Everbody loves a wedding!

I attended a medieval wedding today.

Ok, not so much attended one as wrote one and it was a fantastic event, if I do say so myself. I am somewhat of a temporary wedding expert, having gotten married myself about nine months ago, and I found quite a few interesting tidbits

The dress

The color of the day was not white, it was blue. The color, it seems, makes quite an impression throughout medieval wedding traditions, as it shows up as the garter color and the traditional grooms’ color. It was the symbol of purity.
The wedding was also one occasion a woman could wear her hair down and unbound, often woven with blossoms or adorned with a floral crown.

The garter

Garters date to the medieval period, but prior to that, guests would try to snag a piece of the bride’s “lucky” dress for themselves, often resulting in chaos and shredded fabric. Our ancestors got wise eventually and attacked a blue garter or ribbon to the bride. If a man were to capture the ribbon in the course of the wedding festivities and give it to his beloved, it would guarantee faithfulness.

Jewelry

Precious stones spoke volumes, often letting others know the wearer’s personal characteristics, hopes, and values. Some examples included:

Red Jasper: Love
Green Jasper: Faith
White Jasper: Gentleness
Emerald: Hope
Sapphire: Heaven-bound
Hyacinth: God’s grace

The ceremony

The most surprising/interesting aspect of my research was what I found on the ceremony itself. Medieval tradition dictated that the ceremony take place outside the church’s doors. During the ceremony, the man stood on the right and the woman stood on the left, as “woman was formed out of a rib in the left side of Adam” The ceremony proceeds, and upon completion, the man and woman may finally enter the church as husband and wife.

Celebration

At the wedding, the new husband and wife would drink a spiced wine from a traditional chalice called the “Wedding Cup.” As midnight drew close, guests would attempt to sneak into the newlywed’s bed chamber and bring them a reinvigorating potion called “Bride’s Broth.”
Many aspects of the medieval wedding still exist as modern tradtions today. The marriage ceremony follows much of the similar wording from the 13th century, as well as the man and the woman standing on the same sides as they did in medieval times.

I had a fantastic time writing the wedding and researching the customs and I found it surprising just how many stuck with us through the centuries. It’s never a dull moment in Medieval Romance-land!

This week, I get to kill a king. Or two, depending on my mood. Lookout, King John…I’m coming for you!

Happy Writing,

h.