Medieval Marriage Customs

Blessing the Bed

Medieval wedding customs included the blessing of the marriage bed. Relatives of the bride and groom would go to the newlyweds' house where the priest would bless the bed in their presence. They would then leave the couple to consummate the relationship.

Medieval Bridal Procession

Bridesmaids and groomsmen would wear similar clothing to protect the bride and confuse those who would wish her evil on her happy day. The processional became very important. If questions would ever arise as to the legitimacy of a marriage, testimony from those who witnessed the processional would be adequate proof of marriage.

Honeymoon Traditions

This term comes from the belief that if newlyweds drank mead (honey wine) for the lunar month following the ceremony, they would be blessed with a male heir within the year. If that happened, the meadmaker would be the recipient of lavish gifts.

"Ring" Fingers

Wedding traditions of rings being worn on the fourth finger of the left hand have their origins in Roman history, when it was thought this finger supplied blood to the heart. This changed during the Middle Ages when wedding rings were often worn on the thumb. English tradition was that grooms would sometimes wear their rings on the right hand while brides wore theirs on the left. French traditions have rings worn on the middle finger of the right hand.