Hello dear visitor!

This website was originally created for our wedding in Budapest. It served as a guide for our guests, who come from many different countries. A lot of hard work and sweat from some very nice people (thanks!) went into the creation of this website, which is why we decided to make a public version of it.
Obviously the functionality is a little limited compared to the actual version, i.e. the form values are not really saved.
For best experience use Chrome and a touchpad (as it scrolls very smoothly).

But now we hope you'll have a lot of fun browsing,
or – more to the point – scrolling.

Orsi & Jan

You decide on your journey, of course, i. e. when to arrive and when to depart. If you are planning to get to know Orsi’s beautiful home town more extensively, however, there is no reason why you shouldn’t arrive a bit earlier and/or leave later. If you will only be staying for the wedding, we suggest arrival on Friday night and departure on Sunday afternoon.

Air travel

Budapest has one airport only, so there is nothing to go wrong on, really. Please click here to access the Liszt Ferenc airport website. Various low-budget carriers offer travel to Budapest. For example: Air Berlin, easyJet (from Berlin), Germanwings, Ryanair and Wizz Air.
For good price comparisons try www.swoodoo.com or the respective airline websites.

By car

Traveling by car is obviously mainly an option for our guests from Germany and Austria. From Northern Germany: go via Dresden to Prague, then via Bratislava or Vienna to Budapest. The trip will take approx. 12-14 hours, depending how many stops you do on your way. From Southern Germany: go via Passau to Vienna and from there to Budapest. Duration is approx. 10 hours. Please note: For the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary you will need to purchase a ”Vignette” (road toll sticker). For Hungary it is therefore a good idea to have some local currency (”Forint”) with you – although in the border area it is possible to pay with Euros as well.

By bus or train

For longer distances, rail travel will probably not be a better option than car or air travel. From Vienna, however, you actually have buses and trains departing to Budapest on a regular basis. Bus travel is likely to be cheaper, but the buses are usually booked up very quickly. So if you plan to take a bus, make sure to book at least 1-2 weeks in advance. To do that, click here.

We recommend to look for accommodation in the area of “Deák Ferenc Tér“, as it is both close to the venue of the ceremony, as well as the one of the dinner. Additionally it is located in the city center and close to the most important Metro-hub. Meaning: You’ll be able to explore the city in all directions using public transportation or even on foot without any hassle.

We can recommend the following accommodations:

• Category “Deluxe“: Those who enjoy the finer things in life should definitely look at the rooms at the Boscolo or the Kempinski Corvinus.
• Category “Superior“: The 7 Seasons offers beautiful fully furnished appartments at reasonable prices. Be sure to check out the “Special Offers“. If you enter the Promotional Code WD0525 during booking you will receive a 5% discount. Also noteworthy: They offer free airport-transfer service.
• Category “good value for money“: The Maverick Hostel and the Pal's Hostel offer various room sizes at a very fair price.

On the hunt for great bargains at these or other accommodations check out swoodoo.com/hotels or www.hrs.com. For those with a tighter budget www.airbnb.com or www.hostelbookers.com are good alternatives.

We will provide transportation from the ceremony to the party location, of course. But you’ll have to get to your hotel first, right? And once you are in town, you surely will want to see some of the sights Budapest has to offer. Well, there are several options to get around, actually:

Taxi or ”chauffeur service”

Like in all big cities, you can get a taxi anywhere – so far, so good. The thing about Eastern Europe is, however, that the fares are handled in a... let’s say, very ’flexible’ way from driver to driver. To be honest, you have odds stacked against you the minute you don’t speak Hungarian. So remember: Always fix a price before the ride!
It is fair to assume approx. 137 HUF per kilometer as a rough guide value. Affordable taxis can also be booked under tel. +36 1 33222, which is ”Minimobil”.
So-called ”chauffeur service” is another alternative. It is quite common in Hungary, and it is a convenient option for people who have arrived in their own car or rented car. You call up the service, they show up where you are, and the ”chauffeur” gets in the driver’s seat and takes you where you want to go. It does not cost much more than going by taxi. If you consider that as an option, note this number down: +36 6 20 919 000 2
You can then order your private chauffeur.
By the way: If you need a taxi or chauffeur on our party evening, just ask the {Party Location} staff. They will order it for you.

Rental car or own car?

Obviously, you are most flexible ’on your own four wheels’, as we say in German. A European driver’s license is valid in Hungary, and you will find rental car prices starting as low as 70 euros for 3 days.
Please note: NO alcohol allowed for drivers, legally there is a zero alcohol tolerance. Jumping the lights (crossing a red light) has you lose your license if you get caught. Motorcyclists are allowed to pass on your right-hand side.
It might be worthwhile teaming up with somebody for renting a car. Really good rental car bargains can be found e.g. at www.billiger-mietwagen.de

Public transport

Tickets are available at any kiosk or from ticket machines at stops. The price is 350 HUF, a ticket is valid for one ride in one direction by bus, metro or tramway, i.e. you will need another ticket if you transfer (change to another bus/train/tram line). You can also buy tickets valid for 24h, 72h or groups.
For more information on prices, click here.
Further information and line maps: www.bkv.hu.

Tho local currency in Hungary is the forint (HUF). One euro equals about 290 forints, i.e. all amounts you pay are immensely high in numbers. To roughly estimate the equivalent in euros, divide by 300. For exact calculations, go here.
Prices for food and drink are more or less the same as in the rest of Europe. At restaurants a 10 percent tip is expected, but check your bill before you pay: Sometimes, the tip has been added already, in which case it is okay to pay the amount shown, with no further tip.
You may want to change some money at your local bank before you depart, e.g. something like 30,000 HUF (~100 €) – depending on your personal need – and then draw further money from an ATM after arrival in Hungary, which is likely to get you a better exchange rate. It is not advisable to go to one of those change agencies.
The lowest bill is 500 HUF, i.e. approx. 1.50 €. One might assume, as a consequence, that coins are rarely used, but that is not the case at all. Bear in mind that it is only possible to change bills back again later, so always get rid of some coins when you have the chance. For that, we actually have a tip for you. ;-)

Nobody will have to go as far as doing a language course to make an impression on the Hungarians, but some basic vocabulary might come in handy.
The standard greeting, if people know each other, is a peck on the right and then the left cheek. Males do that only if they are really close friends. If you are not quite sure, wait a second for your counterpart to approach you. At first encounters a handshake is appropriate.

For just a rough idea of what to expect on the day, please refer to the time schedule below. To leave room for a surprise here and there, not every detail has been added, of course.

When it comes to dress code, everybody should wear what he or she likes best. Choose an outfit you feel good in. As we indicated before, the theme of our wedding is ”Modern Tradition”, which means that more or less ’anything’ goes as long as it fits into that motto.
You’ve been dreaming about putting on your Mickey Mouse tie, but never had the chance? Your yellow chucks would match your evening dress just perfectly? Well, go for it then!
Obviously, you can also wear a classic outfit. We are happy as long as you’ve spruced yourself up a little and feel good about your attire.

So, basically, there are only a few things to be observed:

For the ladies:

• No white or red dress – those colors are reserved for the bride.
• Not all black, please – after all, we’re gathered for a joyous occasion!

• Please wear a tie, bow tie or similar.
• No jeans or jogging pants.

The slogan of our wedding is ”Modern Tradition” because we have been influenced by many cultures from various countries in our lives already, so we want to create an atmosphere of multiethnicity on our wedding day as well.
It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t try to invent our own interpretation of some traditions and so we have taken the liberty to adapt them a little bit and ’recharge’ them with modern ideas.

We did not pick those customs and traditions at random, but rather deliberately because of the meaning they have. Obviously, we will not disclose everything at this point already, but just list a few which might be helpful for you to know up front.

The master of ceremony (of Hungarian origin)

The Vöfély (pronounce: Vöfey) means ”wedding organizer”. He is a kind of master of ceremony, i.e. the person who looks after the high spirits and good mood of the invited guests. He is in charge when it comes to organizing a smooth and hassle-free flow on a ”big day” like this. He puts the guests into good humor with jokes and verses. But most importantly: He is your contact if you have something up your sleeve for us on this day, because he will know when to place your surprise on the time schedule.
Another important Vöfély job is to put the groom to various tests to prove him worthy of his bride.

The ceremony (comprising elements from: Germany, Hungary, and America)

We will have a civil marriage, and we want our ceremony to live up to our personal wishes – with elements from quite different nations.
For instance: The groom, the Best Man, Maid of Honor, and the Bridesmaids will be waiting for the bride at the wedding desk. And of course, Orsi will be walked down the ”aisle” by her father. The role of the witnesses to a marriage in Hungary is not just a symbolic one. Actually, they are supposed to officially attest the marriage by signing the register.
What else is going to happen? You wait and see!

Throwing of rice (customary in many parts of the world)

A tradition which symbolizes the wish for the couple to have many children. We believe, however, that children rather don’t like playing with rice, so we think we have come up with something better. And don’t worry: You’ll get your amunition alright!

The time capsule (customary in: America)

At the party there will be a cylindrical metal container for the guests to place a little something in if they wish to, e. g. a souvenir, a letter or a USB-stick. Please note that the container is only about 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm tall, so to give everybody a chance, your contribution should not be too large. The container is sealed at the end of the party and is not to be opened until ten years later, when the married couple celebrate what is called their ”glass wedding”.

The bridal dance (customary in: Hungary)

At midnight sharp the bridal dance is on. It symbolizes the transition from bride to wife. Each guest subsequently has the chance to get a little dance with the bride. Another purpose of this tradition is to make financial contributions to the honeymoon trip, i. e. to ’buy’ a dance with the bride. To do that, you place a few forints or euros in a large bowl covered with a piece of cloth. It doesn’t matter how much you donate – it is merely a symbolic gesture.
If you plan money as a wedding gift for us, this would be the chance for you to put your envelope in the bowl. But it is up to you, of course, if you prefer to do it that way or rather hand it over to us personally.
You are free to have more than one dance with the bride, as long as everybody has had one dance at least.
The bridal dance ends by having the groom throwing his entire wallet into the bowl to make him the final winner of the ”bidding for the bride”.

From white to red (customary in: Hungary)

A very nice tradition, actually, is the change of the wedding dress. It happens after the bridal dance and has the bride change from her white to a red dress to indicate that she is now a wedded wife.

Women’s dance (customary in: Hungary)

A typical event at a Hungarian wedding is the collective dance of the women, who form a circle with the bride in the center. She will then dance with the women from the circle one by one. This is to symbolize the unmarried girls handing over the bride to the group of married women, who accept her as now being a peer of theirs.

Don’t forget

For the wedding day:

• Printout of the map of the area
• A little something for the time capsule
• A small amount of money for the bridal dance
• High spirits!

• Camera
• Forints (approx. 30,000)
• Shoes
• Charger(s) for camera/cell phone
• Sun cream/lotion (!)
• Headgear (if you are sensitive to heat)
• Medicine

Feel free to contact us for unanswered questions, if any. Write a mail to public@orsi-and-jan.info or call ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚.
If you want to surprise us in any way on our wedding day, please contact our ”Vöfely” (wedding organizer) Nandor ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚ and make the necessary arrangements with him. He will know where to place your surprise on the time schedule. Please send an email to ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚. Nandor speaks German and Hungarian. Please bear in mind that the day is pretty filled up already, so please make sure whatever you might have planned does not exceed 10 minutes.
Our Best Man and our Maid of Honor are also available in case you require assistance from them. For Best Man Fabian call ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚, for Maid of Honor Jenny call ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚. They both speak German and English, Jenny speaks Hungarian as well.

This website is the result of tireless work, help and know-how of these individuals:

• Jan Paepke (idea, storyboard, design, development)
• Cathrin Hoffmann (idea, illustration)
• Kerstin Neurohr (storyboard)
• John Polacek (technical support)
• Orsolya K. soon to be P. (content support)
• Csaba K., Ralf M. (translations)