April 2017

We had been planning for this for a long time. All the guests from overseas had arrived and today the ceremonies began.

The day began unexpectedly: a wave of cold, moist air swept across the country and brought with it several flurries of snow. But by 4pm the snow had disappeared and the sun was breaking through. We, that is, the couple, the best man, one of the bridesmaids and the closest family members, made our way to the nearest register office in Männedorf, and the civil ceremony took place.

The ceremony was simple but tasteful. The registrar received us into a small panelled room and sat at a white oval table, scattered with rose petals. The couple sat across the table from her. After some introductory remarks, including a short story, the registrar administered the vows and she, the couple and the witnesses signed the register entry.

After the ceremony we drove to the couple’s new home in Effretikon for a small reception. By the time we got there, the weather had changed again and we it was snowing steadily.

I mentioned that we had guests from overseas. One of the guests literally travelled in from the Republic of Congo where she and her husband run a hospital. Other people that we had known from our time in Congo actually arrived from the USA. In addition to those people, there were also a number of friends and family members who travelled from the UK. (This picture shows just a few of them).

Although these guests actually spent the nights with various friends of ours in Hombrechtikon, they spent the days with us. On Friday our small kitchen-dining room was converted into a bakery. Nearly all the guests helped out with baking and decorated the wedding cakes. The result was a set of amazing, professional-looking cakes for the wedding reception buffet.

I haven’t had time yet to write much about the wedding day itself, but here are a few pictures to give you an idea what it was like. 

One of our favourite destinations when we go for a walk is the Botanical Gardens in Grüningen. It’s a peaceful and pleasant place to go at any time, but I think it’s at its most spectacular in early April when the tulips are out. It’s hard to resist taking a few photos of the rich patch of colours in the tulip bed.