In Germany, a couple usually has two wedding ceremonies. The civil ceremony, which constitutes the legal marriage, is held at the Standesamt (registrar's office), usually a couple of days (sometimes longer) before the church wedding. The civil ceremony is usually held in the circle of the couple's closest family and friends, whereas the church wedding is more elaborate.

Weddings in Germany are an all-day and all-night affair. The ceremony typically takes place some time in the afternoon, around 3pm or later. After the ceremony, while the newlyweds go off to take photos (on their own, since there is no wedding party, only two witnesses), the guests gather at a local restaurant in a private room and enjoy coffee and cake. When the bride and groom return and join their guests, a number of toasts are given, and eventually dinner is served. After dinner and throughout the evening, there are numerous games (a lot revolve around "How well do the bride and groom know each other?"), lots of dancing and mingling and celebrating together. Around midnight, a second supper is usually served. The festivities last until the wee hours of the next morning (there are no liquor laws in Germany, so alcohol can be served all throughout the night). Children sleep on benches and chairs, while everyone else uses the rare opportunity to catch up with friends and relatives who rarely get the chance to be together in the same place at the same time. Usually around 4 or 5am, the owners of the restaurant politely ask guests to leave so they can clean up and go to bed.

The witnesses or friends of the couple usually prepare some wedding games. There are no limits to the kind of games that are done, only the game-preparers' creativity! Some games imitate certain game shows, e.g., the Newlywed Show, where the couple answers questions about each other's likings and dislikings. Musical chairs is also a popular wedding game. Or blindfolding the bride, lining up a number of guys (including her new husband), and making her guess which one is her husband simply by touching their faces.

At some weddings, a friend or relative of the couple designs a "wedding newsletter" that revolves completely around the newlyweds. The "articles" in this newsletter can detail how the couple met, got engaged, and other fun stories about them. It also includes many pictures of the bride and groom, both from their childhood and current ones. This is a lovely keepsake for the couple, their families and friends. Tradition has it that copies of the newsletter are sold at the reception, with the money going to the bride and groom for their honeymoon (in the same vein as the dollar dance in the US).