If you have a passion for the romance of the medieval or renaissance periods, why not make your wedding a grand historical production? From the clothes to the site to the food, you can take your guests on a trip back into time. There are many ways to go medieval, from a few touches here and there (a period dress, dried flowers in your hair, a reception in a castle or castle-like setting), to full-on (a groom in a suit of armor!). We've identified some major ways whereby you can proclaim your predilection for the Middle Ages. Hear ye, hear ye -- read on . . .

What we're calling the "medieval era" is huge, stretching from 450 to 1600 A.D. The period includes the borderline ancient/medieval period (mid- to late 400s A.D.), when Atilla the Hun ruled; the early medieval period (500 to 1050 A.D.), when the knights sat at the round table, Prince Valiant was valiant, and Excalibur was still lodged in that big stone; the Middle Ages (1050 to 1450 A.D.), when the Crusades were happening, William Wallace (a.k.a. Mel Gibson in Braveheart) was taking back Scotland, and Robin Hood was said to be taking from the rich to give to the poor; and finally, the renaissance (1450 to 1600), when Christopher Columbus sailed to the New World and the infamous Henry VIII reigned in England.

Obviously, there's a lot to choose from! We've tried to give you an idea of what "typical" medieval nuptials might be like -- but there are countless directions to go in. Click on the photo at right for lists of medieval/renaissance web sites and books and movies from the several eras for inspiration!

THE SITE
-- Look for stone or brick buildings, especially in very rural areas. Find out about historic homes in your area, especially those with a Tudor, English-cottage, or castle look (local historical societies can help). Also look for replicas for castles, keeps, or gatehouses near you (there aren't very many *real* castles in the U.S.!). Outdoor settings are perfect for a spring/summer medieval wedding. If you have the space, put up a big white tent decked out with banners and garlands.

-- Rent the special-events pavilion at a renaissance faire or medieval joust for your ceremony and reception (there are reenactment groups that put these on all over the country). Of course, this will make your wedding quite public!

-- Have the ceremony at a particularly Gothic-looking church -- big stones and pointy arches, with a foreboding yet romantic look (like in the Billy Idol "White Wedding" video!), with the reception at a nearby hall.

-- Rent a manor-like house, decorated with tapestries, wood beams, candles, etc.

ATTIRE
Medieval attire for the bride, groom and/or wedding party is the best, most visible way to carry out your theme -- your pictures will be unforgettable! Take a look at some historical-costume books at the library (try Margot Lister's "Costume: An Illustrated Survey from Ancient Times to the 20th Century [Plays Inc., 1968] or "What People Wore" [Dover Publications, 1994]). There are also some period-costume catalogs available: The Amazon Drygoods (800/798-7979), A Medieval Journey (705/645-2522) and Museum Replicas Ltd. (800/883-8838) will all be useful.

The basic kinds of clothes to choose from:
-- Royalty: the most over-the-top, formal clothes from the era
-- Merchant class: pretty but not showy -- modestly prosperous
-- Peasant: casual, carefree, outdoorsy, largely unembellished
-- Classic medieval: women in long, slim-fitting gowns; men in tights and tunics
-- Classic renaissance: women in tight bodices and full skirts; men in tights, breeches, pirate shirts, laced vests

Keep in mind that simple styles will be easiest and most comfortable -- some of the more formal clothes are pretty heavy and confining. You two might be completely decked out, with simpler clothes for the wedding party. Where to find the clothes? Order them from catalogs, have them made (check out the Dressing Up story on designer Jane Wilson-Marquis) or rent them from local costuming shops. For accessory and hair and makeup ideas, check out Medieval Bridal Beauty!

INVITATIONS
Your invitations are important, because they herald your wedding. There are a lot of options:

-- Print invitations on a heavy parchment in grand calligraphy-like type (or even better, real calligraphy). Theme-appropriate motifs include simple flowers, fancy scrolls, heraldic symbols, and metallic embossing. Touches of rich jewel-tone colors are very period, especially when combined with gold or silver -- think of medieval illuminated texts.

-- Look for parchment stock at a local printer-supply company and add a period border from a clip art book. A local printer can set up the text in a calligraphy style and print them; then you can color the border in whatever colors you like. Each invitation can be folded in thirds and tied with a satin ribbon.

-- Look in mail-order catalogs like the American Wedding Album, Camelot, and Ann's, Rexcraft, and Dawn, among others, for invitations depicting castles. (See Paper Trail -- Mail Order Invitations in Getting It Done.)

Wording possibilities:

HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

The honour of thy presence
is hereby requested
at the marriage of
[bride's name]
and
[groom's name]
on [day and date]
in a medieval wedding ceremony
at half-past the seventh hour
in the eventide.

Or, for an announcement:

H E A R Y E H E A R Y E

Let it be known that on the 11th day of June
in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven
the house of [bride's last name] pledged its firstborn daughter
[name]
to the house of [groom's last name] in marriage to the firstborn son
[name]
at
[name of church]
City, State

In the old days, letters were sealed with wax -- often with a family's seal imprinted on it. You should know that the post office frowns on sealing wax on outer envelopes today. When they get run through the stamping machine -- which is hot -- the wax melts. Save wax for inside envelopes or for your reception favors.

THE CEREMONY
Handfasting, the practice of trial marriages for a year and a day, was prevalent in medieval Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. As Sir Walter Scott wrote in "The Monastery" in 1820: "When we are hand fasted, as we term it, we are man and wife for a year and a day; that space gone by, each may choose another mate, or, at their pleasure, may call the priest to marry them for life; and this we call hand fasting." You could stage your ceremony as the "married for life" one, describing hand fasting to your guests in your program -- even if you weren't "trial" married a year and a day before (consider it your engagement!). For more detailed information, click on the photo check out the several web sites dedicated to the subject.

Medieval brides believed that knots symbolized good luck, hope, and steadfastness and so tied their bouquets with numerous knots. During your vows, you might have your hands bound together with ribbon by your officiate or an honored friend, to symbolize this tradition.

FOOD
Food served at medieval wedding feasts included mutton (lamb), roast peacock (served with the tail feathers on!), quail, pheasant, squab, venison, boar, eels, bread, eggs, and cheese. In the 15th century, fowl was very popular (the 15th century is starting to sound pretty good, right?). Spices like cinnamon, cloves, mace, saffron, and especially pepper were savored. Ginger, anise, nutmeg are also mentioned along with many common (and not so common) herbs, such as parsley, basil, galingale, rosemary (mentioned in Shakespeare's "Hamlet"), and thyme. Fruits and vegetables, including braised lettuces, leeks, shallots, parsnips, turnips, apples, and plums were also a standard part of the menu.

If historic accuracy is your goal, there are some things you should avoid because they are New-World foods that European medievals wouldn't even have been able to conceive of: squash, pumpkins, potatoes (white *and* sweet), tomatoes, and chocolate. (You might have to cheat on that last one.)

To drink: Mead, a thick, fermented beverage made of honey, malt, and yeast (the medievals weren't really into Champagne -- but wine would do as a mead substitute!). If you can borrow or rent them, use brass, silver, pewter, or wooden serving ware. Pewter goblets are a great touch -- at least get a pair for yourselves so you can toast each other in style!

FLOWERS
Because there were no florists way back when, many wedding flowers were dried. The bride's bouquet was usually given to her by her mother, and there was great significance in the arrangement. For example, wheat was included to wish the bride fertility, both in family matters as literally, with the crops.

Ancients used herbs, not flowers, in bouquets to cast off evil spirits (they especially liked garlic, which we don't recommend for today!). If a bride carried sage (the herb of wisdom) she became wise. Rosemary represented remembrance. In Tudor England, brides carried marigolds dipped in rosewater and ate them afterward, since they were thought to be aphrodisiacs! Later flowers replaced herbs and took on meanings all their own. Orange blossoms, for example, represent happiness and fertility. Ivy means fidelity; lilies symbolize purity.

There's a meaningful custom that peasants practiced that you might want to include: Flowers native to the area around the bride's home and some native to the groom's were used in bouquets (you can do this with boutonnieres and other flower arrangements too), as well as a flower from where they would live after marriage. Peasants did this to symbolize the couple's joining, since they usually could not afford rings -- you can use it as a nice medieval alternative to a unity candle.

FAVORS
In the world of chivalry, a favor was often a lady's scarf or handkerchief, which she gave to her lover before he went into a battle or joust. At renaissance faires, you can buy small pendants, ribbons, rosettes, tassels, or other wearable trinkets, which were often given by nobility. Additional ideas:

In addition to the wealth of info we've given you here, be sure to contact the Society for Creative Anachronism (800/789-7486), a medieval recreation group that holds medieval and renaissance fairs around the county; they'll send you tons of information as well as put you in touch with a local chapter of the organization, which will help in finding local sites and products.