Crashing a Czech Wedding

The pretense for our trip was a friend's wedding. That wedding took place in the middle of our trip in Ostrava. Lucie and Ales picked us up in the morning and took us to a cafe that looked like there Ostrava Mafia was meeting. Half a dozen friends of the bride and groom sat around a coffee table, wearing suits and dresses with yellow accents (their parents names the original group the “waps”). They had gathered to discuss ”the Plan.”

An hour before the ceremony, the Mafia meeting closed at the Cukrárnu u Babičky ("Grandma's pastry shop") and the members reconvened at the Radnice, or City Hall. Since M and I were at risk of being seen by the bride, our friends surrounded us and sneaked us into the building just behind the bride. We ducked behind a pillar as they went upstairs, and stood in the crowd of friends, cousins, nephews, and grandparents during the beautiful civil ceremony. If our city halls looked half as beautiful as Ostrava's, I think many more Americans would skip the church!



While the wedding event is nearly the same in the USA and Czech Republic, they do have a few different traditions. One is putting on a sort of show for the newlyweds as they leave the city hall. This was the “Plan” that was being discussed earlier in the day. Before they could drive away together, the couple had to go on a “hike” that included a mosquito attack, blistering sun, and dehydration. Each time some helpful hikers showed up to supply them with bug repellent, sunscreen, or water. We were the last “hikers,” carrying a big bottle of water out from around the backdrop. The look on Petra's face was priceless. Somewhere between a blank stare and incomprehension, she stuttered “Becks! But what are you doing here?” Our friends had pulled off the surprise perfectly. Everyone except the bride (and, it turned out, her father) knew that we were coming.



Usually in the Czech, the immediate family of the bride and groom go to a luncheon after the wedding ceremony. We went out with 7 of the friends for lunch at a French-style crepe restaurant near Stoldoni street. We had a great meal and time getting to know more of the group that made our being there possible! Later in the evening, we went to the reception and danced and laughed until after midnight.

The day after we took it easy… our only appointment was at the Bride's parents’ house in the afternoon. Traditionally, the immediate family gather again to share stories and eat leftovers. Plates of wedding cake materialized in front of us, and we spent the next few hours catching up. We finally said our thank yous and goodbyes and went home to plan our next day of adventure…