wed-FAQ

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wed-FAQ - 3/19/96

Intro. and table of contents for wed FAQs.

NOTE: See also the files: weddings-msg, p-weddings-bib, wed-FAQ, p-marriage-msg,

Ger-marriage-msg, Scot-marriage-msg, beadwork-msg, silk-msg.

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NOTICE -

This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set

of files, called Stefan’s Florilegium.

These files are available on the Internet at:

http://www.florilegium.org

While the author will likely give permission for this work to be

reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first

or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.

Thank you,

Mark S. Harris

AKA: Stefan li Rous

stefan at florilegium.org

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THE MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE THEME WEDDING FAQ

This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the

planning of medieval and Renaissance theme weddings. Questions

(and answers) in this FAQ were originally obtained from readers

of the following newsgroups: alt.fairs.renaissance,

alt.wedding, rec.food.historic, rec.org.sca, and

soc.couples.wedding.

The information in this FAQ was compiled and edited by

Barbara J. Kuehl and is, by no means, a final product. All

comments and corrections should be emailed to bj at csd.uwm.edu.

copyrighted by the owner of the FAQ. This document may be

freely redistributed without modification provided that the

or incorporated in commercial documents without the written

permission of the holder.

The Medieval and Renaissance Theme Wedding FAQ is not meant

to be a scholarly treatise on marriage and feasting customs

throughout the medieval and renaissance periods. Rather, it is

a compilation of suggestions from persons who have attempted

to recreate the ambience of such an event using resources

available to them today. In some cases, the items and/or foods

used may not be historically accurate. The compiler of this

FAQ leaves it up to the user to determine the degree of

historical authenticity appropriate for his or her own theme

wedding.

The Medieval & Renaissance Theme Wedding FAQ is posted on

the 15th of each month to ONE of six newsgroups on a rotating

basis. These six newsgroups are the five mentioned above plus

soc.history.medieval. An announcement of the posting will be

sent to each newsgroup which is not serving as the FAQ site

during that given month. This announcement will guide

interested persons to the newsgroup from which they may obtain

the FAQ. This FAQ will also be posted on the 1st of each month

to news.answers, a newsgroup with the expressed purpose of

posting and archiving FAQ lists.

The Medieval & Renaissance Theme Wedding FAQ is also housed

and/or linked at the following locations:

http://paul.spu.edu/~kst/bib/bib.html

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/rialto.html

The SCRIBE Network (Mihalik1 at aol.com)

http://www2.ecst.csuchico.edu/~rodmur/sca (Art, Science and

History)

Acknowledgements: Many people helped with this FAQ by

contributing their ideas and stories. All verbatim

contributions are prefaced whenever possible by the email

address of the original writer. Others have contributed by

sharing their research or by reviewing versions of the FAQ.

These people include:

Adrienne Anne Dandy [aadandy at watarts.uwaterloo.ca]

Beth Barter [bab2 at cc.bellcore.com]

Jaelle of Armida [jaelle at access.digex.net (Judy Gerjuoy)]

Kirsti Thomas [kst at paul.spu.edu]

Trystan L. Bass [fishcat at hooked.net]

Topics covered:

Section 1: Questions regarding Ceremonies, Traditions, and

Handfasting

1.1: We would like to be married in a medieval-style wedding

and want to make it as real as possible, but we don't even

know where to start. What were weddings like during the

Middle Ages?

1.2: Weddings are filled with 'traditions' such as the tossing

of the bouquet, the garter toss, the bride wearing white

dress and veil, the lighting of the unity candle, the

exchange of wedding rings, etc. Just how far back do

these 'traditions' really go? Do any of them stem from

medieval or renaissance times?

1.3: Do the garter and bouquet tosses really date back to

medieval times?

1.4: What is the story behind the wedding rhyme:

"Something old, something new,

Something borrowed, something blue,

And a lucky sixpence for your shoe."

1.5: I'm not pagan but my boyfriend is, and he asked me if I'd

like to take part in a Handfasting with him. I know the

basics of it ...366 days of a trial marriage sort of thing

and, at the end of the 366 days, there is a choice of

continuing the relationship or ending it. Is handfasting

legally binding? What exactly is done and in what order?

1.6: I'm getting married next September, and we plan to have a

handfasting. I'm trying to gather ideas for the ceremony,

decorations, etc. and would love to hear from anyone who

has planned or attended a handfasting.

1.7: My best friend is planning a medieval peasant's wedding

and I am in charge of locating appropriate wedding vows.

Are there any websites that have samples of medieval vows

or could someone please recommend some books?

1.8: Bibliography of Medieval & Renaissance Marriage Practices

compiled by Kirsti Thomas

Section 2: Questions regarding Invitations and Announcements

2.1: We're using a medieval theme for our wedding. How can we

adapt that look for our invitations?

2.2: Anybody have any creative ideas for wording an invitation

in keeping with the medieval style of the wedding?

2.3: I'm thinking of rolling up my invitation (but how would you

mail that cheaply!). Any suggestions??!!

2.4: We bought metallic gold wax and two stamps to seal our

invitations but can't for the life of us figure out how to

use them! Any hints/suggestions out there would be greatly

appreciated!

2.5: My fiance and I will be making our own invitations and

would like to use a wax seal on the outside of the

envelope. I was wondering if anyone ran into problems with

the post office, like wax getting stuck in postal machines

or anything like that?

2.6: How about thank you cards? Any ideas for how we can make

our thank you cards look medieval in style?

Section 3: Questions regarding Attire

3.1: Those who were married in a medieval-style ceremony, what

did your wedding party and guests wear?

3.2: Any ideas on how I can encourage my guests to dress in

period clothing, too?

3.3: HELP! My fiance wants a medieval-style wedding but I

don't know the first thing about that time period, much

less about the clothes they wore.

3.4: My wife is desperately in need of a source of patterns for

medieval/Renaissance wedding clothing for the bride, groom,

and all of the wedding party. Where can we get such

patterns?

3.5: I can't sew on a button. Where can I buy medieval

clothing?

3.6: Does anybody know of a catalog which offers readymade but

affordable period clothes? I can't possibly sew for

everyone!

3.7: Does anyone know of good Web sites regarding medieval

clothing?

3.8: My fiance has informed me that he hates tuxes and would

prefer to get married in a robe rather like the ones worn

by Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons. Anyone have a

clue where I would find such a beast?

3.9: Does anyone know where I could get a velvet cape? I am

thinking about an evening wedding and an off the shoulder

gown, and I get cold easily (Plus I just love them!!).

Section 4: Questions regarding Flowers, Bouquets and Headpieces

4.1: What flowers can I use in my bouquet to go along with the

medieval theme of my clothing?

4.2: Does anyone know (or can anyone point me to a resource

for) the meanings of different flowers in a bouquet?

4.3: I've found a wonderful company to make our "costumes", but

I'm not sure what to wear for a "veil". I know veils are

traditional nowadays, but our medieval wedding is anything

but. Could I wear flowers in my hair instead of a veil?

4.4: I would like to use a garland of ivy as a headpiece, as it

is symbolic of good luck and all. I have an ivy plant,

and I wonder if just cutting off a long extension of the

plant and forming it into a circle would work. Any advice?

4.5: Help! I am allergic to flowers and I cannot figure out

how to replace them in my wedding. I am having a medieval

theme. Are there any suggestions?

Section 5: Questions regarding the Reception

5.1: Can you give me some ideas of where we might hold our

medieval wedding reception?

5.2: Is it possible to have a wedding at a renaissance faire?

5.3: I've been asked to decorate the reception hall for a

friend of mine having a medieval style wedding. Does

anyone know of any herbs/plants/assorted greenery that

would be appropriate? I would appreciate any ideas as to

how to decorate this hall.

5.4: Can you recommend any activities, besides dancing, for our

reception?

5.5 If you have an interesting idea for favors for my medieval

wedding reception, please tell me!

Section 6: Questions regarding the Feast

6.1: What kinds of foods did people serve at wedding feasts

during the Middle Ages?

6.2: Sallat (salad), tarts, potage (soup), custard, poultry,

suckling pig and spicy mulled wine sound great! But

pigeon pies, eels, boar's head, and roast peacock with

the feathers put back on! I don't think my guests would

go for this, so let me rephrase that question. What kinds

of foods could I serve that would have the "feel" of a

medieval banquet but would still be edible by my modernday

guests?

6.3: Does anyone have any information about the menu at places

like Medieval Times (where the knights fight while you have

dinner)? I know they do wedding receptions.

6.4: How about drinks? What kinds of beverages did people drink

during the Middle Ages?

6.5: It's expected in our family to have a wedding cake.

Any ideas of how we could incorporate a wedding cake into

the menu and still keep the medieval ambience?

6.6: We have our menu all worked out but need some ideas about

how to decorate the banquet hall and serve the food and

drink in keeping with the medieval theme. Any suggestions?

6.7: Can you recommend any books or websites where I can get

recipes for some of the medieval dishes (and maybe others)

mentioned above?

6.8: Bibliography of Medieval Cookbooks compiled by Jaelle of

Armida

Section 7: Questions regarding Music

7.1: My fiance and I love period music. Any ideas for how we

could do the music for our medieval/renaissance wedding?

Also, what kinds of instruments are considered period?

7.2: Where can I find musicians who play medieval music?

7.3: I am looking for good quality CDs for my Wedding. I need

suggestions for both Dancing and Ceremony music. It need

not be for any specific period - but would like it to have

a medieval flavor. All suggestion are great appreciated.

Section 8: A list of Movies with a Medieval or Renaissance

Theme

8.1: How about including a list of well-costumed, atmospheric

movies that people could rent to see what a particular

period might be like? If a picture is worth a thousand

words, a moving picture is worth ten thousand!

Section 9: A list of Catalogs and Websites

Section 10: Bibliography of Historical Figures

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Stefan's Florilegium

wed-FAQ