Today, Oktoberfest is known around the world for enormous beer tents, overflowing steins, traditional Bavarian clothing, brass bands, pretzels the size of dinner plates, and millions of visitors descending on Munich every fall.

But strangely enough, Oktoberfest did not begin as a beer festival at all.

It began with a wedding.

On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria—the man who would later become King Ludwig I—married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

And this was not going to be a quiet royal ceremony hidden behind palace walls.

The people of Munich were invited to celebrate right along with them.

Festivities continued for several days throughout the city before reaching their grand finale on October 17, when thousands of Munich residents gathered in a large meadow just outside the city gates.

The main attraction?

Horse racing.

The races were organized as part of the celebration honoring the newly married royal couple, with spectators gathering around the field to watch the competition. It was essentially one enormous public wedding reception—just with horses.

The event was such a success that organizers decided to hold the horse races again the following year.

And then again.

And again.

Before long, what had started as a one-time royal celebration was becoming an annual Munich tradition.

The field where the original festivities took place became known as Theresienwiese, which translates to “Therese’s Meadow,” in honor of the bride.

More than two centuries later, Oktoberfest is still held on that very same land.

Munich locals often simply call the festival “die Wiesn,” a shortened version of Theresienwiese. So every time someone says they are heading to the Wiesn, they are unknowingly referring back to the princess whose wedding started the whole thing.

The celebration also began changing almost immediately.

In 1811, an agricultural show was added to highlight Bavarian farming and livestock. It became another important part of the festivities and still takes place periodically during Oktoberfest today.

As the decades passed, more entertainment appeared.

There were games, swings, carousels, food vendors, and eventually beer stands. At first, these were fairly simple setups rather than the enormous halls visitors associate with Oktoberfest today.

That changed dramatically toward the end of the 19th century.

Munich’s breweries became increasingly involved, and small beer booths were gradually replaced by much larger structures. By the late 1800s, the massive beer tents, elaborate decorations, music, food, and entertainment were beginning to transform the event into something much closer to modern Oktoberfest.

Today, some of the festival’s largest tents can hold thousands of people at once, and only beer brewed by Munich breweries that meets Oktoberfest requirements can officially be served at the festival.

There is another funny twist to the story.

Despite being called Oktoberfest, most of the festival actually takes place in September.

Originally, the celebrations were held almost entirely in October. But as the festival grew longer, organizers gradually moved the start date earlier so visitors could enjoy Munich’s warmer September weather and longer daylight hours.

The celebration still traditionally reaches into the first days of October, allowing it to hang onto the name that has followed it for more than 200 years.

And while the original horse races eventually disappeared, many pieces of that first celebration remain.

The festival is still held on Theresienwiese.

Traditional Bavarian clothing is everywhere.

Music fills enormous tents.

Food and drink are shared at long communal tables.

And millions of people continue gathering in Munich for what has become one of the largest folk festivals in the world.

It is easy to look at modern Oktoberfest and assume someone simply decided Bavaria needed a giant beer festival.

But behind the steins, pretzels, lederhosen, and packed beer tents is a much more romantic beginning.

A crown prince married a princess.

Munich was invited to the party.

Everyone apparently had such a good time that they decided to do it again the next year.

And more than two centuries later, the wedding is long over—but Munich is still throwing the reception.