The Camino Gypsy Chronicles: Belgian Nuptials

There aren't too many differences between a Belgian wedding and an American one, but I did pick up a few this time around. For one, you have to first get married at City Hall. No, you're not just picking up your marriage certificate. You actually go through the whole ceremony, with a champagne toast and all, set in a medieval room with a massive fireplace that looks as though one touch of a particular brick and you might be privy to a secret chamber full of golden Belgian beer chalices. Then it was off to the church, of which most people at the later reception do not attend. It seems that partying together in celebration is the priority, which just goes to show why Belgium is one of my favorite countries.

Then there are the little differences. There's no knocking on your wine glass to get the bride and groom to kiss at the reception (a favorite tradition - as what's better than forcing two people to kiss like in front of a hundred people like Pavlovian dogs?) The food courses come about 45 minutes in between in the European way of savoring both food and conversation at the same time. At an American wedding you've barely scooped your leftover salad dressing up with your pre-packaged bread roll before the waiter has absconded with it and set a plate of Chicken Cordon Bleu before you. There's also the use of a gong, which I found both piercing and utterly thrilling at the same time.

Most importantly, the dancing goes on until the DJ leaves at 3am. 3am! In America you're lucky if you can get the reception hall to allow the music to go until midnight. While a woman's heels demand respite at this earlier hour, it's still nice to see 80-year-olds tipping back beer and joining in for Belgian line dancing at two in the morning. Gives one hope for the future, no?

One funny mix-up that relates to my previous blog, was my mother-in-law (who I should tell you, speaks amazing English, as almost all Belgians do even as they exclaim humbly "My English isn't good") trying to explain to me why they were buying balloons to release into the sky after the church ceremony. Searching for the right word, she tells me, "We wanted to set the, ah, pigs... yes, the pigs free." I'm thinking to myself, 'wow, perhaps our pigs really are different' (to understand the meaning behind this see the previous blog entry)... I mean wedding pigs is really a new concept, and what a marvelous step up in the world for our mud relishing friends. Turns out, though, she meant doves. Not pigs. A shame.

Below some pictures of our Belgian drives through the countryside, as well as wedding snapshots...