Saturday, October 07, 2006

An Oktoberfest Wedding You Say

Beer, bratwurst, and sauerkraut. You're wondering, huh?? What does it have to do with weddings? Actually, if it weren't for the wedding of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese on October 12, 1810, this annual celebration would not have come into place. Put it simply, it's a major wedding party. Prince Ludwig had it right when he decided to have somewhat of block party by inviting the public to celebrate his wedding day. That's why every October in the beautiful city of Munich, millions of vistors gather for the big celebration. A tradition that has been ongoing for almost 200 years, Oktoberfest is said to be held during the last two weeks of September (that's the official word) and this year it runs from September 16th through October 3rd in Munich. What, it's over? Yes, in Munich, but not so in US where you can still find many local celebrations. Plus, you can still plan for next year especially if you're wedding event will be in the Fall. Nevertheless, in LA, you have the famous Alpine Village where the festivities are running from September 9th through October 29th. You can also check out city or town listings for information.

If you want to have a more toned down event and images of beer-chugging frauleins in Dirndl, men dressed in Lederhosen, polka-playing oom papa (oom-pah) bands, and enormous lager-filled wood barrels look more appropriate at a bachelor party rather than your own reception, then perhaps serving up some fine German Riesling wines might be a perfect alternative. Of course for you Beirmeisters, if you want to know read more, Epicurious has a great article on understanding different types of lagers.

Sites to check out:

Official Site of Munich Oktoberfest




HofbrÀuhaus - Germany's grand Beer Hall - a great place to visit on a honeymoon



German Wine Picks from Epicurious' Article

Alpine Village in Torrance, California

Oktoberfest Celebrations in America

The History of Oktoberfest

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