Statewide County OhArchives News.....Tid-Bits - Part 115C: The Plain People - The Amish of Ohio. The Wedding. May 27, 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ohfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 27, 2008, 3:39 pm Historical Collections Of Ohio, And Then They Went West, Know Your Ohio May 10, 2008 May 27, 2008 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 27, 2008. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio Tid-Bits -- Part 115 C. The Plain People -- Amish of Ohio The Wedding by Darlene E. Kelley ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 115 C The Plain People, Amish of Ohio. The Wedding. Continued from Part 115 B. And the bride wore ..... blue. Blue may not be the most traditional color for a bridal gown, but in one instance it is actually the most popular color choice. Blue is a typical color chosen for weddings by young Amish women in Ohio. Navy blue, sky blue and shades of purple are the most popular colors donning Amish brides in any year. An Amish bride's wedding attire is always new. She usually makes her own dress and also those of her attendants, known as newehockers, ( Pennsylvania Dutch for sidesitters ). The style of the dresses are a plain cut and are mid-calf in length. They are unadorned, there is no fancy trim or lace and there is never a train. Most non-Amish brides wear their bridal dress once, but an Amsh bride's practical dress will serve her for more than just her wedding day. Her wedding outfit will become her Sunday church attire after she is married. The bride and her attendents also wear capes and aprons over their dresses. Instead of a veil, the bride wears a black prayer covering to differentiate from the white cap she wears daily. And, the bride must wear black high-topped shoes. No one in the bridal party carries flowers. The groom and his newehockers wear black suits. All coats and vests fasten with hooks and eyes, not buttons. Their shirts are white, and the shoes and stockings are black. Normally Amish men do not wear ties, but for the wedding they will don bow ties. The groom also wears high-topped black shoes, and a black hat with a three and a half inch brim. All the attendants in the wedding party play a vital role in the events of the day. There is no best man or maid of honor; all are of equal importance. Wedding dates for the Amish are limited to November and part of December, when the harvest has been completed and severe weather has not yet arrived. A full day is needed to prepare for the wedding. Most are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Wednesdays and Fridays used as days to prepare for or to clean-up after. Saturdays are not used as wedding days. because it would be sacrilegious to work or clean-up on the following day, Sunday. A typical Amish wedding day begins at 4 o'clock in the morning. After all, the cows must still be milked and all the other daily farm chores need to be done. There are also any last minute preparations to take care of before the wedding guests arrive. Helpers begin to arrive by 6:30 a.m. to take care of last minute details. By 7:00 a.m., the people in the wedding party have usually eaten breakfast, changed into their wedding clothes, and are waiting in the kitchen to greet the guests. Some 200 to 400 relatives, friends and church members are invited to the ceremony, which is held at the bride's home. The Forgeher, or ushers ( usually four married couples ), will make sure each guest has a place on one of the long wooden benches in the meeting or church room of the home. At 8:30 a.m., the three hour long service begins. The congre- gation will sing hymns, ( without instrumental accompaniment ), while the minister counsels the bride and groom in another part of the house After the minister and the young couple return to the church room, a prayer, scripture reading and sermon takes place. Typically, the sermon is a very long one. After the sermon is concluded, the minister asks the bride and groom to step forward from their seat with the rest of the congregation. Then he questions them about their marriage to be, which is simular to taking wedding vows. The minister then blesses the couple. After the blessing, other ordained men and the fathers of the couple may give testimony about marriage to the congregatin. A final prayer draws the ceremony to a close. That's when the festivities begin. In a flurry of activity, the women rush to the kitchen to get ready to serve dinner while the men set up tables in a U-shape around the walls of the living room. A corner of the table will be reserved for the bride and groom and the bridal party. This is an honored place called the "Eck", meaning corner. The tables are set at least twice during the meal, depending on how many guests were invited. The tables are laden with the " roast," ( roast chicken with bread stuffing ), mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed celery, coleslaw, ham, applesauce, cherry pie, donuts, fruit salad, tapioca pudding and bread, butter and jelly. The bride sits on the groom's left, in the corner, the same way they will sit as man and wife in their buggy. The single women sit on the same side as the bride and the single men on that of the groom. The immediate family members sit at a long table in the kitchen, with both fathers seated at the head. After dinner, the afternoon is spent visiting, playing games and matchmaking. Sometimes the bride will match unmarried boys and girls, who are over sixteen years old, to sit together at the evening meal. The eveing meal starts at 5:00 p.m. The parents of the bride and groom are now seated at the main table and are the first to be served. The supper varies from the traditional noon meal. A typical menu might consist of stewed chicken, fried sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, peas, cold cuts, pumpkin and lemon sponge pies, and cookies. The day usually winds to a close around 10:30 p.m. The couple's first night together is spent at the Bride's home because they must get up early the next day to help clean the house. Their honeymoon is spent visiting all their new relatives on the weekends throughout the winter months ahead. This is when they collect the majority of their wedding gifts. Usually, they receive useful items such as dishware, cookware,canned food, tools, and household items. Typically, when the newlyweds go visiting they will go to one place Friday night and stay overnight for breakfast the next day. They'll vistit a second place in the after- noon and stay for the noon meal and go to a third place for supper. Saturday night is spent at a fourth place, where they will have Sunday breakfast. A fifthe place is visted for Sunday dinner and a sixth place for Sunday supper before they return to the bride's parents home. The couple lives at the home of the bride's parents until they can set up their own home the following spring. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-bits continued in part 116. 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