European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saying i do in Denmark Jean Wilton and Ronald Sexton walk Down the Al be after getting married at the Hallerberg housing Ana Chapel. We Baden. Weil Germany. Continued from Page 13 Young and refused to recommend approval. Elwell is the daughter of a department of defense civilian and lives in Pir Masens. West Germany. Later Bradley changed platoons and was allowed to Start the paperwork but then the couple hit another obstacle. Four weeks ago the paperwork to be signed by the commander reached the orderly room and it has just been silting  Elwell said. We Only have Lour weeks left so James went to his new platoon sergeant to ask Lor help in speeding things up. The sergeant told him. I have a wife at Home nagging me. I Don t need you nagging me too the paperwork is a pain in the rear said the not so blushing Bode to be i be worked in an orderly room before and i know it does t take Lour weeks to get something signed. It just depends on the people you work with. I m hoping they get on the  once the paperwork is Complete Elwell and Bradley will have to get an appointment with the Pir Masens Rathaus City Hall to be legally married. They expect that to Cost rom 100 to 150 Marks from about $60 to $90. Elwell s parents paid the Bill Lor the wedding dress and reception on june 4. Bradley bought a suit and the two shared the expense of printing invitations. Wilson and Sexton paid for everything themselves and came to a painful conclusion. With All we ended up spending on the wedding the reception and Telephone Calls we probably could have gone to Denmark or the states Wilson said but Ron could t get the leave time and All our friends Are Here  Wilton ordered her wedding dress and three bridesmaid dresses through . Penny. The dresses were Fine but two pairs of shoes including mine were too Small she said with sigh. My Mother ended up bringing me another pair when she came Over for the wedding which took place May 7 " Wilson s Mother Ann h. Wilson travelled from it. Lauderdale Fla. For the wedding and sat at her daughter s feet pinning up lace in a Sun filled bedroom a week before the ceremony. Do you think this is Short enough Ann Wilson asked while Hemming her daughter s wedding gown. Jean Wilson s Only concern was thai she be Able to dance while holding the dress train by its silk handle. Turning a Graceful Pirouette she bedded that despite All the Boring details there would still be plenty of Romance at her wedding. Couples should be prepared Lor delays when planning a wedding overseas. Processing paperwork and milling specific residency requirements can take anywhere from three months in Luxembourg to four Days in Denmark. Obviously anyone gelling married needs to collect All the necessary documents and pertinent decrees such As birth certificates. Most of the important documents will have to be translated into the Host country s language americans marrying foreigners will need to get an immigrant visa Lor their spouse to accompany them to the United states. This is also time consuming. Normally anyone under 18 years of age must gel special permission to marry in any country. Some countries including Switzerland and Luxembourg require written parental consent for anyone under 21 to marry the local courthouse or nearest american consulate can answer All the detailed questions about getting married in a european country. In the United states. Las vegas is the place for Quick marriages. For couples i Europe it s  contrast to most european countries the Danes Don t require reams of official paperwork and Long waiting periods. For couples who be never wed before All that is needed is a certified birth certificate and passport. Members of the military should have leave orders and an id. The danish authorities keep no statistics on How Many americans get married in their country but trips there with Matrimony in mind Are popular. Margarethe Stahlke in charge of sales and promotion for the scandinavian travel Agency in Frankfurt says that each week 25 to 30 americans couples say their i Dos by Way of the Agency s special danish wedding Tours. To accommodate All these dewy eyed twosome the Agency has set up Darling Denmark packages which include the train trip from anywhere in Germany three nights in a hotel directions to the City Hall and advice on what papers Are needed. The program is available to several different cities in the country. The package trips can be obtained through local itt travel offices. Der Tours or scandinavian Tours itself 069-232017. Both first and second class categories Are offered ranging in Price from 492 Marks to 579 Marks about $295 to $350. The packages can be expanded to include the members of a wedding party the same rates apply. Sherer Tours of Wurzburg 0931-409046 offers similar hours. Us danish wedding package for 439 couple Enton -ivwisusi1 courthouse in deme Denmark. Marks about $262 includes three overnights in the towns of Soderborg or Bojens plus second class train fare from Germany. Sherer asks that the couples mail the necessary papers ahead to the town Hall where they plan to marry. Sherer then checks with the town Hall to be sure everything is in order and then sets the Date for the couple to depart. For those who wish to drive the travel Agency oilers a package tour including hotel and City Hall Contact for a reduced Price of 299 Marks about $180. Getting wed danish style grows a bit More complicated for those who have been married before. They must have a verification of the Dale their divorce was granted plus a statement that it is final and that no appeals have been made or can be made. This can be obtained irom the clerk where the divorce was granted. If either Bride or Groom to be is under 18, a certified document slating that the parents or guardians Grant their permission Lor the marriage is a must. Travel agencies advise not making the wedding trip during danish holidays or summer vacation periods. In addition to the required paperwork they recommend couples take along enough Money to cover any unexpected expenses. Plan ahead for the big Day associated press an you plan a traditional wedding with All or most of the trimmings in less than the six months to a year generally advised by bridal authorities the answer is definitely yes provided you can make decisions quickly and Are willing and ate to rely on help from professionals and family and friends say some of the same authorities. The Reward is a wedding that does t appear to sacrifice any of the trimmings according to a new Book on the subject. Bride s shortcuts and strategies Lor a Beautiful wedding Perigee books Putnam publishing group. The key to pulling it off is efficiency and organization. Set deadlines for getting things done. Whittle Down options visiting Only a Lew wedding vendors that appear most Likely to meet your needs. Take notes of estimates and other variables so you won t have to recheck the facts before placing an order. Make a list of things to do and update it every Day. Postpone tasks when appropriate. For example shop for attendants gilts on your honeymoon instead of before the wedding. Delegate some tasks to others. For instance a family member might arrange Lor invitation printing and ordering beverages for the wedding party. An usher or relative could round up Legal forms for changing your name on Bank accounts and Driver s License. Some time consuming services you can hire include those who address invitations. A calligrapher or social Secretary can take on Iho task. To sure your list is specific with names titles and addresses written As you want them to appear. Order extra envelopes in Case of mistakes and consider having envelopes that will hold thank you notes addressed at the same time. Simplify some decisions elaborate wedding dresses for example May Lake months to get since the dress is made Only alter you place the order. Instead select a simple wedding gown that takes less time. Or buy a discontinued Sample dress that is in Stock and have it altered to tit if necessary. Bridesmaid s dresses Are available in White and usually take much less time to get. Another Way to simplify is to hire a single instrumentalist to play at both ceremony and reception. Another shortcut order one Basic beverage a Quality Champagne. There will be fewer bar details to see about. You can also engage a personal shopper to locate a honeymoon Trousseau lingerie attendants gifts and Home furnishings. If you can afford it pay extra for express service. Everything from printing to portrait finishing can be hurried but there May be an extra charge. You can save time by hiring a wedding consultant or a full service catering firm to Lake care of All the details after you be indicated your wishes. Page 14 the stars and stripes sunday May 22.1988