The couple had wanted an oecumenical wedding, as Nadja Anna Zsoeks is catholic, but this wasn’t possible because Fürst Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe divorced his first wife. A catholic service will therefore take place later on in private in Austria. Land bishop Jürgen Johannesdotter opened the evangelical wedding service with a short wish for peace, followed by a hymn and a cello performance by Roderic von Bennigsen. The land bishop then read a part of Psalm 36. In his sermon the Reverend Thomas Krage of the evangelical reformed parish talked about the wedding motto of bride and groom: “God hasn’t given us the spirit of the fear, but the strength, the love and the steadiness”. He also told the couple that “it is easier to build a castle than to be married”. Afterwards soprano Helen Donath sang Dreams of Richard Wagner. After a reading of the land bishop, bride and groom finally could firmly say “Yes, with the help of God”. After the blessing and the Our Father there were the promises of the witnesses. At the end the Göttinger Symhonical Orchestra played a special version of “Great God, we praise you”.
Photos and Copyright: Netty Leistra/Stig N. (inside the church)