The Amish Wedding: What does it mean when a couple is “published”?

Amish wedding in Ohio. Image: Jim Halverson

You may have hear the term “published” used about Amish couples planning to be married. But what does it mean to be “published”?

Amish mother and author Lovina Eicher explains in her latest Lovina’s Amish Kitchen column:

Yesterday daughter Verena and Daniel Ray were “published” to be married on June 20. For the readers that wonder what published means, I will explain.

When a couple plans to get married it is kept a secret from everyone except family and close friends. About six to eight weeks before their wedding date the bishop announces the wedding date to the whole church.

This is said right before church services are over. Usually, families from both the bride and groom attend the service to be there to share the joy of the couple’s announcement.

This is always an exciting day for the couple and also a relief that they can freely talk of their wedding day to anyone.

So while being “published” sounds like a print announcement, that is not what it’s referring to – it’s basically the public announcement to the church that two church members are soon to become united in marriage.

In theory it’s to be kept secret…but that’s not always the case, as Lovina explains:

Often the “secret” slips out somehow and some people find out about the upcoming wedding. Most often if it does, they will be kind enough to not spread it further.

My daughters never really cared if it wasn’t a “surprise” to everyone. One of our local community stores has a calendar hung in the back of their store so couples planning to get married in our community can put a sticker on the day they choose. This helps from not having two weddings on the same day.

When daughter Loretta and Dustin were married, daughter Elizabeth and Tim had a nephew that married the day before their wedding. This made a very busy week for them with a wedding on each side of their family. They made it work though.

Depending how the schedule unfolds, Amish “wedding season” can get hectic when you are personally close to multiple couples getting married.

Amish wedding meal settings. Pennsylvania

Lovina also explains how they’ll set up for the newlyweds:

Verena and Daniel will be married in Dustin and Loretta’s pole barn and the reception will be held here. This is our fifth and last daughter getting married. It will be so different for me to not have a daughter in the house anymore.

Verena isn’t going far though. We will put a wall through the pole barn and make living quarters in there for the newlyweds. Verena will still go over and help Loretta every day with the children while Dustin is at work. I am glad she will be just a hop and skip out of our door for now.

Nice to keep family close. Lovina also had this to say about her future son-in-law:

Daniel Ray is a great addition to our family. He’s always helpful around here and a great friend to Verena. I wish this couple many happy years together.

Daniel Ray is the first of his siblings leaving home and getting married so this will be a great adjustment to their family. I remember when our first one left the house and how different it was for us. The house seemed so empty with one less.

Read the full column here.