Planning Ye Perfect Medieval Wedding Celebration
Posted: Wednesday, February 20, 2008
by Jason Forthofer
Huzzah! The Medieval wedding celebration presents some wonderfully unique choices for decoration, cuisine and entertainment. Some ideas are even more than a thousand years old! Just like the era itself, these traditions and rituals have their own distinctive flavors, decorations, and ambience.
The medieval wedding remains a source of inspiration, not just for Renaissance Fair enthusiasts but for brides who want a sense of timeless romance in their ceremony and reception. Presented below are some facts and lore about wedding customs during the Middle Ages.
Weddings in the Medieval Era were often arranged by families for a variety of reasons: to secure a political alliance, to pool resources and wealth, or to ensure a lasting peace between two distinct groups. These "betrothals" were often heavily negotiated and included very specific marriage contracts regarding the ownership of household items.
The Church was almost always involved in marriages. Its Council of Westminster, in 1076, required a priestly blessing on all new marriages. Six centuries later, church elders decreed that all betrothals must also have the Church's blessing.
The bride's gown was not white, but was a love spectacle all the same.
The custom of using white as the bride's traditional color of choice wouldn't begin until the 19th Century. Blue was the color of purity in the Middle Ages, and brides would often wear a blue ribbon or sash cinched around their waist to show their virtue. In addition, they often plucked their hairline to have a higher forehead and wore a wreath of flowers in their hair.
Affluent brides often wore dresses made of the silk that was just arriving from the new trade routes to the Far East. Finally, many brides enjoyed the uncommon pleasure of a long, hot bath before the ceremony.
The wedding reception feast was a day-long event.
Families spared no expense when setting the wedding banquet for guests. Some of the most elite delicacies of the day, such as roast quail, venison, and turtledove were laid out with lots of steamed carrots, lettuce, and leeks. Drinks ranged from wine and ale to simple water. Dessert included lots of cakes and pastries piled high atop one another, so each guest could take their pick of finishing treats.
The meal was accompanied by music, and after dining all the guests would dance until the early morning hours, even after the new married couple retired to their bedchambers. In fact, it became tradition to try to take the bride's garter off her leg as she left, in order to wish the new couple good luck in their future together.
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