So the marriage proposal was supposed to go something like this: Roald had been waiting patiently back home in Germany while Christiane had been away studying in Hong Kong for months and months. In her absence he realised that she was the one he wanted to marry and he planned to propose to her in a way that both reflected her jetsetting ways and how much he missed her while they were apart. So he made a handheld sign to hold up at the arrivals area when he was due to greet her at the airport. He wrote Christiane on one side of the card, just like a chauffeur or tourguide would have, and as she walked out of the gate with her bag and noticed him waiting for her, he was going to turn the sign over to display what he had written on the other side – Willst Du mich heiraten? [Will you marry me?]
Then, Christiane arrived home a few days early to surprise Roald for his birthday. So after they cooked dinner one night Roald proposed in the living room instead…
…Their wedding took place in a gorgeous town called Bad Saarow [Bahd Sah-oh] just out of Berlin. Guests came from all over the country and the world to see this lovely couple tie the knot. In the lead-up friends and family came together to help set up the reception, shoes were scuffed while practicing the Bridal Waltz, delicious food was baked, old photos of grandparents on their wedding day were found and for the Hen’s day the girls went on a bike ride and picnic around the lake while the Buck’s party involved leading Roald on a paper trail through the town ending in rumours of Polish strip clubs…
