Couples in the Renaissance would usually become betrothed (think engaged) before marriage. This was done when the parents of the couple would sit with a solicitor (lawyer) and a contract would be drawn. The idea of finding and marrying the right person was fairly unheard of. Most women were significantly younger than their husbands, and most were married before they turned 19. If the families were noble, then the wedding would take place in a castle, if not in the bride's family home. Later, when the Catholic Church became a social force in the time period, couples were married by the church, but not inside. A wedding in the neighborhood was cause for celebration in the town, as most would know the couple and the family in some way. Since buildings were much smaller, it was quite common for a couple to be married on the doorstep of the church. This also allowed for lots of witnesses!
Brides would wear a variety of colors, but blue signified purity and hence the saying "something blue" when collecting wedding wear. Veils were put into use to avoid the "evil eye" and the idea of a bridal party was to confuse evil spirits by having friends dress similar to the bridal couple. Garters are a late Renaissance idea. After the wedding, guests would try to grab a piece of the bride's clothing for faithfulness and luck. This practice got to be a little too dangerous and grooms began throwing a garter to keep others from accosting his bride.
Renaissance brides would look forward to there wedding day as being the only day in their life where it was socially acceptable to wear their hair down.
Cakes, rings and flowers were traditions brought to weddings from afar.
Small cakes were brought to weddings by each guest and stacked atop each other. The couple would try to kiss over them for good luck. This practice was based on the Roman tradition to break a loaf of bread over the bride's head, symbolizing fertility. The crumbs were gathered by guests for luck, and sometimes thrown at the couple for additional blessings.
Wedding rings and flowers were brought to Renaissance weddings by Early Crusaders. The Egyptians would give their bride a ring as it symbolizes eternity. This custom is still common today. When Crusaders returned, they brought with them the tradition from Syria of weaving a flower crown for brides. Some flowers were rare and expensive and an orange blossom crown was only for the nobility.
Something to keep in mind; the atmosphere of quiet and peace that surrounds modern weddings did not exist in the Renaissance. Weddings from that time period were BAWDY! Men would frequently try to accost the bride, there were games where the bride would try to hit the best man on the nose with her stocking (usually her left, but I don't know why), and it was not uncommon to have witnesses outside the marriage bed to assure successful and legal consummation of the wedding. Weddings were a celebration for the entire town and would involve copious amounts of alcohol, food, and fun. Dancing and musicians were not uncommon and many a couple "paid the band" at the end of the night by sending them home with any leftover food or drink from the celebration! Many weddings were held early spring for lots of reasons, e.g., it was when the animals were most fertile, it was when farmers had more free time, its when everyone would have had their yearly bath and it was deemed a good omen for brides.
