Medieval marriage?

Question: Medieval marriage!?

Does anyone know how they were conducted!? Is there a good link to an example!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

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The medieval church set the minimum age for marriage as twelve for girls and 14 for boys!. There were three stages to a properly conducted marriage, ceremony; negotiations between the families, betrothal and marriage ceremony at the church door!.

On the wedding day, it was customary for the bridegroom and his friends to go to the bride's house to fetch her to the church!. sometimes the bride and her friends would be barricaded into the house, and the groom and his friends would ahve to fight their way in!. then they would all go in procession to the church!. the bride would normally just wear her best dress, decorated with ribbons, the 'white wedding' that is considered traditional today is an 18th century invention!.

The church's representative played a part in the bethrothal and in the marriage contract!. At the church door, the couple expressed their desire to wed and bestowed the marriage sacrement on one another!. The bride's dowry as well as that portion of the bridegroom's property pledged to his wife in the event that he died before her were also guaranteed at the church door!. it was known as the dower, and usually amounted to one third of all his assets!. The couple then entered the church to take part in a nuptial mass!. When the ceremony was completed, the wedding party would go in procession to the couple's new home, where they would give a marriage feast for their friends!. there would be much clowning and horseplay, the ceremony of putting the bride and groom to bed was the climax of the wedding!.

Three weeks before the wedding the banns of the future marriage wre posted at the church door, to enable any person who knew that one of the partners was already married, or that they were related, to voice objections!.

According to ecclesiastical law, it was the consent of the bridal couple alone that rendered a marriage valid!. This principle that consent made a marriage, was finally formulated at the end of the twelfth century, under the influence of peter Lombard!. It was neither the agreement between the families nor the consummation of marital relations but mutual consent which created the marriage bond!.

Thus, although the agreement of the parents was desirable, a marriage was considered valid even if celebrated against the wishes of the parents!. Even if the family exerted pressure to seperate on ayoung couple who had wed without permission, it was not possible, by ecclesiastical law, to enforce an annulment or seperation!.

The principle of mutual consent as the basis for marriage helps to explain the fact that although the church demanded that marriages be solemnised in church, after banns had been published, it also recongized marriages celebrated elsewhere with the mutual consent of the bridal couple, in the presence of witnesses or even without them!. An additional factor in the church's recognition of such marriages despite opposition was the theological view that it was the partners who bestowed the sacrament of marriage on one another!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Only the rich got married in the sense that there was a church ceremony!. Marriage for them was the sealing of a contract which was concerned with income and the possession of land!. Usually, the property of the woman passed into the control of the man, although the woman was supposed to provide for the upkeep of any children!. This state of affairs lasted well into the 1900s!. The contract was hammered out well before there was any ceremony!.
Unfortunately this made young girls the targets of rich powerful men who would take them into protection until a suitable groom was found!. During the time of the ;protection the income from the girl's estate was taken by her protector, which made him rather reluctant to let her go!.
The ceremony took place at the church door and then the wedding party had communion at the altar!.
The poor wed in a different stye!. A man and a woman would stand in front of their friends and family and state that they wished to be man and wife!. Sometimes there were folk customs like the bride and groom jumping over a broom!.
Later they could go to church and ask for a blessing!. Or they just got on with life!. The latter form stills exists and is caled common-law marriage!. It is binding in law and protects the bride from casual abandonment!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

http://www!.foreverwed2!.com/Religious_Cer!.!.!.
this is from the late medieval period!. early medieval (before the Norman conquest) it was usually arranged by male head of household, and would have been a bargaining session about property exchanges!.!.!.dowry etc!. then there would have been a feast to celebrate with the consummation immediately following!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Interesting paper that was written I found for you!. It probably contains what you are looking for!.!.!.

http://www!.drizzle!.com/~celyn/mrwp/mrwed!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com