 5:30 a.m., came downstairs and talked to mom on the computer about the plans for the day. At 6:45 a.m. I went upstairs and waited for the alarm to ring at 7 a.m. Mark was first to the shower, and I went downstairs to have a cup of coffee. In my head I pondered over all the completed details, just checking to make sure we had not forgotten anything, I was feeling quite peaceful about the day and yet a little nervous too. My hairdresser wanted me to have a wet head when she arrived. At 7:45 a.m. I had just enough time to wash my head when the door buzzer was sounding, and a quick glance of the clock, revealed it was 8 a.m. (Swiss timing with perfection), I climbed out of my hot bath put on my jogging suit and greeted my hair dresser, Marylou, as she came up the stairs to our sleeping room. Marylou was still working with my hair at 8:45 a.m. when my Maid of Honour, Marta, arrived.

At 9 a.m. my flowers arrived, they were so beautiful, a small arrangement of 12 tight teacup red roses cuddled in a bed of violet leaves surrounded by small sprigs of baby’s breath, feathered fern, and other delicate small complimentary flowers, and a delicate string of very loosely strung pearls was woven through the arrangement. The flat was smelling wonderful with scents of Christmas in the air. Classical music rang through the air and as the morning grew older I listened from my upstairs room to the sounds of laughter and happy chatter coming from the floors below me. Marylou finished her work around 9:10 a.m. and I climbed back into my bath, and then directly from the bath into my wedding dress, painted my nails and waited for Peter to let me know when I could come downstairs. At 10:15 a.m. it was time, I made my way down the first level of stairs, turned the corner to begin my descent down the second level of stairs and there was Mark looking up the stairs, waiting for me to round the corner. I will always remember his face, his smile and his eyes watching me as I was coming down the stairs, it’s a moment in time that will be forever etched in my memory. Our dining room was filled with the 19 familiar faces and smiles that I have come to know and love in this past year, there was a hushed sweetness in the air and a wonderful warmth, I felt like I was dreaming. After a few pictures, hugs and greetings, we were out the door to begin our walk to the Rathaus.

The sun was shining so bright and warm and as we came out of the building the view of Pilatus was a picture, it’s not every day that a bride and groom accompanied by a party of 19 people are walking through the historic streets of Luzern on Christmas. It was a special moment for me to watch the people observing us walking to the marriage house.

As we arrived at the Rathaus, the streets had the appearance of a normal day, there was a vegetable market on the street and people busy with last minute Christmas shopping. I glanced at the big beautiful Christmas tree decorated with handmade ornaments from area children just before we entered through the grand carved hardwood door of the Rathaus. As I entered, I walked through a door of time, it was December 24, 1999, but easily it could have been December 24, 1599. Before me stood a winding staircase, not a room as I had expected. I had the feeling of being Cinderella as I held up my skirt so that I could make my way up the old, round, stone staircase. At the top of the stairs was a large open room, history oozed through the walls and ceiling that are made of a beautiful dark bevelled solid wood, the room is so majestic, powerful and rich with the wisdom and grace of enduring hundreds of years of time and history. In this room we had to wait for our passports to be checked and confirmed. All that was in this room was a wonderful Poinsettia plant (Christmas Star) the size of a small tree in one corner and a large old library table. Just behind this table were the big windows that overlooked the lake just below. Our passports were brought to us and we were then led into another great room. This room is the marriage room reserved for weddings. The room is rich with history. Many vital and important decisions regarding Switzerland’s history were made in this room by political figures whose pictures are hung proudly on the walls. Another beautiful huge Christmas Star “tree” was in this room and a smaller library table with 5 high back chairs placed in front of this table, one single chair immediately in front of the desk, and 4 chairs side by side just behind the single chair. Behind these four chairs were an additional 20 chairs, 10 on each side of the room where our friends joined us to witness the marriage.

Peter, Marta, Mark and I were asked to take a seat in the four chairs in front of the small library table. The “female” government official sat at the desk. The ceremony was spoken in English and translated into German. She began the ceremony by telling us about the building we were sitting in and it’s history. She then reviewed our legal documents, our names, parents names, and birth dates. When she spoke Mark’s name, there was a single snicker from one of our friends – and then the room filled with laughter and giggles, the secret of Mark’s middle name had been revealed! Once we confirmed to her that the information she had about us was correct, she had one question for each of us… we both said “yes” (Big Grin!!) She then announced us married, the first kiss between Herr and Frau Hodel, the exchange of wedding rings and then we each came forward one at a time and sat in the single chair closest to her desk to sign the official documents and we were married. Kisses and well wishes from our sweet accompanying friends and then Mark took my hand and we descended down the winding staircase out the same doors we came in.

With the opening of the door we discovered the scenery to be changed from when we walked in, just a half hour before, a line of familiar faces on both sides of the door were waiting to greet us, as we walked through the isle of people peanuts and confetti were thrown on us, at the end of the isle we were greeted by the music of the Burgermusik brass band playing wonderful music, as we stood there looking around at what had been a normal market street minutes before, I saw faces of nearly every person I had met during my first year here. We stood pointing and waving to all the people who had gathered to greet us, some familiar faces and some not so familiar, but all the faces had wonderful warm smiles. Even tourists passing through wanted pictures. Mark and I were summoned to watch as the crowd parted to reveal 8 Alpenhorns - one vacant waiting for Mark to take his position to play. In the wonderful old streets of Luzern, I stood in my wedding dress and watched my husband playing traditional Swiss music on the Alpenhorn. During this time a colleague standing next to me received a phone call and we stood there listening to the Alpenhorns with her cell phone in the air so that the people on the other end could share in the sounds of the celebration as they listened from the speaker phone. When the Alpenhorns finished playing the brass band started again, how special it was to be surrounded by the music and the people that I have come to love so much. As I was standing among the crowd of people, I heard my name and then my hand was taken and I was led to a small table where Mark and I were to serve coffee to all who were standing and greeting us in the cold, I noticed then that my body was shivering from the cold and a warm Christmas cape was thrown over me to warm me, I am sure I must have looked like Mrs. Santa Claus with the red and white cape around me. So many people were greeting us and handing us flowers and gifts and Marta was right next to me to empty my hands each time something else was placed in them. We there were escorted to the Hotel des Balance where more people were waiting to greet us. The room in the hotel was elegant and servers provided us with glasses of white wine, once again more gifts, greetings and hugs, more familiar faces and some new faces too, after 45 minutes it was time for us to go again.

As we descended down the steps of the Hotel de Balance, before us was a long white limousine with an American and Swiss flag displayed on the back windows. Soft romantic music was playing in the limousine as Mark and I had a chance for some private kisses, hugs and conversation as we were driven through the old town for a leisurely ride and viewing of the mountains and enjoyment of the beautiful day that we had been given. The limousine ride concluded at the Hofgarten Hotel where once again our closest friends were waiting to greet us, Patrick walked behind me carrying the skirt of my dress as we walked to the entrance of the hotel restaurant.

The dinner in the Hofgarten was a delicious light meal, all the plates were prepared with such care and elegance, to look at the dishes was nearly as wonderful as to eat them. After the completion of the meal we were off again. I noticed that Donat was now wearing a backpack of coffee on his back and we began again to walk to a destination that was to be a surprise for Mark and I. We walked down to the lake where we were greeted by a boat captain. We all were seated very comfortably at the tables on the boat, served hot coffee zwetschgen (special Swiss coffee) and we were romantically serenaded by the sounds of music played by Peter, Pirmin, Patrick and Fabian. Mark and I had no idea where we were going, nor did we care, we were happy and contented to be with each other and our wonderful friends. The boat docked at Kastanienbaum, and our next banquet was held at the Kastanienbaum Hotel.

A variety of beverages were served here along with American style brownies, in the centre of the room was a Christmas tree and under the tree were gifts. We sat, visited, talked about the day, and the events that had happened, then….in comes Santa Claus. First Santa addressed Mark and asked him some questions, then he turned his direction to me, asking me questions and I was certain that there really was a Santa and he must be this one. I could not figure out how he could know to ask me questions about my pronunciation of my street address and my uhmmm … love of numbers, dropping keys down elevator shafts, and well.. some other stuff too. Anyway I found myself counting heads in the room to see who was missing, but everyone was accounted for. I listened carefully, but I could not remember this voice from anywhere, I watched Mark and he seemed as stunned as I was. Eventually Mark was able to identify the voice, Santa revealed himself to be a long lost friend of Mark’s, one who had been very near and dear to him for many years, but they had lost touch and it had been 7 years since they had last talked! It was a complete surprise and a wonderful one. Patrick and Steph played “Wings,” Mark sang me a wonderful song “I’m beginning to see the light” and Steph accompanied him on the piano, some Christmas songs were played, by “majority vote,” Mark and I were told we had to dance around the Christmas tree to a traditional Swiss sounding song,…we did our best (smiling). Soon we were off again to the boat, a moonlight ride on Lake Luzern, back to the dock in front of our house.

Home,,,bride carried over the threshold, everybody in….time for the slide show. Pirmin, along with his parents had put together a “documentary” of Mark in the early years, beginning with first baby pictures. We listened to a 2-year-old Mark with big sister Patricia sing sweet songs, we listened to first music recitals. (awwwwwh).

After the slide presentation, the food from the Hofgarten arrived, ---time to eat again. We ordered food for 20 and got food for 200.

After eating, time again for another film.

Damian and Helene had recorded a video and sent it to be viewed, we watch Damian look for the Christmas spirit in New York and then we got a personal tour of Damian and Helene’s flat in New York. When the video was over, it was time to sing Christmas songs, out came wooden whistle flutes, enough for everyone to play one, it is so funny how a wooden flute can bring out the children in adults, we enjoyed so much watching and listening to them play. When the music was finished, a box of Christmas balls, white and silver balls came out, each of our friends took one and they decorated the balls with glitter paint, ribbon and paint pens, each friend signed the Christmas ball and hung it on the tree, then we lit the tree and sat down to open the gifts that had been placed under the tree. After the gifts were open, there was talk and giggles about the day. Slowly our friends began to leave, at 2:30 a.m. we said our final good-night and this was the end of this perfect, beautiful day.