Marriage and Wedding Customs by Maricela Vasquez and Abigail Teodorescu

Arranged Marriages

Women had almost no choice in who their husband would be for life. They were taught that they were inferior to men and their fathers would be the ones to make the decision of who their partner was to be.

The Dowry or Marriage Portion

Dowry is the wealth brought to the marriage. During the Elizabethan Era, women were supposed to bring money and property to the marriage. The wife would become the husband's property according to law.

The Ceremony

The families from both sides would accompany the bride and groom. The colors of the marriage clothing varied. The traditional white dress was introduced way later. Musicians played and dancing was common. After the vows, the families sometimes stayed for a wedding feast.

Wedding Contracts

If a couple needed to secure a marriage in a faster way, a marriage contract would need to be issued by the pope. This would happen if either the man or the woman was under the age of consent. Parental permission was needed.

Reception and Food

It was customary to host a wedding feast after the wedding. They took a lot of planning due to the amount of discussion that happened over the meals. They traditionally had very exotic meals. Wine and ale was served along with the highly decorated dishes.

Resources
  • Elizabethan-era.org.uk
  • William-Shakespeare.info
  • Elizabethan.org

Credits:

Created with images by NadineDoerle - "bouquet wedding wedding pink" • NadineDoerle - "wedding bouquet romanticism" • WenPhotos - "wedding love wedding photo" • GLady - "roses flower nature" • NGDPhotoworks - "flower wedding detail" • keram - "wedding luck love" • NGDPhotoworks - "ring wedding detail"

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