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Medieval Wedding Traditions
By Joy J. Fine
Many of the wedding traditions of today had their beginnings in the medieval weddings of yesterday. Though things were very different then, with the ways that weddings were held, there were still many similarities between how couples were married then and how they are now. As well, the brides and grooms did things that have either carried on to modern times or been modified for modern weddings. One thing that tended to be different in medieval times was the age of the couples when they tied the knot. It was more likely then that the groom would be considerably older than his bride. At that time eighty percent of women were married by the time they were nineteen and if they were not the parents of the girl were certainly trying hard to marry her off. Interestingly, if the bride were of noble lines she was more likely married when she was a little older, usually into her early to middle twenties.
The couples that were to marry in medieval weddings had many traditions that they followed. The brides to be would leave their hair out, they were not likely to tie it back or put it up. Then they would braid flowers and herbs into their hair. This went hand in hand with the herbs that the bride carried as a bouquet because the herbs were picked specifically to represent good fortune, happiness and fertility. This is also where the garter tradition originated. In medieval times the bride wore a blue ribbon as a garter. If a man at the wedding was able to successfully take this from her and then give it to the woman he loved than this ribbon would guarantee him that she would always be faithful.
Blue was an important enough a color that the groom would carry a ribbon of that color to bring him luck and many of the brides wore blue wedding dresses. In the 1800s this tradition eventually changed to white, but the blue dress of those times stood for purity. When the ceremony was over the guests at a medieval wedding would throw seeds or grains at the couple. This was to bring them luck and is obviously the precursor to the guests throwing rice or confetti at a modern wedding. This practice is not as popular now because wedding venues do not like the mess.
The meal at a medieval wedding often consisted of a kind of roasted poultry. This could have been goose, partridge or quail. As well, mutton, venison or boar might be served. The main course would usually depend on how lucky the hunt had been. The meal would also have lots of vegetables and fresh fruits on the table. There would also be lots of spices and herbs used in the foods. These would have included anything from cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to saffron, cloves, parsley or basil. To accompany this meal they would serve water or milk, wine, ale or mead. For entertainment there would be minstrels, folk singers or jugglers. A medieval wedding was influenced by the growing teachings of the Church and the families’ desire to show that they belonged.
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