Your Medieval wedding

If your idea of romance is a little more traditional than most; if you were swept off your feet by a knight on a white charger, or rescued from the top of a tall tower by a handsome prince, then you might find a medieval wedding suits you down to the ground.

Steeped in tradition and history, a medieval wedding can be a beautiful and magical day, that both you, and your guests will remember forever. Where?
Churches are the obvious place to look. Many have stunning architecture, that dates back hundreds of years, and can be the perfect setting for a medieval wedding, but unless you're ok with sticking to the traditional christian vows, and in many cases, attending church for a few months before youre wedding, a church can be tricky to find.

Fortunately, in the UK, we're blessed with an abundance of ancient castles, and these can be just as perfect a setting for the medieval wedding. The advantages to this, are that you can have a non-religious ceremony, if you prefer, and many places will cater for the wedding and the reception, meaning that the major headache, involving getting people from the ceremony to the reception, will vanish into thin air.
Many places which are licenced for a civil ceremony offer wedding packages, which include the hire of the room, the officiant, the reception, and in some cases, a room for the bride and groom!

Outdoor venues are also popular for medieval weddings, and in the UK, this can bring more problems than any other venue. Not least due to the fact that the official marriage of two people cannot take place outdoors! There's the risk of cold, rain, mud, all manner of problems can crop up, so have an indoor alternative, incase the weather turns on you.

Flowers
Wedding flowers of this era were fragrant, and meaningful. The use of herbs in the bridal boquet was thought to fulfil magical and superstitious ends. Ivy was a symbol of fidelity and long lasting love, and so was used extensively in the wedding decorations and the bridal boquet and headpieces.

The colours should be rich and dark. Red roses, Wheat (believe it or not) for fertility, Red and green parrot tulips, and birch and holly branches. The style should be overflowing and rustic. It came from the days before polystyrene and expensive florists, so it should look hand tied. Not only the birdal boquet, but the centrepiece, pew decorations, and even the wreath on your head.

Clothing
If you're considering a medieval wedding, the idea of a white dress probably never appealed to you, anyway. That's good, because it might look a little out of place. Medieval wedding dresses, like the flowers involved, were rich, dark and regal. Dark green, Burgundy, Navy blue and Deep purple were probably some of the most popular colours. The style of dress would have been a 'coathardie' meaning that the bodice was styled like a coat, and many medieval brides still use this style of dress.

Hair is worn loose and flowing, or in beautiful, ribboned braids. No veil is necessary, and the head dress is usually a wreath to match the bouquet.

A medieval wedding is perhaps one of the most beautiful ways to get married. With sweeping gowns, and vibrant colours, the theatre behind the day is amazing, and it will be one to be remembered for a long time to come.