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Ten Ways to Have a Renaissance Wedding
from www.weddinggazette.comAre you dreaming of being a lusty Medieval bride, tightly corseted, riding in on a steed? If you have Renaissance fantasies, let us guide you through the top ten ways to send your guests back to the 15th century.
A Gothic Location
In early Medieval times, the happy couple got married in the bride's home. Only after Christianity took over did weddings take on a sacred meaning. For an authentic look, check out local castle-like halls or Gothic rooms you can rent for your bridal feast. Many cities now have their own Renaissance Festivals, which are very popular places for weddings as well.Clothing
How you dress will definitely set the mid-millenium mood for your Renaissance affair. White dresses were not popular until Queen Victoria's time; brides before 1860 donned their best dress, usually made of richly colored velvets, laces, and brocades. Men wore tights with knee britches and mocassins, tunics, and lace up vests. In ancient tradition, the bridal party tried to imitate the bride and groom in dress so they could confuse the evil spirits from putting a curse on them. If you have these same fears, dress your bridesmaids just like you; otherwise, better off to go with the modern tradition of dressing them a little differently.Herb Bouquets
Bridal bouquets did double duty during these times, since they both encouraged fertility and chased away demons. Popular bride's bouquets were made of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, basil, and garlic (of all things!). Most brides also included wheat in their arrangement to insure lots of children. Other dark and lush flora you can use: holly berries, ivy, red roses, amaryllis.Olde Tyme Musick
Fill your Medieval ceremony with the sounds of Celtic Renaissance instruments like the dulcimer, lute, flute, Celtic harp, and pipe organ. In Renaissance wedding tradition, musicians usually accompanied the bride and groom from the ceremony to the reception. Add travelling minstrels to your wedding for a Gothic musical atmosphere.Parchment Power
No other symbol of the Renaissance Era is more recognizable than the scroll of parchment full of hand-written ink. Incorporate this in several areas of your wedding: send rolled invitations on parchment written in calligraphy; instead of a guest book, use the parchment paper and ink for guests to sign their witness; give poems handwritten on parchment scrolls tied with pretty ribbon as favors.Breaking the Cake
A tradition begun during the Roman Empire and carried out during the Renaissance was the breaking of the cake over the bride's head as a symbol of fertility. Not until much later in the 17th century did anybody actually get to enjoy dessert.Stag Parties
We hate to say it, girls, but the bachelor party (which originated among Spartan soldiers who got together the night before the wedding to mourn the loss of the groom's bachelorhood and basically party down) was very popular during the Renaissance. So guys, grab a goblet - because it's your last night as a single man.The Bridal Party
The idea of bridesmaids and groomsmen also came about during the Medieval Period, but for very different reasons than today. Friends of the groom (called "bridesknights" or "bridesmen") would go with the groom on the day of the wedding to "capture" the bride and bring her to the church. The maids were there to provide her emotional support and help her dress. Well, it's not all that different.The Bride's Garter
Renaissance wedding guests were crazy for the bride's garter. Superstition dictated that if a man gave his love a bride's garter it would guarantee faithfulness for life. After the reception, the guests would follow the bride and groom to the bedroom, where the bride would toss her garter much like the bouquet is tossed today. But, people got so crazy over having that little undergarment, guests would try to rip it off of her all evening, even at the altar. Instead of your bouquet, toss a garter to the anxious crowd.Entertaining Sideshow
Travelling actors, musicians, and magicians were a large part of Renaissance entertainment life. Provide your guests with some goofy 16th-century pre-reception antics by hiring a juggler, some wandering musicians, a jester, or other talented performers to entertain the guests during the cocktail hour. When the reception is about to begin, have one of the entertainers announce, "Hear ye, hear ye! We are here to celebrate the marriage of .....!".
