Reading the Regency

Marriages - part 2

The Ceremony

"It was a very proper wedding. The bride was elegantly dressed; the two bridesmaids were duly inferior; her father gave her away; her mother stood with salts in her hand, expecting to be agitated; her aunt tried to cry; and the service was impressively read by Dr. Grant."
[Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen]

Whether you were married by banns or licence, in a parish church or a drawing room, the marriage ceremony would be exactly the same. The words were read from the Book of Common Prayer. The same vows have been spoken by couples marrying in England since the 1660s. Alternative vows were not available until the second half of the 20th century.

Wedding parties at this time were smaller and more intimate than those seen later in the Victorian age. The church wouldn't necessarily be packed with distant relations, neighbours and well-wishers. It was quite normal for only the closest family members to attend the ceremony, as happened in 1814, when Jane Austen's niece married at Steventon Church:

"Mr. Lefroy read the service. My father gave his daughter away. The clerk, of course, was there, though I do not particularly remember him, but I am quite sure there was no-one else in the church."
[Caroline Austen's Reminiscences]

The father of the bride would give the bride away to her future husband. If the father was not available a male relative or friend of the family could take his place.

A wedding ring for the bride was a necessary requirement of the service, although it did not have to be gold. The ring could be made of any metal, and didn't even need to fit properly. There have been stories about brass curtain rings being used, or rings borrowed temporarily for the ceremony. Men did not tend to wear wedding rings at this time, and there was no provision in the text for a mutual exchange of rings during the service.

In the early Regency period the wedding dress were the clothes the bride and groom wore to their wedding. The bride's dress did not have to be white, or even new. She often wore her best dress, whatever the colour. The bride may have a new dress for the occasion, but it would be something she could wear again, after the ceremony. At this time upper class young ladies often wore white dresses anyway, either to suggest innocence or wealth. (you needed servants to keep white clothes clean) The earliest mention of "bridal white" was in 1807, although pale blue, pink and silver were also popular colours for brides on their wedding day.

During this time a bride would often wear a bonnet in church. If a veil happened to be attached, it was more to do with the general fashions of the time than as specific bridal wear. Veils went in and out of fashion during the extended Regency period. The first fashion plate I've found that was identified particularly as a bridal dress was from Ackermann's Repository of Arts, in June 1816.

In church the bride may have been attended by one or two bridesmaids, but the idea of half a dozen bridesmaids, all wearing matching dresses, is a Victorian idea. They would also wear one of their Sunday-best dresses, but they would not coordinate their outfits.

The groom would be accompanied by his groomsman, or best man. (the phrase best man dates from about 1785, while groomsman is older)

The wedding had to take place in the presence of two witnesses. These witnesses could be anyone, but were often the siblings, cousins or friends of the couple. However, if no one else was available, it was not unusual for the parish clerk to be a witness.

After the ceremony, the bride, groom, clergyman and two witnesses retired to the vestry to sign the register. The marriage register was a pre-printed book with space for three marriages per page. Each form recorded the name of the bride and groom, their condition (bachelor, spinster, widow or widower) and which parish they belonged to. It also stated whether they were married by banns, licence or special licence and the date of the marriage. The clergyman entered his name, the bride and groom signed (with her maiden name, in the case of the wife) and the witnesses did likewise.