STEINBACH, MB
Hundreds of Friesens from throughout southeast Manitoba descended on the local EMBC church this past Saturday to attend the wedding of Benjamin Friesen and Anna Friesen (no relation).
“I’m so excited to see Friesen marry Friesen (no relation),” said Mrs. Friesen of Grunthal. “I just knew those two were meant for each other.”
Friesen, 25, proposed to Friesen (no relation), 24, at the Friesen farm this past spring, and the couple has been planning the Friesen-Friesen wedding ever since.
“The usher asked whether I wanted to sit on the Friesen or the Friesen (no relation) side,” said Mrs. Friesen (no relation to the aforementioned Mrs. Friesen). “I didn’t get how the usher couldn’t tell just by looking at me that I was a Friesen (no relation). I mean, it’s obvious. I have the Friesen (no relation) nose.”
The seating confusion came after the Friesen side seemed to fill up quite quickly. After a while the ushers discreetly sat some Friesens on the Friesen (no relation) side just to fill it up.
“Eventually the Friesens (no relation) and Friesens were all mixed up,” said usher Timothy Friesen. “But I guess it’s okay that the Friesens get to know each other.”
The bride announced that after the wedding, she will be known as ‘Anna Friesen-Friesen (no relation),’ although more conservative relatives have wondered why she couldn’t have just taken her husband’s name like a good Mennonite.
