72 CultureShock! Austria
Wedding
An Austrian couple can choose to have either a civil court
marriage or a religious ceremony. The civil court marriage
is quick, short and inexpensive. Setting up a date and
bringing all the necessary paperwork to the civil court is all
a couple needs to do. If a couple chooses to have a religious
ceremony, they first must go to a civil court, register and
get the necessary paperwork. Then they need to talk to the
religious official of their church, temple, mosque, etc. If they
have been paying into their religious institution, they will have
no problems and can set a date for the ceremony.
At the wedding, the bride and groom usually have a
bridesmaid and best man who stand by them during the
ceremony. The exchange of rings is performed and the
ring is worn on the ring finger of the right hand, which is
believed to be closest to the heart. Then there is a mass
followed by an Agape (meaning love in Greek), where canapés
are served with champagne and other drinks. A couple of
hours later, close friends and family of the newlyweds will
go to a restaurant or special hall to celebrate with dinner
and music.
If you are invited to a wedding and don’t know what to
give, money is always acceptable (there is special stationery
where banknotes can be inserted). It is also appropriate
to ask if the couple is registered with any store. There,
one may choose to buy something on the couple’s pre-
selected list.Baptism
The baptism of a child requires a godmother only. If the
godmother belongs to the church, there should be no
problems in getting your baby baptised. A fee must be paid
to the church and a date set. On the day of the baptism, the
child will be blessed on the forehead with holy water, a prayer
said and then a mass held.
Grandparents on both sides are invited, together with
some uncles and aunts close to the family. Afterward,
there is a small get-together for lunch at a nice restaurant,
where gifts for the baby are presented. Gifts vary from baby