Ancient Egyptian wedding customs

While the origin of wedding rings can be traced back to ancient Egypt, you may be surprised to learn that in ancient Egypt there was no wedding ceremony. Instead, marriages were most often arranged by the parents with goals of personal advancement or stability. Back then, the “men” usually married between the ages of 16-20, or when he could earn money to provide for his family. Women, or I should say girls, commonly married at 13 or closely after puberty. So instead of a ceremony, there was an agreement and when the bride entered the groom's house and the agreed price or goods were exchanged, they were married.

Bride price

The groom’s father was the one who wrote up the marriage “settlement” or contract which was signed in front of witnesses before marriage could even be considered. This agreement included the bride price (payment made by the groom or his family to the bride’s parents), and also included pre-nuptial agreements as to how things would be divided if divorce did enter the picture.

 

Purpose of marriage in ancient Egypt

While marriage in ancient Egypt seems more like a business deal by today’s standards, the purpose of marriage in ancient Egypt was to have children. Along with that, it was hoped, and even expected, that the husband and wife would grow to love and honor one another. So, ideally, an ancient Egyptian marriage relationship was one where the couple remained faithful and produced offspring. I guess you could say, they had the same hopes and aspirations as many brides and grooms in modern times.

How did ancient Egyptians handle divorce?

Ancient Egyptian women were not treated as property by their husbands (like ancient Grecian woman) and so they had the right to divorce and remarry. Divorce happened much the same way as the marriage with a new agreement to end the marriage. This divorce could be asked for by either of the spouses, and a new agreement was signed agreeing to the dividing of material possessions based on the prenuptial agreement. Once it was signed, the marriage was over. But with divorce in ancient Egypt, the woman left the relationship with the children. They belonged to her.

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Top 3 fantasy wedding dresses for a magical wedding

By: Rebecca Krummert

Thinking of having a fantasy themed wedding? In our Western culture, one of the most important elements of a wedding is the bride’s dress. The bride wants to stand out. She wants to make the crowd say “Wow!” And it's no different for a fantasy wedding. People into the fantasy genre, whether based on old cultural traditions or the imaginative movies and books we have today, the centerpiece is the right fantasy wedding dress.

A medieval wedding dress is simple enough, you can even make one yourself.

Medieval wedding dresses

One of the most popular choices for a fantasy wedding dress is the Medieval style. Most Medieval styled dresses have a boatneck and have long flowing sleeves, that often flow all the way to the floor. Medieval styled dresses offer two options: Renaissance or Celtic. Renaissance dresses are usually a straighter cut, long and flowing. The Celtic style has a little more poof to the dress like the Victorian style.

If you don’t want a white dress, any color works with a Medieval style dress. These dresses are simple, yet elegant. That’s not to say you can’t find an extravagantly designed gown. On the other hand, it’s a great option for a bride who wants a fantasy wedding but doesn’t wish to spend hundreds of dollars on the dress. In fact, a medieval wedding dress is simple enough, you can even make one yourself if you are so inclined! 

Victorian wedding dresses

Victorian style wedding dresses can also bring a sense of fantasy to your wedding. Since it’s a simple style, the color of the dress can be whatever the bride wants. The Victorian style is a type of ballgown with a tight bodice and usually a high collar at the back of the neck with a low square neckline. But, stylistic choices can also include a sleeveless dress or long, tight-fitting sleeves.

This style can also work for a Gothic or Steampunk wedding theme. A Victorian wedding dress is easily functional for all these wedding themes, and although Steampunk is not as popular as fantasy, it is an interesting twist to a wedding.

Black Vintage Renaissance Wedding Dress

Black wedding dresses

Black wedding dresses are one of the most popular choices among millennials and Gen Z’s and they make a perfect fantasy wedding dress. It’s a change from the traditional white and a chance to stand out from other weddings. Of course, some people will think black is the wrong color for a wedding dress. You might even hear comments like, “the bride looks more like she’s going to a funeral.” However, when we look at the history of wedding dresses, before Queen Victoria was married in 1840, a black wedding dress was the most popular choice, especially in Scandinavia. Only two other brides wore white on their wedding day before Queen Victoria, Philippa of England in 1406 and Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1559. White was actually the color of mourning for French queens, so Queen Mary was a bit of a Goth as her favorite color was white!

When it comes to picking a black wedding dress, fantasy brides have several choices of styles. Whether you choose to go full-on Gothic, Rococo Revival style, or a wear a beautiful black A-line princess style dress, the possibilities are endless. If you aren’t sure what style is for you, take a look at Medieval and Victorian styles. You can choose long sleeve, short sleeves, ballgown style or something with a straighter cut. I personally recommend wearing a black wedding dress. They are absolutely beautiful. A great choice for a fantasy wedding!

A bride has several different choices for her fantasy wedding day. Whether she’s a lover of unicorns and fairies or of knights in shining armor and dragons, there’s something for everyone in the fantasy genre. 

Photo credits:  Amazon, Wikipedia.org, Amazon

Wedding traditions for the groom

When it comes to the groom’s traditional wedding duties, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Popping the question and placing the ring on the finger of the love of his life. But what this blog post is going to look at is the actual wedding day and wedding traditions for the groom.

Things for the groom to do on wedding day

While this shouldn't have to be said, one of the most important things for the groom to do on his wedding day is to show up for the ceremony on time. With that said, according to traditions listed in Emily Post the groom's traditional responsibilities include:

• Hand the wedding officiant the fee (donation) or make arrangements for the best man to do so
• Stand in the receiving line (if there is one) or join the bride in greeting all the guests at the reception
• Make a toast and respond to toasts at the reception
• Dance the first dance with the bride
• Dance with his mother
• Dance with the maid/matron of honor
• Cut the wedding cake with the bride

Superstition based traditions for the groom

Along with the traditional responsibilities there's one wedding day tradition for the groom that's steeped in superstition. The groom carrying the bride across the threshold. This tradition is very old and can be traced back to Roman times. The original belief was that the groom carried the bride over the threshold to protect her from evil spirits lurking within the new home. Along with this, it was thought that if she tripped as she entered the doorway it would bring the couple bad luck. Thus, being carried over the threshold took care of it all.

New wedding tradition

All traditions start somewhere, and while this one is new enough that I’m not sure it constitutes as a tradition now, but I think it has the potential of becoming a popular one.

Writing a love letter: The groom writing a love letter to his bride for her to read before the ceremony. I’ve seen videos of the bride reading such a letter trying not to spoil her wedding makeup. And it is worth saying here, that the bride should write one to her groom. 

Love letters make such a perfect keepsake.

Photo credits: pexels.com, wikimedia