Medieval & Renaissance Wedding FAQ
Barbara Jean Kuehl
and Renaissance Wedding FAQ. For future reference, I will try and
print it routinely on the 1st and 15th of every month.
BJ
*********************************************************************
MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE WEDDING FAQ
This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the planning
of medieval and renaissance theme weddings. The intent of this FAQ
is not to present wedding ceremonies in historically accurate contexts.
Rather, these questions (and the answers to them) have been collected
from persons who have held or attended medieval or renaissance theme
weddings and who have posted their ideas and descriptions to the
following newsgroups: alt.fairs.renaissance, alt.wedding,
rec.food.historic, rec.org.sca, and soc.couples.wedding.
The information in this FAQ was compiled and edited by
Barbara J. Kuehl and is, by no means, a final product. All
comments and revisions should be emailed to b...@csd.uwm.edu.
Acknowledgements: Many people helped with this FAQ by contributing
their ideas and stories. All verbatim contributions are prefaced
whenever possible by the email address of the original writer. Others
have contributed by sharing their research or by reviewing versions
of the FAQ. These people include:
Adrienne Anne Dandy [aad...@watarts.uwaterloo.ca]
Jaelle of Armida [jae...@access.digex.net (Judy Gerjuoy)]
Kirsti Thomas [k...@paul.spu.edu]
Trystan L. Bass [fis...@hooked.net]
The Medieval and Renaissance Wedding Faq is also housed at
the following locations:
http://paul.spu/edu/~kst/bib.bib.html
The SCRIBE Network (Miha...@aol.com)
Topics covered:
Section 1: Questions regarding Invitations and Announcements
1.0: We're using a medieval theme for our wedding. How can we
adapt that look for our invitations?
1.1: Anybody have any creative ideas for wording an invitation
in keeping with the medieval style of the wedding?
1.2: I'm thinking of rolling up my invitation (but how would you
mail that cheaply!). Any suggestions??!!
1.3: We bought metallic gold wax and two stamps to seal our
invitations but can't for the life of us figure out how to
use them! Any hints/suggestions out there would be greatly
appreciated!
1.4: My fiance and I will be making our own invitations and would
like to use a wax seal on the outside of the envelope. I was
wondering if anyone ran into problems with the post office,
like wax getting stuck in postal machines or anything like
that?
1.5: How about thank you cards? Any ideas for how we can make our
thank you cards look medieval in style?
Section 2: Questions regarding Attire
2.1: HELP! My fiance wants a medieval-style wedding but I don't
know the first thing about that time period, much less about
the clothes they wore.
2:2: Those who were married in a medieval-style ceremony, what
did your wedding party and guests wear?
2.3: My wife is desperately in need of a source of PATTERNS for
medieval/Renaissance wedding clothing. Need patterns for the
bride, groom, and all of the wedding party. Where can we get
such patterns?
2.4: My fiance has informed me that he hates tuxes and would
prefer to get married in a robe rather like the ones worn by
Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons. Anyone have a
clue where I would find such a beast?
2.5: Does anyone know of good Web sites regarding medieval
clothing? My fiancee is looking for a medieval-type dress
to wear at our wedding. Any suggestions?
2.6: Does anybody know of a catalog which offers readymade but
affordable period clothes? I can't possibly sew for
everyone!
2.7: I can't sew on a button. Where can I buy medieval clothing?
Section 3: Questions regarding Flowers
3.1: What flowers can I use in my bouquet to go along with the
medieval theme of my clothing?
3.2: Help! I am allergic to flowers and I cannot figure out how
to replace them in my wedding. I am having a medieval theme.
Are there any suggestions?
3.3: Can I wear flowers in my hair instead of a veil?
Section 4: Questions regarding Music
4.1: My fiance and I love period music. Any ideas for how we could
do the music for our medieval/renaissance wedding? Also, what
kinds of instruments are considered period?
4.2: Where can I find musicians who play medieval music?
4.3: I am looking for good quality CDs for my Wedding. I need
suggestions for both Dancing and Ceremony music. It doesn't
need it to be for any specific peroid - but would like it to
have a medieval flavor. All suggestion are great appreciated.
Section 5: Questions regarding the Reception
5.1: Can you give me some ideas of where, other than the usual
church hall, restaurant banquet or hotel ballroom, we might
be able to hold our medieval wedding reception?
5.2: We need some ideas about how to decorate the reception hall.
5.3: Can you recommend any activities besides dancing?
Section 6: Questions regarding Food
6.1: What kinds of foods did people serve at wedding feasts
during the Middle Ages?
6.2: Pigeon pies, eels, boar's head, frumenty and roast peacock
with the feathers put back on! Acckkk! Let me rephrase
that question. What kinds of foods could I serve that would
have the "feel" of a medieval banquet but would be edible
by my modernday guests?
6.3: How about drinks? What kinds of beverages did people drink
during the Middle Ages?
6.4: It's expected in our family to have a wedding cake.
Any ideas of how we could incorporate a wedding cake into
the menu and still keep the medieval ambience?
6.5: We have our menu all worked out but need some ideas about
how to decorate the banquet hall and serve the food and drink
in keeping with the medieval theme. Any suggestions?
6.6: Can you recommend any books or websites where I can get
recipes for some of the medieval dishes (and maybe others)
mentioned above?
Section 7: A list of Movies with a Medieval or Renaissance Theme
7.1: How about including in the medieval/renaissance wedding faq a
list of well-costumed, atmospheric movies that people could
rent to see what a particular period might be like? A picture
is worth a thousand words, and a moving picture is worth about
ten thousand!
Section 8: A list of Catalogs
Section 9: Bibliography (to be added)
******************************************************************
Medieval and Renaissance Wedding FAQ: Questions about Invitations
and Announcements
1.1: We're using a medieval theme for our wedding. How can we adapt
that look for our invitations?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Printing the invitations on a heavy parchment and using a type style
that imitates calligraphy will announce to everyone that your wedding
has a Medieval or Renaissance theme. Decorative motifs that would
work with the theme include simple flowers, fancy scrolls, heraldic
symbols, and metallic embossing. Touches of rich, jewel-tone colors
are very period, especially combined with gold or silver -- think of
Medieval illuminated texts. For a small wedding, you could have a
professional write each invitation in calligraphy, but this will be
expensive (unless you know someone who'd do it as a wedding gift).
-------------------------
From: lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
For our invitations, I found a nice parchment stock at a local
printer supply company and then took a period border from a clip art
book. A local printer set up the text in a calligraphy style and
printed them. Then by hand I colored the gold and ivy border. Each
invitation was folded in thirds and tied with a satin ribbon. Cost
was about $100.
-------------------------
From: smy...@bnr.ca (Nadia Smyrniw)
We have been going through many Celtic art books to find a design (or
a compilation of designs) for the outside cover of the invitations.
My fiance will then make a print of whatever he finally draws, and
then we will scan that into the computer and print the invitations at
home by ourselves on a laser printer.
-------------------------
From: mitc...@owl.csusm.edu (Laura Mitchell)
I am using a gold Celtic Braid around the border with the symbol of
the 3 goddesses at the top. We are printing them via our computer on
parchment, folding them 1/3, sealing with wax and mailing it inside
an envelope with rsvp card and map.
-------------------------
>From BJ (b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu)
We designed our invitations and announcements on my fiance's
MacIntosh using a combination of medieval fonts (my favorite is the
one that looks like ivy leaves). Our invitations were printed on
ragged-edged, prefolded, parchment stationary with matching
double-envelopes (available by special order at graphics stores).
Our announcements were printed on unfolded 8x11 inch parchment
(available by the tablet at art supply stores). Those announcements
which we could hand-deliver were rolled into a scroll and sealed with
wax. Those which had to be mailed were folded in thirds, wax sealed,
and then mailed inside an envelope.
-------------------------
From: "Rottier_Amy" <Rottier#u#A...@mnb2.fss-moses.lockheed.com>
I browsed through pattern books and looked at inked stamps until I
found a picture of a lord and lady dancing that I really liked.
Using that for inspiration, we drew our design and scanned it into
the computer. Using cardstock parchment, we laid out the dancers two
to a page and the invitation wording two to a page (so it could be
printed two-sided and cut in the middle). I'm dry-embossing the
outer edge of the invitation (around the dancers) to add a little
dimension. Then Mark designed a map to the location, in stylized
fashion, complete with knight and dragon pictures. There is a
mountainous area called "The Bad Lands of DC", and plenty of trees
and even a picket fence around the "castle". It's really a work of
art (drawn in Wordperfect 6.0). On the back are written directions.
We also made a reply postcard with our address on one side and a
Celtic knot (under which I will handwrite the names of the invitees)
and "Yea I will gladly attend the betrothal of Lady Amy Elizabeth
Rottier of San Diego to Sir Mark David Donovan of Cleveland"/"Nay, I
regret..." on the other side. Both the map/directions and
knot/postcard are on quarters of an 8.5x11 sheet. It really came out
well. Including paper, rubber stamp, sample inks and embossing
powders, embossing templates (for the dry embossing - I bought 2),
printing and cutting costs (courtesy Kinkos), I probably paid less
than $50.
-------------------------
From: asp...@slip.net (Arthur S. Pruyn)
One renaissance wedding that took place at RPFN about 6 years ago had
invites that were a sonnet. The sonnet described the location, the
date, the two getting married, the feast, and other aspects of the
wedding in period terms. They were sent out with an additional
little map (as is often done in current weddings) with directions for
those who had not been to the faire. I had the pleasure of writing
the sonnet for them (it was in Shakespearian form, rather than
traditional).
-------------------------
From: joa...@joanne.central.sun.com (Joanne Frezzo)
I'm not having a Medieval wedding, but several people have told me my
invitation looks like it was themed. It is not a wedding invitation
per se. I found it at a local stationer who works out of her home.
She had this in a notebook at a bridal faire. It is an ivory card
with a colored border. I chose a plum color. Overlaying the color is
a gold embossing of a flourish design all around the border. It's
very hard for me to describe. If you want me to try to fax or snail
mail you a copy I'd be glad to. One thing though, since it was not
designed as a wedding invite it doesn't come with inner envelopes,
but I was able to find one that was very close through Paper Direct.
-------------------------
From: Kristiina Prauda <pra...@cc.helsinki.fi>
We made rather elaborate invitations with a medieval-style border,
initials and script. The medieval-style border was taken from an
illustrator's idea book, simplified for coloring with a drawing
program (it included ivy leaves, long straight borders and a dragon -
which made it more Tolkien-ish than medieval). We took a few of those
big initials (for my name, his name and the name of the church) from
an actual 13th c. manuscript. We colored all the borders and the
initials by hand, using cheap felt pens in red, blue and gold - all
the outer borders were "gilded" from the drawn motif to the edge. In
the upper right-hand corner, we put in a verse from a poem by
Finland's greatest classical poet, Eino Leino; the poem is in
"Kalevala"-metre, the old epic metre of our folk poetry. It talks
about life together, something like this (apologies for my bad
attempts to follow the original flawless beat):
"Truly it was they lived together
under the tree with widest top,
truly they made a fire together,
slipped together into bed,
together it was they slept and dreamed
of their eternal selves,
on their brows a dream of happiness,
on their lips the kiss of morning."
The actual wording of the invitation was completely traditional
(since the ceremony was a traditional church ceremony). For font, we
used "American Uncial", which is rounded, sort of Celtic-looking.
The invitations were printed on ordinary white paper, then glued that
on a slightly larger sheet of 100% silk rag paper - really beautiful
pearl color, with silk fibers clearly showing. We folded them in
three and sealed them with red wax, making a wax seal out of a
rose-shaped metal button glued to a small plastic stick. Hard work
(for about 70 invitations), but they were a huge hit, and many
friends put them up for show.
-------------------------
From: Sally Jackson <ser...@fastlane.net>
Any competent scribe can letter your invitation in a style
appropriate to the time period and the country of your choice.
(Writing and decoration in 14th century France was totally unlike
that of 16th century England, etc.) Almost any calligrapher will
have a library of clip art that can be used to decorate the
invitation and many will be able to design the decorative elements.
As to printing, a quick print business can print from the
calligrapher's original work. It is simply photographed, and each
invitation looks like it was hand lettered.
-------------------------
From: Susan Carroll-Clark <scl...@epas.utoronto.ca>
The original of our invitation was calligraphed in Secretary hand by
a friend--it was the Shakespearian sonnet which talks about the
"marriage of true minds".
=====================================================================
1.2: Anybody have any creative ideas for wording an invitation in
keeping with the medieval style of the wedding?
From: "Rottier_Amy" <Rottier#u#A...@mnb2.fss-moses.lockheed.com>
Lady Amy Elizabeth Rottier
and
Sir Mark David Donovan
request the honour of thy presence
at their marriage
on Saturday, the thirtieth of September in
the year of our Lord Nineteen hundred and ninety five
--------------------fold------------------------------
The ceremony will begin at two o'clock in the after-noon
at
The Griffin's Lair (his mother's name is Griffin)
xxxx Olivers Shop Road
Fried chicken, Maryland
Feasting and merriment will follow the ceremony
Medieval/Renaissance-style garb recommended
but not required
-------------------------
From: guet...@moretcri.ensmp.fr (Christophe GUETTIER)
De par le Baron..., Pere de...
De par le Conte..., Mere de...
Par la presente missive,
Nous avons l'honneur de celebrer en vostre gent presence et cel de
ces vassaux...,
le mariage de Dame..., Fille de..., Heritiere de...,
Regente de..., Dote de...
et
Sieur..., Fils de..., Chevalier de..., Heritiers de...,
Regent de..., dans le fief de...
Seront donnes moult rejouissance et festoiement.
Translation from old French:
In the name of the baron..., father of...
In the name of the countess..., mother of...
With this present lettre,
We have the honour of celebrating in thy kind [or noble] presence and
that of these servants [or vassals or household],
the marriage of Lady..., Daughter of..., Heiress of...,
Governess of..., Dowered of...
and
Sir... Son of..., Knight of..., Hier of...,
Governor of..., in the fief [land or shire] of...
Let there be much rejoicing and feasting.
-------------------------
From: Phyllis...@rand.org (Phyllis Gilmore)
The phrase "de par le roi" means "in the name of the king," so one
presumes the phrasing to suggest the hand of a scribe (nice idea, I
think) doing the writing.
-------------------------
From: BJ (b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu)
HEAR YE! HEAR YE!
The honour of thy presence
is hereby requested
at the marriage of
Barbara Jean Wedemayer
and
Timothy Duane Kuehl
on Saturday the eleventh of June
in a mediaeval wedding ceremony
at half-past the seventh hour
in the eventide
In keeping with the medieval theme of our wedding invitations, we
also worded our announcements:
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-four
the house of Wedemayer pledged its firstborn daughter
Barbara Jean
to the house of Kuehl in marriage to the firstborn son
Timothy Duane
at
<name of church>
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
**
Mr. & Mrs. Kuehl now reside
at
<our address>
City, State
Zip
=====================================================================
1.3: I'm thinking of rolling up my invitation (but how would you mail
that cheaply!). Any suggestions??!!
From: kyr...@icecastle.com
You can buy tubes in which to mail them.
-------------------------
From: BJ (b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu)
If you really want to go gala, have your invitations hand-delivered
by a friend dressed as a herald!
=====================================================================
1.4: We bought metallic gold wax and two stamps to seal our
invitations but can't for the life of us figure out how to use
them! Any hints/suggestions out there would be greatly
appreciated!
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
We used wax seals on our invitations, and I had the same question.
Luckily, we happened to be watching a movie with a medieval setting
and saw the method used by the king to seal a document. He held the
stick of sealing wax over a candle flame until it began to melt, then
quickly positioned the stick over the envelope and let the melting
wax drip onto the desired spot. Once he had enough wax, he picked up
the stamp and pushed it down on the soft wax. We tried doing it that
way and, after a few trial runs, determined about how long to hold
the stick in the candle flame, about how much wax we would need for a
good seal, and about how hard the wax had to be in order to get a
legible seal. After that, it was a breeze.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Aside from lighting the wax directly (which will produce some
blackened wax), you can use the old-fashioned spoon method. Crumble
pieces of wax into an old spoon. Warm the underside of the spoon
over a candle. When the wax is melted, carefully pour it onto the
envelope. Stamp with the seal. This, as with all wax sealing
methods, takes some practice on scrap paper. Victorian Papers sells
a fancy wax sealing set that includes a tiny spoon with a spout just
for this purpose. The spoon is $7.95, the wax beads (easier to melt
in spoon) are $8.95 per box.
-------------------------
From: Sally Jackson <ser...@fastlane.net>
After putting the puddle of hot melted wax on the envelope, if you
will breathe on the seal (which leaves it a bit damp from the
moisture in your breath) it will not stick to the hot wax.
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
This is a quote from an instruction sheet entitled "Making Wax Seals"
and provided by The Swordmark Company out of Atlanta, GA, a vendor of
stationery supplies and waxseals.
"In the old days, they used to lick the seal or dip it in
water before each use--the thin coating of water would keep
the hot wax from sticking to the metal. We suggest you
lightly spray the metal seal with a non-stick lubricant
(e.g., WD40, Pam cooking spray, silicone) to ensure that
the wax won't stick.
"Light the wax, tilt the stick at an angle, and let the wax
drip into a puddle big enough for your seal. Blow out the
wax stick, and place the metal seal firmly in the way while
it is still liquid. Wait 5 seconds to allow the wax to
harden before pulling the seal from the wax.
"To cleanup, wipe the metal seal with a paper towel. If
any wax is stuck to the metal, use a pin to poke it out,
and next time lubricate that spot more carefully."
=====================================================================
1.4: My fiance and I will be making our own invitations and would like
to use a wax seal on the outside of the envelope. I was
wondering if anyone ran into problems with the post office, like
wax getting stuck in postal machines or anything like that?
From: Sally Jackson <ser...@fastlane.net>
The post office really doesn't like it - it messes up their machines.
However, I don't believe there is any actual prohibition against
using it.
-------------------------
From: BJ (b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
We used wax seals on our wedding announcements. We did not place the
seal on the outside envelope, however. We folded the announcement in
thirds (leaving an overlapping lip) and then sealed the lip. We
mailed the announcement in an envelope and sent it as a regular
letter. At the same time, I mailed a sealed announcement to myself
(to see how the wax would withstand the postal department). The seal
arrived slightly cracked. If you use wax seals, you might want to
have the envelopes hand-cancelled or use a cardboard envelope.
Another possibility is to forgo the wax and just use one of those red
or gold stickers that look like a real seal.
-------------------------
From: mitc...@owl.csusm.edu (Laura Mitchell)
I've been experimenting and have found something that may help people
who are having problems mailing the wax seals. White glue. White
glue thinned with a little bit of water is flexible but apparently
strong enough to keep the seal together if it does crack and, best of
all, it's clear when applied with a paint brush (and the brush can be
washed in water to clean).
-------------------------
From: musa...@aol.com (Jonathon Elsburough)
I always wrap the envelope in a nice, gaudy gold or silver ribbon
then poor wax over a spot on the ribbon and then press the seal into
the wax, sealing both ribbon and paper. I also put the invitations
inside a standard envelope which has the recipient's name lettered
quite plainly. This allows a really fancy lettering of the
recipient's name on the inside envelope, and people like nothing in
calligraphy as much as their name.
=====================================================================
1.5: How about thank you cards? Any ideas for how we can make our
thank you cards look medieval in style?
From: Kristiina Prauda <pra...@cc.helsinki.fi>
In Finland,we do not write thank-you letters; we send thank-you cards
with a photograph. Our thank-you cards consisted of printed paper,
outer card backing, and a photo of us at the altar. The card was made
of rather thick stock with a grey-white marble motif (or cloud,
maybe). The inner paper is something called "Paris paper" - nicely
uneven, but we were warned later that it would not hold ink too well.
The right-hand side of the opened card has the photo in an oval
rimmed in gold. The left-hand side is folded in two. On top we put a
motif of two dragons holding a crowned heart (this was modified from
the invitation dragon), a line of Kahlil Gibran, and "With thanks" in
larger letters, with a medieval initial; we signed under that. We
colored the dragons and the inital by hand again. When opened, the
double-width left-hand side displays a choice of texts we wanted to
include in a wedding program, but time ran out: some more Kahlil
Gibran, some Shakespeare (Much Ado About Nothing, Benedick and
Beatrice having words), and Aragorn's and Arwen's wedding from Lord
of the Rings. We used the same font as in our invitations.
-------------------------
>From BJ (b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu)
We used the same ragged-edged, prefolded, stationary parchment for
our thank you cards that we used for our invitations. Using
medieval-looking fonts, we simply inkjet printed 'Thank Thee' on the
outside of the card. My favorite font was the initial T in both
'Thank' and "Thee'--it looked like ivy vines. We handwrote the
message on the inside.
*********************************************************************
Medieval and Renaissance Wedding FAQ: Questions about Attire
2.1: HELP! My fiance wants a medieval-style wedding but I don't
know the first thing about that time period, much less about
the clothes they wore.
>From fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Go to the library and take a look at some historical costume books
and pick out a time frame that suits you. Here are some basic
categories to help you decide:
1. Royalty (the most formal and fanciest clothes from the era)
2. Merchant class (good but not showy, modestly prosperous)
3. Peasant (casual, carefree, outdoorsy, little decoration)
A. Medieval (women in long, slim-fitting gowns; men in tights
and tunics)
B. Renaissance (women in tight bodices and full skirts; men in
tights, breeches, pirate shirts, laced vests)
If you want your whole bridal party in period garb, think about what
styles everyone will be comfortable in. Renaissance peasants and
Medieval clothing will probably be easiest to wear for those not
accustomed to heavy, confining, or unusual clothing. These are also
the easiest styles to create!
-------------------------
From: Anne Reynolds <a...@hpesapr.fc.hp.com>
For any given century, there was usually one or two "cultural centers
of the world." Everyone else tried to imitate that culture. For
example, the British Isles spent most of the 11th-13th century trying
to imitate France. In the late 14th-15th centuries, Italy was the
place to imitate. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain and then
England were considered cultural centers.
=====================================================================
2.2: Those who were married in a medieval-style ceremony, what
did your wedding party and guests wear?
>From lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
My dress was upper-middle class, Spanish style in forest green with
mint green trim and pearls. My husband wore garb from the same green
but his was trimmed in gold.
-------------------------
>From michelle...@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Miche)
The bride wore a Renaissance style cartridge-pleated, side-laced
dress of purple, lilac and black satin. The groom wore Tudor style
gears like you see in the pictures of Henry VIII, including codpiece.
The guests all wore their favourite garb. The bride lent me a dress
- Renaissance style back-laced dress with plunging v-neck, in blue
and silver, with a line of tiny bells round the waist line.
-------------------------
>From Susan Carroll-Clark <scl...@epas.utoronto.ca>
My husband and I wore ivory and gold Elizabethan garb (not so much
because these were wedding colours, but because they were popular
Elizabethan colours). Another wedding I attended had the male and
female attendants in red and blue cotehardies, while the bride and
groom wore houppelandes.
-------------------------
From: byr...@serv.net (Renee Ann Byrd)
In a 1993 wedding I attended, the bride's attendants wore angel
dresses -- basically these were long tunics with tied around the
waist with a rope-like belt.
-------------------------
>From b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
In a trendy dresshop, I found a white, gauzy, A-line floor length
dress with a white-embroidered bodice. I dyed it green because
medieval brides did not normally wear white. I did, however, wear it
with a white lace shawl and a wreath of fresh ivy for a tiara. I
carried a bouquet of green ivy and white sweetpea which I tied
together with trailing white and green ribbons. My bridesmaids wore
long, green, crushed velvet dresses and carried candles. The groom
dressed as a medieval huntsman in green velvet britches, knee-length
leather mocassins, white shirt and leather jerkhin. The groomsmen
dressed similarly (except they did not wear jerkhins). I made their
britches but they obtained everything else from Museum Replicas Ltd.
-------------------------
From: Anonymous
For those guests who cannot come up with a suitable costume I am
making 'slip on' costumes -- tunics over pants for men, dresses for
women.
-------------------------
From: ojid.w...@xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)
The bride wore a cream brocade dress (a bit of fantasy here - it was
modeled after one in the Princess Bride) with her hair uncovered.
Her bridesmaids each wore a dress in a jewel tone to match their own
persona: one was in a deep red tudor, another in emerald green
cotehardie. She also made matching outfits for her parents and his
parents (the fathers discovered how much fun tights can be - we
complimented them on their legs quite regularly!) Guests were
encouraged to wear garb (although the SCA guests wore garb as a
matter of course). The groom, being Irish, wore a saffron yellow
tunic with embroidery and went barefoot most of the day.
-------------------------
From: Patricia D. Mooney
About half the guests dressed in costume, including the parents and
several newborns! Although I had a regular, off-shoulder wedding
dress (ordered before we got this bright idea!) and wreath, Alan wore
tunic, tights, and sword. The sword became quite a prop for pictures
-- my favorite photo is of all costumed guests surrounding me as I
knighted Alan. After we'd chosen our garb, we ran across the most
beautiful medieval wedding costumes in a shop -- but it was too late
and the wrong season. (The costumes were appropriate for winter, not
August.)
-------------------------
From: "John A. Resotko" <Res...@ahdlms.cvm.msu.edu>
I already have a good portion of my clothing (leggings, knee-high
hand-tooled moccassins from Bald Mountain Mocs, etc.) since we
frequent RenFests in the Michigan/Illinois/Ohio area. I'll probably
buy an exceptional quality shirt and a brocaded jacket/vest to dress
my usual garb up for the occasion.
-------------------------
From: plat...@glue.umd.edu (Amy E. Rottier)
My dress was made by a bridal shop that makes dresses in Takoma Park,
MD. I found the perfect material after many weeks of intensive
searching - an ivory brocade with gold strewn through it. The fabric
was $25 a yard. I wanted the majority of the dress made with this
fabric, and the rest in an ivory antiqued satin. The way it ended
up: dropped waist gown with full skirt, slim long sleeves, pointed.
Low neckline. Plain shoulders. The brocade fabric was used
everywhere except the sleeves and a front placket that ran from neck
to hem. I had a gold cord criss-crossed across the front of the
bodice and tied at the dropped waist. Everyone said I sparkled in
the sun. I felt so beautiful in that dress. My then-fiance decided
he wanted to wear a cloak and tights, so tights they wore. We had
the cloak made (reversible, in black and burgundy, with glorious
trim), found burgundy leggings in a clothing store, he made a belt,
and dyed his moccasin boots. He wore a tunic of an ivory color, with
a stand-up collar. He also wore leather bracelets (the manly kind!).
He was stunning. Anyway, it turned out that Mark's outfit cost as
much as mine. How's that for equality! My bridesmaids wore a
version of a dirndl pattern - a floor-length skirt (in burgundy) with
bodice-vested top (in mauve). The pattern also included a shirt, but
we made the sleeves from a muslin-type cotton (off-white and speckly)
and just attached them to the vest. The guys wore a version of
Mark's outfit - black cloak (not as ornate, and not reversible),
black shirts with burgundy belts, burgundy tights, and black
ankle-high moccasin boots.
-------------------------
From: ju...@netcom.com (June Petersen)
I suppose my dress was more like "fantasy Ren", two layers of beige
gauze skirt with lace, and a beige gauzy top with a lace-up center
(upon which were sewn pearls and brilliants). I've always been a
fiend for lace, so there was lots of it, including a 5 foot lace
"train" veil (carried by my "page"). We bought the basic dress stuff
(skirts, top) and embellished the hell out of it. It had detatchable
sleaves of lace, very big and trailing at the bottom. He wore
breeches and boots, a loose cotton shirt and a big cloak. Our
parents were also dressed in Renaissance mode, as were my Mom's
folks. A lot of the guests came in Ren or pseudo-Ren, which made it
a lot of fun!
=====================================================================
2.3: My wife is desperately in need of a source of patterns for
medieval/Renaissance wedding clothing for the bride, groom,
and all of the wedding party. Where can we get such patterns?
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
There are a number of different pattern companies that specialize in
historically-accurate period clothing. Four that I have heard of
(and there may be others) are Folkwear Patterns, Period Patterns (by
Medieval Miscellanea), Past Patterns and Fantasy Patterns.
-------------------------
From: ???????????
Folkwear Patterns is a large, popular company that makes patterns
inspired by folk costume, ethnic clothing, and historical fashions.
The patterns are historically accurate, and include
historical/ethnic/folkloric notes & ideas for embellishment. Many of
the ethnic clothing patterns work for Med/Ren styles, esp. peasant
clothes. The historical fashions are mostly 19th & 20th century.
Medieval Miscellanea is one of the few makers of specifically Med/Ren
clothing patterns. They have a lot of historical annotation, but can
be hard to follow. Past Patterns makes 19th & early 20th century
patterns, historically accurate, often with historical info on the
patterns.
-------------------------
From: sus...@metronet.com (Susan A. Ondrick)
I have Period Patterns No. 56, Late Tudor and Elizabethan Gowns.
Historical notes are included with the patterns.
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
Period Patterns, Fantasy Fashion Patterns and Folkwear Patterns are
also available through Chivalry Sports (see catalog list), although
their selection is very limited. Period Patterns are available
through MacKenzie-Smith.
-------------------------
From: live...@physiology.medsch.ucla.edu (Lori Iversen)
Both Folkwear and Medieval Miscellanea brands are available through
the Raiments catalog as well as Amazon Vinegar Pickling Works and
Drygoods Emporium [see catalog list], along with lots of other
pattern brands and costuming sundries. I would recommend getting
catalogs from both places instead of just asking for a particular
pattern brand; that will give you a much larger base to work from.
-------------------------
From: con...@aol.com (CONNECT)
Fantasy Fashion patterns are in the Raiments catalog.
-------------------------
>From amb...@magellan.cloudnet.com Tue Aug 22 17:12:41 1995
I have ordered Folkwear patterns and have been very pleased with
them. I have seen Folkwear patterns carried in specialty pattern
shops, but they carry a very limited selection.
-------------------------
From: jjo...@atlas.ontos.com (JJ)
Try Folkwear Patterns. They have various enthnic patterns as well as
historical ones. Not all fabric stores carry them. I'd recommend
sitting down with the yellow pages, looking up "Fabrics" and calling
every fabric store listed. Talk to the managers if you have to - if
they don't carry Folkwear they might know of places that do. I've
made several of the Folkwear patterns. Many of them are DIFFICULT
(and I'm a *very* experienced seamstress). Many of them are
constructed in ways that are close to the originals, which means odd
pieces and attachments. They also tend to have several sizes in the
same envelope. Proper body measurements are a must, and you need an
experienced seamstress to do it. By the way, some of the patterns
are absolutely gorgeous - so they're worth the effort. But not for
the fainthearted!
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
If historical accuracy matters, I *highly* recommend buying the
Raiments catalog of historical patterns. There are some very easy to
use patterns for men's & women's medieval and Renaissance garments,
plus they sell readymade corsets & hoops (for noblewomen's costumes).
If you aren't too concerned with history, look through the pattern
books at your local fabric store. The Halloween sections have many
simple Robin Hood style outfits, plus there are a few Christopher
Columbus patterns still out there. You can also modify modern
patterns by extending hemlines, adding fullness to sleeves, cutting
pants into breeches, and making vests lace up instead of button. The
books _Elizabethan Costuming_ and _After a Fashion_ both have great
tips on modifying modern patterns to create historical costumes.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
COSTUME REFERENCES
Winter, Janet and Carolyn Savoy. _Elizabethan Costuming for the
Years 1550-1580_ 1987. Other Times Productions, 386 Alcatraz Ave.,
Oakland, CA 94618. Available from the publisher and from Raiments
(see catalog list). Includes pattern diagrams, detailed
instructions, and lots of helpful drawings. Perfect for beginners.
Grimble, Frances. _After a Fashion: How to Reproduce, Restore, and
Wear Vintage Styles_ 1993. Lavolta Press, 20 Meadowbrook Dr., San
Francisco, CA 94132. Available from the publisher and from Raiments
(see catalog list). Very useful overview of historical styles,
including Medieval and Renaissance. Tons of wonderful sewing,
pattern modifying, and clothes re-modeling tips.
Holkeboer, Kathleen. _Patterns for Theatrical Costume_ Available in
bookstores and from Raiments. Scale-able grid diagrams of patterns
for historical costume from Ancient Egypt through 20th century (men
and women). The Medieval and Renaissance patterns are attractive and
give options for several different styles.
-------------------------
>From kith...@aol.com
I highly recommend picking up a copy of "Elizabethan Costuming". It
is by far the best practical book for Elizabethan costuming of all
classes. It includes info on dress, hair styles, and head coverings.
-------------------------
From: Victoria (address unknown)
The best place to get authentic patterns for the 16th Century is from
a book by Janet Arnold - ["Patterns of Fashion", published in 1985 by
Macmillan London Limited]. What she does is take REAL clothing from
the period, carefully studies it and makes actual patterns from the
original garments. In the book there are a series of pattern
drawings from her research. Of course, these are to scale, and you'd
have to get your own pattern paper (or butcher's paper) to redraw the
patterns - but it includes a number of mens and womens' and
children's outfits - plus it has photographs of the actual pieces -
including some close-ups of the insides...amazing detail information
that will make any costumer drool.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
The only way to get really period garb is to sew it yourself, of
course. If you're going for a very early period &/or for peasant
classes, the clothes are pretty easy to make & you could round up
everyone you know & have sewing parties. When doing period events
with non-costumer folk, it's always a good idea to make it as easy &
comfortable for them as possible. You might not want to stress
historical accuracy if you're dealing with people who rarely wear
anything but jeans and sneakers!
-------------------------
From: Anne Reynolds <a...@hpesapr.fc.hp.com>
The style of dress that I originally designed in my mind is called a
cotehardie and was *the* fashion for women in the 12th - 13th
centuries. The best examples of the style are in french books of
hours. Most of those books also show women in houppelandes which was
the second most popular fashion from the 12th - mid 14th century.
The houppelande is a much "bulkier", gathered dress that is also very
lovely. Of course, the main style of clothing for most of the middle
ages (popular from Roman times through the 12th century) is the
T-tunic. It is very simple to make but has millions of variations
and can be elaborately decorated. The T-tunic was worn by both men
and women and it cut like:
-------------------\ /-------------------- <- on the fold
| ----- |
| _________ _________ |
| / | | \ |
|/ | | \|
/ | | \
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
------------------------
You can decorate the sleeves, the hem, the collar, the front, etc.
It can be as long or as short as you please, the sides can flare out
instead of being cut straight down, and the side seams can be left
open below the hips for greater range of movement. Cotehardies and
houppelandes are very easy to make.
=====================================================================
2.4: My fiance has informed me that he hates tuxes and would
prefer to get married in a robe rather like the ones worn by
Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons. Anyone have a
clue where I would find such a beast?
From: Mistress Aidan Morgana Evans
I believe that the garment for which you search is called in period a
"loose gown". Patterns for several may be found in "Patterns of
Fashion, vol III" by Janet Arnold. The scaled patterns may look
complicated but this was the first garment which my lord husband
patterned and made for himself. Your lord will look splendid, but
don't skimp on the fabric.
=====================================================================
2.5: Does anyone know of good Web sites regarding medieval
clothing? My fiancee is looking for a medieval-type dress
to wear at our wedding. Any suggestions?
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
There are two websites that I know of which offer costuming
information.
1) http://www.netgate.net/~apocalypse/cayton/ contains directions for
converting standard commercial patterns into Renaissance peasant
clothing.
2) http://paul.spu.edu/~kst/bib/bib.html contains directions for
making a cotehardie.
Two other sources of information about period clothing is the
Historical Costuming FAQ posted regularly to the following
newsgroups: alt.sewing, rec.crafts.textiles.sewing,
rec.arts.theatre.stagecraft, rec.crafts.textiles.misc, rec.org.sca,
news.answers, alt.answers, and rec.answers, and the Historic Costume
Mailing List (see following message).
________________________
From: cl...@lunch.engr.sgi.com (Diane Barlow Close)
The Historic Costume Mailing List focuses on the re-creation of
period costume, from the Bronze age to the mid-20th Century. We
discuss accurate historical reproduction of clothing, historical
techniques for garment construction, and the application of those
techniques in modern clothing design. Other topics frequently
discussed include adapting historical clothing for the modern figure,
clothing evolution, theatrical costumes, patterns, materials, books,
and sources for supplies. We have over 600 members, of varying
levels of ability, education and interest. Members include
re-creationists and reenactors of all eras, historians, museum
personnel, students and professors of both theatre and history, and
other academics, authors, directors, dancers, professional costumers,
wearable artists, sewers interested in learning "lost" techniques,
and some who are simply "fans" of history. This is a list that
brings together many different types of people, all sharing
information and hanging out and having fun.
To join the list, send a message to:
majo...@lunch.engr.sgi.com
In that message, say one of the following as the body of the message:
subscribe h-costume
end
or
subscribe h-costume-digest
end
The first will put you on the list to receive approx. 5-20 messages
per day. The second will put you on the list to receive one digest
approximately every 1-5 days of the past week's mailings.
=====================================================================
2.6: Does anybody know of a catalog which offers readymade but
affordable period clothes? I can't possibly sew for everyone!
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uw.edu
There are a number of mailorder companies that carry readymade period
clothing. Some will even rent clothing. See the list of catalogs in
this faqsheet.
=====================================================================
2.7: I can't sew on a button. Where can I buy medieval clothing?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Look in regular clothing stores for things with a
Medieval/Renaissance flair -- this may be hard, but is probably the
least inexpensive option. Women look for: long velvet gowns with
fitted bodices, long sleeves, and full skirts; velvet or tapestry
vests (especially those that lace up the front), peasant blouses,
ruffled blouses, long skirts. Men look for: full pirate-style
shirts, velvet tunics, velvet or tapestry or leather vests, baggy
trousers, boots. For simple peasant outfits, go to thrift and
second-hand stores for gauzy peasant blouses, pirate shirts, long
cotton skirts, and leather boots and belts.
-------------------------
From: a...@fc.hp.com (Anne Reynolds)
For about the past eight years, I've KNOWN what I wanted my wedding
dress to be like. If you look in french books of hours, you see it
all over the place - it's sort of an A-line dress except much more
fitted in the chest/rib cage area, scoop neckline, fitted sleeves,
huge skirt and train. Then, while flipping through some bridal
magazines, I saw this one bridesmaid's dress, and I just kept coming
back to it. So finally I said to myself, "if you don't go try on
that dress, you'll never be happy with any other dress, not even your
dream dress." So I went to a store and tried it on - just that one
and no other. I just about cried at how pretty I FELT when I put it
on. Especially when the saleslady pulled out *the perfect veil* to
wear with it. It was THE DRESS after all. As an added plus, since
it was labelled as a bridesmaid's dress, it was cheap compared to
most wedding gowns. I paid about $400 for the dress and veil which
was less than I had planned to spend making my original dream dress.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Check out local costume rental shops -- this way bridal party members
& guests don't have to pay for whole outfits they'll never wear
again. Also, take a look through thrift shops for accessories like
belts, cups, jewelry, etc. BTW, a decent costume shop will be as
"approximately period" as any of the readymade supposedly period
clothes I've ever seen for sale!) Some stores will even sell you the
costumes, if you want to keep them or make alterations. One warning
-- do not expect to be able to do this in October. Costume shops are
swamped in October (for Halloween), so prices go up and selection
goes down.
-------------------------
>From Tina Schutte (spi...@one.net (Lee Spires)
I think I may have found a gown...There's a costume shop here that
supplies our local theater groups...They have something that,
although it's too big, they may be able to make me a copy in the
colors and fabrics I choose. Now I've got to pick fabrics, check
costs, and pray it can be done in the time I've got!!
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Ask everyone you know if they have anything in their closets. People
who do living history sometimes get tired of their costumes and sell
them. Place a small ad in the local costumer's guild, Renaissance
guild, and SCA newsletters. Ask around on rec.sca.org and
alt.renaissance.faires, too (these are also good places to search for
a costumer/seamstress).
-------------------------
>From lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
I contacted my local SCA chapter and arranged to have our wedding
outfits made by someone into costuming. We made sure they were done
period so that we could use them for later Faires and events. She
went to the fabric distrinct in downtown LA and found an elegant wool
imported from England at only $5 a yard. The total cost on our
outfits was $350.
-------------------------
>From aam...@is.nyu.edu (Aliesha A. Murray)
For the costumes, we're getting a costumer who's also involved with
local Renaissance festivals. Groomsmens outfits will be about $65 to
rent, bridesmaids about $100, groom about $100 (his costume is more
elaborate). The people we're working with are actually willing to
make the clothes to our specifications, then rent them to us. This
way they get to keep the clothes and rent them out to other people
later. You may be able to get a costumer to do this, too, especially
if they do weddings a lot. These people are also willing to make my
dress, and they said that if they can't do it then they know people
from the Ren Faire who can. If you have a Ren. Faire in your area I
definitely recommend going there, if only just to get some ideas. By
the way, we're sticking with tunics for the men and princess-seamed
dresses for the women. That way the men don't have to wear tights,
and princess dresses look good on almost any body type. We're going
with capes, too. They look really dramatic.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Check with local theatrical companies and college theater departments
to see if they've done any Shakespearean plays recently and want to
sell their costumes. This is a long shot, but it doesn't hurt to
ask. Also check to see if they have particular times when everything
in the wardrobe's up for sale (some places do this once a year as a
fund-raiser).
*********************************************************************
Medieval & Renaissance Wedding FAQ: Questions about Flowers
3.1: What flowers can I use in my bouquet to go along with the
medieval theme of my clothing?
From: cd...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Jennifer Gebhardt)
I decided long ago that I would make the bouquet, corsages, and
boutonnieres for my wedding on August 26. Our wedding has a Celtic
theme...and my bouquet will have white roses, wine roses, thistle,
and heather.
-------------------------
>From b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
I carried a bouquet of green ivy and white sweetpeas, carnations and
roses which I tied together with trailing white and green ribbons.
-------------------------
From: li...@balkis.cc.bellcore.com (339R0-romanov)
Each could carry a single long-stemmed red rose trimmed with ribbons.
-------------------------
From: plat...@glue.umd.edu (Amy E. Rottier)
I had a cascading hand bouquet with lots of ivy trailing and many
colorful flowers (I wanted garden-y type flowers, simple and homey).
The girls had large hand-tied bouquets of the same flowers. My
flower crown was BIG - but I'm a big girl, and they balanced me out.
The florist made a spray for the arch, too, and it was incredible.
Looked fantastic, and drew the ceremony place together (a single big
focus point just behind us, instead of distractions everywhere).
-------------------------
From: Betsy Miller <elizabet...@fmr.com>
Here's an alternative I'm toying with (shamelessly pilfered from
Martha Stewart): Each attendant carries a bouquet made from a single
flower, but using the same greenery & general shape of bouquet. The
picture I saw had one bouquet made with irises, one with white roses,
one with orange lilies, and one with a red flower (not roses, but I
can't think of what it was). It looked really pretty, especially
since all the bridesmaids had identical gowns.
-------------------------
From: boz...@aol.com (Bozwin)
My attendants are each carrying a cluster of tulips tied with ribbon.
Very reasonable price at that time of year (spring). Haven't decided
yet if each will carry a different color, but maybe. With 4, you
could do the colors like winter, spring, summer, fall.
-------------------------
From: hlbu...@ellis.uchicago.edu (Hillary Butterfly Burgess)
Three ideas I've seen and loved:
1) A small round bouquet with cascading ivy and ribbon (ivy is cheap
filler, but beautiful, ribbon you can get inexpensively at a
craft/fabric store).
2) Long stem flowers. Tie them together with green craft wire, wrap
about 4 inches of satin ribbon around the stems (toward the bottom)
and attach a bow to the ribbon. (I like satin bows) Add ribbons and
pearls to the hanging ribbons from the bow to make it more
fancy/formal.
3) Baskets: We *might* have the flower girls carrying small baskets
filled with petals and then have the BM carrying bigger baskets
filled with flowers and hanging ivy (our color is hunter green). The
baskets my mom has bought at yardsales and craft stores for between
25c and a buck. She will decorate them with satin material and
ribbon (total cost will be less than like $40 for 5 BM and 4 FG's)
Then, after spending no more than 5 bucks on each, we will give them
to our florist who can make a flower arrangement for the BMs. Cheap
he said since we are providing all of the extras *and* the baskets
make the arrangements look really big, even though there won't be a
lot of flowers. The florist suggested using the BM's arrangements as
table centerpieces with just a little added fluff. He can make the
rest of the centerpieces to match the BM's arrangements.
-------------------------
From: khe...@world.std.com (Katie Healey)
My fiance's name is ERIC, so my flowers were Edelweiss (a pain to
find in October!!!), Roses, Ivy, and Carnations. I know, it sounds
too cute for words, but I really liked it. For my bridesmaids, I did
a LOT of research. I had bouquets that were virtually the same,
except for one type of flower. I'd have to dig hard to find what
"special" flower went into each bouqet, but basically I found one
kind of flower that means "friendship forever" (my best friend's
bouquet); another kind of flower means "memories treasured" (for the
bridesmaid who had been a friend since before we could walk); "new
friendship" for my future SIL; etc. There are several good books on
flowers that tell about the meanings of different flowers. It's kind
of neat, once you get going. When I gave each bridesmaid her
bouquet, I included a little card that explained the meaning of their
special flower. We all cried baskets before we even left my house!
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
The language of the flowers is ancient and many of the symbols have
not changed. These examples come from Shakespeare:
Red rose and myrtle = I love you
Ivy with white and red flowers = marry me?
Forget-me-nots = my true love is yours
Pansies = you occupy my thoughts
Violets = I am faithful and loyal
Mint = great virtue
Sage = great respect
White and red roses = unity of purpose
Pink roses = ours must be a secret love
Marigolds = I am a jealous lover
Lavender = I distrust you
Basil = I hate you
>From b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
If you are interested in creating a bouquet of flowers with a special
meaning, the following website contains a list of flowers and their
meanings: http://acm.vt.edu/~lfowler/wed/flowers.html.
=====================================================================
3.2: Help! I am allergic to flowers and I cannot figure out how
to replace them in my wedding. I am having a medieval theme.
Are there any suggestions?
Diana Ewing <dew...@mail.fgi.net> wrote:
If your wedding is in the evening, why not a candle instead of
flowers. I can't think of anything more romantic.
-------------------------
From: jco...@bgnet.bgsu.edu (Jenette Lynn Cowie)
Are you allergic to dried flowers? Some dried flowers are very
beautiful, and go well with many themes. If this doesn't work, maybe
you could consider using several candles.
-------------------------
From: pra...@kruuna.Helsinki.FI (Kristiina Prauda)
If you cannot use any real flowers even in decorations, there is
always silk ivy. Ivy (and other greenery) has often been suggested in
these groups for medieval-style decorations, and silk ivy doesn't
look as fake as silk flowers sometimes do. It actually looks very
good in long garlands and thick branches around the room (and high on
the walls, if possible). There are so many possibilities for
medieval decorations that flowers are not at all necessary: candles,
candelabras, banners, shields, tapestries... And if flowers are not
completely forbidden, as long as they're not close to you, maybe you
could have an arrangement on the altar (if it is a church wedding).
As for you and your possible bridesmaids, you could carry candles.
Or maybe your bridesmaids could also be readers for the ceremony and
carry fancy scrolls with ribbons, with their texts written in the
scrolls?
=====================================================================
3.3: Can I wear flowers in my hair instead of a veil?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
A wreath of flowers is a very ancient bridal headpiece. You could
also wear her hair loose, which symbolizes virginity (married women
wore their hair up and mostly covered). You could have the
bridesmaids wear their hair braided or up, to emphasize the bride.
-------------------------
From: Michaele Kashgarian <kashg...@llnl.gov>
I'm planning to wear fresh flowers instead of a veil. Once I decide
on a dress, I'll try to figure out which flowers will go with it.
-------------------------
>From b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
Instead of a veil, I wore a wreath of fresh ivy.
*******************************************************************
Medieval & Renaissance Wedding FAQ: Questions about Music
4.1: My fiance and I love period music. Any ideas for how we could do
the music for our wedding? Also, what kinds of instruments are
considered period?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
A single harpist would work well or a lute/mandolin player. Other
period instruments include the flute, bagpipe, guitar, viol
(forerunner of the violin), many types of horns, spinet/virginal
(forerunners of the harpsichord), organs (much like modern church
organs), and a wide variety of drums.
-------------------------
From: plat...@glue.umd.edu (Amy E. Rottier)
We had a medieval-themed wedding, with Celtic undertones. For music,
we had an Uilleann piper (also called the Irish pipes). I don't know
what the music was called, but it was lovely. The piper was
fabulous, and the sound was like no other. Ethereal, yet woodsy and
homey. Definitely put us in the right frame of mind. Mark and I
both like Highland pipes (what everyone calls "bagpipes"), but I
wanted something "older", hence the Uilleann. And, I must tell you,
that the Uilleann is featured on most of the Celtic music pieces I
have at home.
-------------------------
From: amy...@aol.com (Amypamy)
We found some dancers to "do" our reception. It turned out they were
free; I made a donation to their favorite charity. But they were
incredible. They specialize in Irish dancing, but had a few medieval
Celtic dances in their repertoire. They organized the guests into
rows and squares and had them going for awhile. For music, I had
brought my stereo out, and we set it up with two extra speakers. It
was more than we needed. I bought CDs of medieval/Celtic music, and
just put on the scrambler (whatever it's called). The dancers
brought their own music, which they cued up themselves (and had no
problems).
-------------------------
From: cori...@uoguelph.ca (Robyn Whystle(mka T. Shawn Johnson)
The instrument that has changed the least since the middle ages is,
surprisingly, the TROMBONE. While it was called SACKBUT in earlier
times, it has changed only in tuning. A consort of trombones makes a
lovely early sound, and is great for processional-type music suitable
for weddings. If you want a truly regal sound, have trombones at
your wedding.
-------------------------
From: wat...@plains.nodak.edu (DLW)
The dinner started with a trumpet heralder inviting us in from the
entrance area of the building. Then there was a brass and string
group of musicians (I know, not really medieval, but it gave it an
air of such), and vocal groups which sang (without music) traditional
midwinter songs.
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
At a wedding I witnessed at the Minnesota Renaissance Faire, two
musicians dressed as monks played Handel's "Air", Pachelbel's
"Canon in D", Purcell's "Trumpet Tune". and Mouret's "Rondeau" on
guitar and trumpet.
-------------------------
>From :wei...@cfs.purdue.edu (Laura Beth Weiss)
Ken and I have hired a harp and violin duo from the local symphony to
play at our ceremony. I have heard these two before and the
combination is lovely.
-------------------------
From: mga...@ganson.com (Melanie Ganson)
We had a harp and flute; a combination I would have never thought to
put together, but it was very pretty.
-------------------------
From: Susan Carroll-Clark <scl...@epas.utoronto.ca>
At wedding I attended, the music was played on a modern synthesizer
but had a very medieval feel about it.
-------------------------
From: Amy E. Rottier <plat...@glue.umd.edu>
We're going to find a small band or strolling musician and an
enthusiastic dance instructor to conduct the "festivities" at our
medieval/renaissance theme wedding. We thought it would be so nice
to have someone show the guests a few steps of an Irish jig or a May
dance or something. Of course, I plan to have a stereo and music for
late night dancing by the roaring bonfire! I *will* dance at my
wedding!!)
-------------------------
From: Patricia D. Mooney
Background music was all CDs -- chants, madrigals, etc.
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
We ended up taping our favorite songs from our collection of celtic
CDs and piping it through the ballroom's sound system.
-------------------------
From: michelle...@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Miche)
The music was played on a small tape machine hidden out of sight.
When I asked where the music was coming from I was told it was 'shy
minstrels' hiding behind a curtain!
-------------------------
From: Kristiina Prauda <pra...@cc.helsinki.fi>
We had a group of students of old music to play medieval songs and
tunes before dinner (that really helped to set the mood!).
=====================================================================
4.2: Where can I find musicians who play medieval music?
From: chipz...@aol.com (ChipZempel)
If you're looking for early musicians (most of us can't afford to
advertise in the yellow pages - that would pretty much wipe out most
of the money we'd make!) here are a few ways to track some down: 1)
Call the American Recorder Society in Boulder CO and ask if they have
a local chapter in your area. Contact them and ask if they have a
group that performs. (Skill level can vary WIDELY!)
2) Call local music stores, ask if they have someone who teaches
recorder.
3) Call local universities, ask if they have an early music ensemble,
student or faculty.
4) Post to rec.music.early, or alt.fairs.renaissance, or
rec.music.celtic asking if anyone knows performers or groups in your
area. People often know people who know people.
-------------------------
From: lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
Through the staff at the Renaissance Faire where we held our wedding,
we hired a woman that played hammered dulcimer.
-------------------------
From: lone...@aol.com (Lone Vulf)
Try your local Renaissance Faire....if there are not musicians
preforming there, the entertainment staff can probably provide you
with the names and addresses of local musicians who have sent
addition tapes, desperately trying to get work.
-------------------------
From: sd...@mhv.net
Suggestions:
1) Peruse the local paper's arts calendar for dances, go to them and
ask the musicians
2) Check with the music department of local colleges
3) Flog the web, e.g.
http://celtic.stanford.edu//Internet_Sources.html
http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/jcb/morris-teams.html
3) If all else fails, contact CDSS (country Dance & Song Society in
NOrthampton, MA) in US, EDFS in UK and ask if they have any members
in your area.
-------------------------
From: tur...@reed.edu (Johanna Turner)
You might try seeing if there's a local English Country Dance or
Contra Dance community in your area. Check newspapers (ours has a
weekly listing of Contra and English country dances) and music
(instrument stores) that cater more to a traditional music crowd
rather than electric guitars and drums.
-------------------------
From: Dale Breault, Jr. (brea...@potsdam.edu)
Word of mouth is the best way to find a band or anything else for
that matter. (anyone who lives in a small town can relate). Ask
couples or parents who have recently had a wedding. Ask the catering
people. They go to a lot of weddings. Ask the reception hall or
restaurant people. They host a lot of weddings. Take an evening or
two and go to all of the local clubs and bars. You get a ready-made
audition this way. Call any local universities or colleges and ask
around.
-------------------------
From: Adina Sobo (ad...@jeeves.ucsd.edu)
Actually, the way I found the group for my wedding was by listening
to the music at the Mall. San Diego's Horton Plaza hires strolling
musicians to entertain shoppers, some other large malls do as well.
Some of them are not really good, others are, and there's a wide
range of styles (ethnic, elizabethan, country westers, a capella, and
so on). For that matter, you'd be amazed at how many strolling
troubadors at the Ren Faires have business cards.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
For authentic live music, ask around at a local Renaissance faire or
SCA event or on rec.sca.org or alt.fairs.renaissance. Try at a local
college's music department too. There also many tapes of Medieval
folk tunes, church music & chants, & even some new-age music used
Medieval style instruments. A single harpist would also work well,
but no pianos (they weren't invented yet).
-------------------------
From: "John A. Resotko" <Res...@ahdlms.cvm.msu.edu>
I'm a harper, and have several friends who play in Celtic bands on
traditional instruments or play and sing historical (period) music.
I plan to coerce many of them to play for the wedding and reception
(provided they let me play as well!) I will probably hire one of the
more traditional bands, then invite any of my other friends who play
to bring their instruments along.
=====================================================================
4.3: I am looking for good quality CDs for my Wedding. I need
suggestions for both Dancing and Ceremony music. It doesn't need
it to be for any specific peroid - but would like it to have a
medieval flavor. All suggestion are great appreciated.
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
There many recordings of Medieval folk tunes, church music, Gregorian
chants, and even some new-age music uses Medieval style instruments.
Look at a large, well-stocked record store in the folk music and
instrumental section. Sheet music for Medieval ballads and folk
songs is available too -- check at a large music store. If they
don't have it, ask them how to order it. College libraries sometimes
have large sheet and recorded music selections, which you can make
copies of.
-------------------------
From: sca...@aol.com (Grizel)
Do you have a national chain store called Best Buy near you? It's an
electronics, appliances and music store. Their selection of medieval
music (they call it ancient Music or ancient classical) is out of
this world. They have everything from 13th century Spanish dance
songs to monks to 17th century Italian lute love songs.
-------------------------
From: hami...@adi.COM
Here's some period recommendations:
For Ceremonial Music:
"The Pleasures of the Royal Courts". Early Music Consort of London.
Elektra/Nonesuch 9 71326-2
1. The Courtly Art of the Trouveres (1200s)
2. The Burgundian Court of Philip the Good (1400s)
3. The German Court of Emperor Maximilian I (1400s)
4. Italian Music of the Medici Court (late 1400s-early 1500s)
5. The Spanish Courts in the Early 16th Century (1500s)
"North Italian Music for Cornetts and Trombones 1580-1650". Concerto
Palatino Accent Records ACC8861D
"Carlo Gesualdo: Tenebrae". Hilliard Ensemble. ECM Records 1422/23
78118-21422-2.
"Giovanni Gabrieli: Canzonas, Sonatas, Motets". Taverner Consort,
Choir and Players. EMI Classics [late 1500s, early 1600s]
"Renaissance: The Music of Josquin Desprez". The King's Singers.
RCA 09026-61814-2 [1400s-1500s]
For Dance or Background Music:
"Fantasies, Ayres and Dances: Elizabethan and Jacobean Consort
Music". The Julian Bream Consort. RCA 7801-2-RC
"Tielman Susato: Dansereye 1551". New London Consort.
L'Oiseau-Lyre 436 131-2. [1500s]
"Dances from Terpsichore". New London Consort. L'Oiseau-Lyre 414
633-2. [Early 1600s]
"The Feast of Fools". New London Consort. L'Oiseau-Lyre 433-194-2
[1200s?]
"Songs and Dances of the Middle Ages". Sonus. Dorian Discovery
Records.
"1492: Music from the Age of Discovery". Waverly Consort. EMI
Classics.
"A Florentine Carnival: Festival Music for Lorenzo de Medici".
London Pro Musica. Pickwick International. PCD 825 [1400s]
--------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
For background (mostly instrumental) music with a medieval or Celtic
sound to it, try any or all of the following:
-Anything by Maggie Sansone and/or Sue Richards, i.e., 'Morning
Aire', "Mist & Stone', or 'Music in the Great Hall'. Their music is
described as instrumental music and Celtic tunes from Ireland and
Scotland. Sansone plays hammered dulcimer. Richards plays Celtic
harp.
-Anything by Robert Almblade and Carolyn Cruso, i.e., 'Ballincheol',
'The Fifth Element', or 'Tone Poems'. Mostly, they compose their own
music. They both play hammered dulcimer plus Almblade plays cittern
and Cruso also plays flute, panpipes, pennywhistles and other wind
instruments.
-Narada has produced some celtic music CDs. I have two of them:
'Celtic Odyssey' and 'Celtic Legacy', and both are very good.
-Try also 'Northern Lights' (harp & hammered dulcimer played by Steve
Coulter and Harris Moore), 'The Spiral Castle' (guitar, Celtic harp
and lute played by Linn Barnes and Allison Hampton), and "Carolan's
Cup' (hammered dulcimer played by Joemy Wilson).
In addition to the above, look for anything where the musicians play
hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp and/or lute. Also look for groups
that play the music of Turlough O'Carolan, a blind Irish harpist from
the late 1600's/early 1700's (died 1738).
--------------------------
From: WillowWin...@usa.pipeline.com(The Witches)
Here are the best sources I have yet found for Early, medieval, and
renaissance music books, recorded music, and instruments. I have
ordered many times from both and really like their service.
Boulder Early Music Shop
2010 14th St. Boulder, Co. 80302
(303) 499-1301
Fax (303) 449-3819
Lark In The Morning
PO Box 1176, Mendocino, Ca. 95460
(707) 964-5569
Fax (707) 964-1979
*****************************************************************
Medieval & Renaissance Wedding FAQ: Questions about the Reception
5.1: Can you give me some ideas of where, other than the usual
church hall, restaurant banquet or hotel ballroom, we might
be able to hold our medieval wedding reception?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Look for buildings in stone, half-timbered wood, brick, or very
rural. Find out about historic homes in your area, especially those
with a Tudor or English cottage or castle look. Outdoors settings
are perfect for a spring/summer Medieval wedding. If you have the
space, a big white tent would be nice & could be decked out with
banners & garlands.
-------------------------
From: Anonymous
I have done several renaissance weddings and am planning another for
my daughter. She will be getting married in a CASTLE! The ceremony
will be at night -- by candlelight -- and AFTER the reception instead
of before. We will party for a day, do the rehearsal, then end the
weekend with the candlelight wedding.
-------------------------
From: michelle...@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Miche)
A couple of years ago I attended a medieval-style wedding which was
held in a scout hall.
-------------------------
From: "John A. Resotko" <Res...@ahdlms.cvm.msu.edu>
Some possibilities we've considered:
1) Renting the Special Events pavilion at a Renaissance Faire and
holding the ceremony and reception there.
2) Finding a replica castle, keep, or gatehouse for the wedding and
catering the reception at a nearby hall. (I've been discovering that
there are many places scattered throughout the United States where
people have created their own little castles, keeps, and
medieval-looking buildings.)
3) Finding a particularly gothic church to have the ceremony in and
catering the reception at a nearby hall.
-------------------------
>From b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
Although we wound up having our reception in a ballroom at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel, we first considered having it on the wooded grounds of
a rural church. Had we done that, we were visualizing a ceremony
under the trees, followed by a pigroast, picnic and dancing in the
grass. Another place we considered was a 15th century chapel
transported from France and erected on the Marquette University
campus here in Milwaukee, but it was too small for our ceremony much
less our reception.
-------------------------
From: Leigh Ann (lasch...@aol.com (LASCHLORFF)
I used the Boston Wedding Directory which lists many area reception
sites. It lists in all price ranges and is sectioned by areas like
Boston, Greater Boston, Northshore, etc.
-------------------------
From: Gretchen (gw...@oeb.harvard.edu)
If you go to the Massachusetts State House Bookstore, they can sell
you a booklet called "Historic places for historic parties" for $4.00
(I think). I was amazed at what is available for party rental.
Everything from the Aquarium to historic homes. I used it to find my
site.
-------------------------
From: aam...@is.nyu.edu (Aliesha A. Murray)
We're having our wedding at the Medieval Times in New Jersey. They
have a jousting show with a huge meal (you eat with your hands), and
the price per head was actually cheaper than what I'd be able to get
for an equivalent amount of food (hors d'oeuvres buffet, sit down
dinner, fruit with the cake) in my area. The price they quoted us
was $68.50/person, and we're getting an hors d'oeuvres buffet before
the show, the standard Medieval times dinner and show, fruit, open
beer, wine and soda with a champagne toast. They're even making the
cake to look exactly like the Medieval Times castle! They also have
private rooms (and semi-private areas for small parties like ours),
and most of the decorations are already done for you. Since they do
weddings a lot, the party manager is really helpful, and they have
locations all over the country.
-------------------------
From: lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
I contacted the business offices of the RPFS and found that they had
an area in the back part of the Faire set aside for weddings. The
cost was $500 and the area was very pretty and included hay bales for
guests to sit on, table to serve the reception, and a flower-covered
arch under which we could have the wedding. If I recall, the rental
paid for 4 hours of use.
-------------------------
From: gas...@aol.com (Wendy Strader)
For those people who attend the RPFI faires, you know that Deidre in
PAD makes reservations for the wedding garden at both Northern and
Southern faires. This year RPFS had an herb garden as a backround
for the weddings there. Linda Underhill of LHC is a minister and she
also advises as to what would be appropriate for a "period" wedding.
Contact either one of these ladies for advice. Diedre can be reached
at RPFI and Linda can be contacted at 415-459-5123.
-------------------------
From: ja...@gti.net (JaZzY) (Gwen)
My fiance and I are planning our wedding for next August at the New
York Renaisannce Faire in Sterling Forest, NY. We can have it in a
field or on a stage. There is a queen's banquet in the afternoon
which allows for wedding guests at group rates. We will have the
reception there.
-------------------------
From: Gwalhafed <ajc...@cus.cam.ac.uk> (Andrew)
For those getting married in Europe, have the wedding in a Castle.
Many of the more intact castles in the UK hire out their banquet
halls for functions. Some of the very intact ones hold their own
banquets regularly. A couple of friends just had a high medieval
Arthurian wedding at Caerphilly castle in south Wales. It is worth
bearing in mind that you have to book a long way in advance and many
castles that are open to the public are only available in the
evenings (though you will usually be able to use the kitchens all
day). Last time I was involved in booking Caerphilly it cost 500
pounds to hire from 5.30 till midnight with use of the kitchens all
day. In the UK the best people to contact if you don't have a
particular castle in mind would be English heritage, Scottish
heritage or Cadw (welsh heritage). For those who cant use a real
castle you can do wonders with some candles, ivy a few shields and
some banners.
-------------------------
From: jth...@interserv.com (John)
My lady and I have reserved the Great Stone Castle in which to hold
our wedding next year. The GreatStone Castle resides in Sidney, Ohio
and was constructed in 1895. It is complete with turrents and a full
wrap around porch. Inside it is richly finished with all types of
exotic hardwoods from around the world. It is 4 stories of
approximately 8000 sq. ft. The entire upper level is reserved as the
ballroom. Unfortunately this is being renovated and will not be ready
for our occassion. Our wedding will be held in the front living area
on the first floor in front of a large fireplace. This will give my
lady (Peg) the opportunity to descend the grand staircase and make
quite an entrance. The castle sits atop a hill overlooking the
downtown area of Sidney. The grounds are very well kept with gardens
and shaded by many 100+ year old oak trees. There is a long winding
drive approaching from the rear of the castle, a great place for a
sendoff(?!!).
-------------------------
From: rg...@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Charatae)
My fiance are planning a Mediaeval/Celtic wedding ceremony to be done
in my parents front yard between two trees. As the "altar" we are
driving my fiance's 6 foot Claymore sword into the ground.
-------------------------
From: ojid.w...@xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)
When my protege got married, the wedding was outside in her sister's
backyard with pavilions set up to provide shade for the wedding
itself, the cooks, and for the guests to dine under. The main
pavilion was decorated with large baskets of flowers and an aisle was
created with flowered garlands on poles and large standing wooden
candle holders.
-------------------------
From: and...@kristina.az.com (L. Andrade)
The wedding ceremony and reception were held at the bride's parent's
home. This saved Dee considerable money and also allowed for plenty
of time to decorate the house and backyard. The house was simply
gorgeous (being only two years old, designed and built by her
parents). The backyard was spacious and had several dozen white rose
bushes and other potted plants that added splashes of color. There
was a swimming pool with a fountain placed in it for the wedding.
Fortunately nobody fell in but I was a bit worried during the
reception when people were dancing around.
-------------------------
From: Patricia D. Mooney
We were married in the manor-like HyeHolde Restaurant, amid
tapestries and wood beams and candles. Perfect for setting the tone.
-------------------------
From: byr...@serv.net (Renee Ann Byrd)
A 1993 wedding I attended had a bit of medieval flavor to it. The
Episcopalian wedding was held in a well-hidden replica of a 14th
century Scottish chapel.
-------------------------
From: ju...@netcom.com (June Petersen)
We ended up having the wedding at an historic adobe in Milpitas
(Higuera Adobe) outdoors. We rented tables and chairs, and had my
friend, a florist, put up and decorate an arch for the "altar".
=====================================================================
5.2: We need some ideas about how to decorate the reception hall.
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
You can use flowers and greenery as decorations, particularly in
garlands and swags. Dried flowers are also good. Candlelight and/or
firelight is a nice touch. Baskets decorated with greenery and dried
flowers are also good choices.
-------------------------
From: amy...@aol.com (Amypamy)
We had real ivy that I had cut from a friend's yard wrapped around
the tent poles everywhere. We had shields with our mutual coats of
arms painted on and hung above our seats. I bought burgundy and
forest green table runners for the head tables and ivory table cloths
with pansies in baskets as centerpieces. I can't wait for pictures!!!
-------------------------
From: and...@kristina.az.com (L. Andrade)
At my friend Dee's medieval wedding (which was held at her home),
there were tapestries hanging on the walls, black iron candle holders
placed throughout the front rooms and on the walls (she found some of
them at a garage sale for 50 cents each!), and medieval-style flags
hanging out in the backyard from the fenceposts. She also borrowed a
hand-made suit of armour from a member of the SCA. I highly suggest
this route if you want some medieval-ish decorations or clothing.
These people are very proud of their handcrafted work, and most won't
mind showing it off by sharing it with you. She didn't even remotely
know this man and he still freely offered the use of his armour and a
sword, shield, and crossbow as well.
-------------------------
From: b...@csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
I borrowed a suit of armor from a sister-in-law who borrowed it from
a friend-of-a-friend. No matter that the armor was really a keg in
disquise and that, if anyone had lifted the knight's codpiece, they
would have discovered a strategically-placed spigot! Anyways, that
suit of armor was the hit of the evening as well as the site of many
a posed picture! We also borrowed three banners from some friends
who purchased them at a Renaissance Faire, and we hung them over the
buffet table at the reception.
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
You could place the table for the wedding party in front of a wall
and hang your family crest/banners behind the chairs where you will
each sit. Or, if you mounted them on poles or on trumpets carried by
'heralds', they could lead you to wherever you are headed, such as
the altar, the banquet table, or your awaiting carriage. Very
regal-looking!
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Banners can be put together with fusible interfacing or glue
(although sewing looks nicer). All you need is cheap, colorful
fabrics, and maybe a few tassel or fringe trims. You can get designs
from any heraldry book in the library -- use a photocopier to enlarge
the designs. One book I recommend is "Design Your Own Coat of Arms:
An Introduction to Heraldry" by Chorzempa, Rosemary A. (1987, Dover
Publications, Inc.) Available at art supply stores and bookstores.
Lots of design elements, clearly drawn, perfect for creating
decorations that reflect your interests and heritage.
-------------------------
From: plat...@glue.umd.edu (Amy E. Rottier)
We had a friend draw our coat-of-arms on shields that my fiance cut
out of plywood and sanded just right (with beveled edge and
everything!). She is also making a hanging sign for the house (where
we're having the wedding) out of wood. We're going to sew up some
banners this weekend!
-------------------------
From: Lee Spires <spi...@one.net> (Tina Schutte)
We've decided to put hanging banners with my family crest along the
bride's side of the room and his family crest on his side as well as
on the groomsmen's surcoats. We'll also use our combined
crest/shield on a banner to introduce *our* new family. We may have
a couple of the ushers/groomsmen carry a banner on a post (one of his
& one of mine) during the processional and present them to our
fathers as a sign that we're giving them back their names/households
in order to begin one of our own.
-------------------------
From: ava...@aol.com
Create a corridor of swords to walk under. For an idea of what it
should look like, visualize the part of First Knight when Guinevere
arrives at Camelot and Arthur is there to meet her. Something like
that would be really neat.
-------------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
This is something we did in my Ren. faire guild *all* the time & it
looks really cool! It's easiest to do when most of your guests are
in period garb, because then the men are wearing swords. Remember to
have tall men using long swords, especially if the couple is tall!
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu
And, if you can't find enough swords, enlist the help of the
bridesmaids and let them raise brooms. You would still end up with a
corrider, one side made up of men with raised swords and one side of
women with raised brooms. Okay, so it sounds a bit sexist but people
WERE sexist during that time in history; it's probably no worse than
the symbolism behind the tossing of a bouquet or garter.
-------------------------
From: plat...@glue.umd.edu (Amy E. Rottier)
My MOH had made a styrofoam castle as a centerpiece for our shower.
We cut a slot in the top of it and used it as a card receptacle.
=====================================================================
5.3: Can you recommend any activities, besides dancing, for our
reception?
From: ojid.w...@xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)
The afternoon activities at a wedding I attended consisted of a
tournament for the bride's garter (the winner of the tourney won her
garter), a fencing tournament, archery, and a small court conducted
by the bride and groom before they left.
-------------------------
From: Patricia D. Mooney
Between courses at the meal, we invited guests to entertain with
stories, juggling, poetry, etc. -- our medieval cookbook had
mentioned entertainment between courses, we liked the idea. And it
sure beats the normal sobby wedding toasts (we couldn't completely
avoid them, though!).
-------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
To entertain people, we had jugglers and devil-stickers. You might
also consider 3 or 4 strolling minstrels, either playing together or
each playing to separate tables.
-------------------------
From: ??????????
We're thinking of including a maypole dance in the festivities. Our
thought was to use different coloured ribbons to represent each
family name and have them woven together to represent the bonding of
both families.
-------------------------
From: ch...@shred.ugcs.caltech.edu (Tien-Yee Chiu)
I, er, do hope that you are, um...*aware* of what a Maypole
symbolizes and that it's probably a powerful fertility blessing. The
Maypole is essentially a large ritual phallus--check virtually any
book on old English customs. There's speculation that the
ribbon-weaving dance was originally a form of elaborate foreplay,
with the men and women getting much, much *much* closer to each other
as the ribbons were woven...Since May Day is/was the pagan holiday
sacred to sexual desire, this doesn't seem all that unlikely. (The
female correspondent to the Maypole was the May basket (womb),
carried by women and filled with flowers that day. The May basket
seems to have fallen out of favor, though...leaving just the
Maypole.) That being said, it sounds like a marvelous "uniting"
ceremony. You just might want to be aware of the sexual
overtones--if any of your guests are aware of pagan tradition, they
may have a hard time avoiding ROTFL!
-------------------------
From: amy...@aol.com (Amypamy)
We painted a natural gas tank that was in the [reception] area green
and put a dragon head and tail on it. We asked folks to name the
dragon. We read all the names, picked the ones we liked best, then
had a "clapping of hands" response to the names. The winner won two
tickets to the Renaissance Festival!
-------------------------
From: BlkKn...@aol.com
My brother and I engaged in a sword fight (covering our sibling
rivalry through the years). Alas, an excess of mead was taken on
both parts and his hand was broken, which I feared would place a
damper on the festivities but lo' he was of good humor that day and I
escaped intact with my beautious bride!
**********************************************************************
Medieval and Renaissance Wedding Faq: Questions about Food
6.1: What kinds of foods did people serve at wedding feasts
during the Middle Ages?
From: pma...@svl.trw.com (Phyllis Magill)
Mutton (lamb), roast peacock served with the tail feathers on,
braised lettuces, quail, venison, boar, eels, breads, and cheese.
--------------------
From: BlkKn...@aol.com
Spices were used quite commonly to hide the ill flavour of meats
and the like which were on the bad side due to inadequate
refrigeration. (they didn't throw out slightly spoiled food as
we do today). Cinnamon, cloves, mace, saffron,and especially
pepper were savored. Ginger, anise, nutmeg are also mentioned in
my research along with many common (and not so common ) herbs
such as Parsley, basil, galingale, rosemary (mentioned in
Shakespears' "Hamlet") and thyme. Vegetables were also of common
consumption as part of the menu, though the medieval feast did
not follow our appetizer-entree-dessert pattern. For example,
for a time the sallat was served nearly last but, according to
legend, a certian royal served sallat to his guests first so to
fill their stomachs and save more of the venison for himself.
-------------------------
From: Amy Michaels <a...@u.washington.edu>
In the 15th century, fowl was popular at feasts--and the goal
was to try to get the bird to look as life-like as possible.
The cooks would put all the feathers *back on* the bird, along
with its head and such. The ability to make the bird ultimately
look alive was considered culinary genius.
----------------------
From: Karin Oughton <ka...@mythril.demon.co.uk>
Here's some info on 16th Cy (Tudor) Britain which is very
similar to medieval (courtesy English Heritage). Foodstuffs for
the upper classes were generally roast and boiled meat, poultry,
fish, pottages, frumenty, and bread. To a lesser extent they
also ate fruit and vegetables, but many believed in the advice
given the BOKE OF KERVYNGE c.1500, "Beware of green sallettes &
rawe fruytes for they wyll make your soverayne seke." The
greatest change over this period was the increasing popularity
of sugar, so there were a lot of sweetmeat and sweet seasonings
amongst the aristocracy (and very few teeth). Tableware
changed, too: they no longer used bread trenchers much but now
had wooden boards with a central hollow for the meat and gravy
and a small side hollow for the salt. Glass is more widespead
and pottery cups known as Cistercian Ware appears to have been
popular. A prehunt breakfast served to QEI had : cold roast
veal, capon, beef, goose, mutton, pigeon pies, savoury tongue
pie, sausages and savoury snacks.
--------------------
From: Amy Michaels <a...@u.washington.edu>
Here is an actual banquet menu for a medieval feast. It comes
from a book called "Two fifteenth-century cookery books" and is
edited by Thomas Austin. The introduction given by the author
is interesting: "Medieval feasts were traditionally served in
three courses. Each course included a soup, followed by a wide
range of baked, roasted, and boiled dishes, and finally an
elaborate 'sotelty', a lifelike (often edible) scene sculpted in
colored marzipan or dough...The bounty of medieval feasts is
legendary. One early historian noted that in 1398, King Richard
II [presided over a feast]. A variety of choice morsels was set
out to satisfy a trenchman's every whim . . . gilded peacock
and festooned boar's head were highlights of the menu."
Oystres en Grauey--oysters steamed in almond milk (15th c.)
Brede--bread flavored with ale (15th c.)
Chawettys--tarts filled with spicy pork, or veal and dates (15th
c.)
Pigge Ffarced--stuffed roast suckling pig (15th c.)
Goos in Sawse Madame--goose in a sauce of grapes and garlic
(14th c.)
Caboches in Potage--stewed Cabbage flavored with cinnamon and
cloves (14th)
Crustade Lombarde--fruited custard in a pie (15th c.)
Hippocras--spicy mulled wine (14th c.)
---------------------
From: Judy Gerjuoy <jae...@access.digex.net>
Here is a late 14th century wedding menu.
WEDDING BANQUET, MILAN, 1488
>From the Marriage of Marquis Gian Giacomo Trivulzio with
Beatrice d'Avalos d'Aragona.
1. Rosewater-scented water for the hands
Pastries with pine nuts and sugar
Other cakes made with almonds and sugar; similar to marzipan
2. Asparagus (to the amazement of the guests, since it was
enormous and out of season)
3. Tiny sausages and meatballs
4. Roast grey partridge and sauce
5. Whole calves' heads, gilded and silvered
6. Capons and pigeons, accompanied by sausages, hams and wild
boar, plus delicate 'potages'
7. Whole roast sheep, with a sour cherry sauce
8. A great variety of roast birds - turtledoves, partridges,
pheasants, quail, figpeckers - accompanied by olives as a
condiment
9. Chicken with sugar and rosewater
10. Whole roast suckling pig, with an accompanying 'brouet'
11. Roast peacock, with various accompaniments
12. A mixture of eggs, milk, sage, flour and sugar (salviata?)
13. Quinces cooked with sugar, cinnamon, pine nuts, and
artichokes
14. Various preserves, made with sugar and honey
15. Ten different 'torte', and an abundance of candied spice.
This is taken from THE ORIGINAL MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE by
Barbara Santich, Prospect Books, 1995. ISBN 0907325 59 9, page
37.
------------------------
From: Amy Michaels <a...@u.washington.edu>
There are some foods you should do and some you should avoid
(because they were "discovered" in the New World and European
medievals didn't have them):
To consider: To avoid:
Pigeon/squab Squash, incl. pumpkins
Fennel Potatoes
Leeks, shallots Tomatoes
Apples, Plums Chocolate
Parsnips, turnips Yams, sweet potatoes
Pheasant
Breads and pastries
Eggs, custards
------------------------
From: BlkKn...@aol.com
Chocolate was not available BUT carob was.
------------------------
From: dwil...@aol.com (DWilhelmy)
as far as authenticity goes, i would add corn to the list of
foods to avoid.
------------------------
From: BlkKn...@aol.com
If I may provide these nine "courses" provided at gatherings of
merit. (Note that weddings were second only to coronations in
this type of celebrations)
1. appetizer or appetizing aphrodisiac
2. soup, sauce or spiced wine
3. bread or cake
4. Meat
5. Fish
6. fowl(although there were no turkeys in Europe then, Swan was
eaten and are suprisingly similar)
7. vegetable
8. fruit or flower dessert (flowers were eaten it seems often)
9. spectacle, sculpture or illusion food
===============================================================
6.2: Pigeon pies, eels, boar's head, frumenty and roast peacock
with the feathers put back on! Acckkk! Let me rephrase
that question. What kinds of foods could I serve that would
have the "feel" of a medieval banquet but would be edible by
my modernday guests?
From: Amy Michaels <a...@u.washington.edu>
I am a medievalist and was at a conference in England last year
where the organizers tried to "recreate" a medieval meal. The
first course was leeks in pastry. The second course was
fruit-stuffed cornish game hen. For dessert we had prunes
stewed in wine (there wasn't any real sweetener except honey in
the Middle Ages).
--------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
A Medieval feast usually revolved around a very fancy roast
(chicken, beef, venison, etc.). Some modern British foods are
just variations on Medieval and Renaissance dishes. For
example, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and Cornish pasties
(little meat and/or veggie pies) come from the Medieval love of
combining meat and pastry.
---------------------
From: Joyce Miller <jmi...@genome.wi.mit.edu>
Some friends of mine had a pig roast, and it was a full-sized
pig, too. We contacted a local butcher who sold us the pig and
also rented us the electric spit. We had to start it at 3:00
a.m., but other than that, it was relatively painless. We did
find, however, that we had to carve off the outer meat as it
finished cooking, and place it an an oven to keep warm, since we
wanted to serve everyone at once. If people will just be
feeding randomly during the day, just serve the meat as it
finishes cooking.
---------------------
From: Marie <wat...@scs.unr.edu>
At the Excalibur Hotel Casino in Las Vegas (where they have the
knights fight while you have dinner), they serve barbecued
chicken.
----------------------
From: der...@ix.netcom.com (Derly N. Ramirez II )
At my sister's wedding we served crusty bread and cheese, barley
broth, baked acorn squash, brisket, roasted cornish hen, baked
apples and fruit tarts. Served in three courses it made a
lovely meal.
----------------------
From: lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
We had a buffet for the reception which I put together. I
gathered coupons for deli sliced lunch meats, bought them on
sale, froze them ahead..then spent the night before the wedding
rolling them up in cute rows. We also had various cheeses,
chilled grapes and strawberries, fresh rolls of various kinds
from a bakery, olives, pickles, crackers, wine, apple juice and
several other things that I no longer recall.
----------------------
From: kyr...@icecastle.com
For a dessert, you can glaze fruit like strawberries and grapes
with sugar.
----------------------
From: John Robicheau <Robi...@DrugInfoNet.Pharm-Epid.Pitt.Edu>
How about greasy joints of beef, no silverware, and dogs to wipe
your hands on.
----------------------
From: ksm...@ils.nwu.edu (Karen T. Smith)
Here is the menu from "Medieval Times" in the Chicago suburbs.
I went about two years ago and, while they aren't necessarily
keeping to exactly what was available in the Middle Ages, they
did try to keep things authentic looking. Everything was on
pewter plates or in pewter bowls. There were no eating
utensils. When you first sat down you had a plate with veggies
(carrots and celery and maybe cucumber) with some dip--which
tasted like Thousand Island salad dressing to me. After that
they delivered some soup in a bowl with a handle so you could
drink the soup. It had barley in it and was either a vegetable
or beef stock based soup. Nothing too chunky in it as you had
to drink the soup. For the main course we were served a few
ribs and a half chicken. As a rule I don't eat meat off the
bone, so I didn't eat any of this so I don't know what kind of
marinade was used or anything--but the people I was with kind of
enjoyed getting their hands and chins all greasy. They handed
out those little packaged towelettes at the end (definitely a
modern-day addition to any feast where you have to use your
hands!) They also served half of a roasted potato with
seasoning on it and a pastry for dessert.
-----------------------
From: hami...@adi.com
Forks are ok in various times and places. Italy in the
Renaissance, and Elizabethan England (although they were
something of a curiosity) come to mind.
-----------------------
From: Karin Oughton <ka...@mythril.demon.co.uk>
We usually find, when we make a "Mock - Medieval" feast, that
the best menu runs something like this: Pottage/soup with fresh
bread, cheese tart, various roasts (but including venison,
pheasant and beef) with lots of different sauces like rowan
jelly, raisin & apple & honey, mint, etc., pears in wine, and
perhaps something like jellied milk cubes (similar to turkish
delight).
-------------------
From: wat...@plains.nodak.edu (DLW)
When I was a college undergrad, we had a traditional mid-winter
"Feast of the Lion" for college leaders. The motif was always a
"Robinhood" atmosphere. There was a waissail served and a toss
drank (the brandy snifters which held the wassail were the party
favors). Food was roasted chicken, yams/sweet potatoes, green
beans, and a bread pudding. All except for the yams [and green
beans], all of these items would have been available in medieval
times. There was cake and coffee at the end but, by that time,
everyone had been swept enough into the atmosphere that this
modern idea didn't spoil it. You might try other fingerfoods as
well as fruit. The only standing joke was that if it were a
real medieval feast, we would eat with only a knife and no forks.
----------------
From: Gwalhafed <ajc...@cus.cam.ac.uk>
I am a member of the Cardiff arthurian socirty. Some of the
foods which we use in our banquets are: Emberday tart,
Elderflower cheese pies, Brie tart, gingerbread (with or wihout
apple sauce), chicken legs in honey and spices. None of these
are particularly difficult to make, and I think recipies for all
of them are in the miscilliany. Most can also be made in advance
if required and are good hot or cold. You could also try a
soteltie (there are several different spellings). This was a
dish brought in between courses to show the chef's skill and the
host's wealth and good taste. Sotelties varied tremendously.
Some of the ones we have had at our banquets have included a
papier mache dragon filled with sweets, a sword in a cake shaped
like a stone/anvil, a pig's head stuffed with pate, and a
marzipan fish. At the reception table, you could put the
recipes next to the food.
----------------------
From: asp...@slip.net (Elizabeth Pruyn)
I also suggest Brie tart. It's authentic but quiche-like, so
modern guests should like it. Here are two variations for the
tart. The first closely follows the original recipe with
delicious results. The second calls for cream and is
considerably richer. Both are prepared according to the same
instructions.
FIRST VARIATION SECOND VARIATION
SERVES 8-10 SERVES 10-12
8-inch uncooked pie pastry 8-inch uncooked pie pastry
1 lb young Brie cheese l/2 lb young Brie cheese
6 egg yolks, beaten 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 t saffron 3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 t light brown sugar 1/8-1/4 t powdered ginger
3/8 t powdered ginger 1/8 t saffron
salt 1/2 t brown sugar
salt
1. Bake pie pastry at 425 degrees for 10 minutes Let cool.
2. Remove rind from Brie. Optional: cut rind into pieces about
an inch square and sprinkle evenly on pie crust. This will give
the tart a stronger cheese flavor.
3 Combine Brie with remaining ingredients in a blender or with
an egg beater. Add salt to taste: the amount will depend on the
age of the Brie and whether or not you use the rind. Mixture
should be smooth.
4. Pour liquid into pastry shell.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until set and
brown on top.
This recipe is from "To The King's Taste" by Lorna J. Sass
------------------
From: Patricia D. Mooney
We offered venison as an entree (eating utensils required!).
Although we offered a medieval cookbook to the restaurant, they
preferred not to use it. The type of venison was antelope,
which probably defies tradition. But it was very good. And we
topped it all off with mead, of course.
--------------------
From: Berwyn [brga...@aol.com] (BRgarwood)
We just had an event where we served sixty. The opening course
had homemade bread, with honey butter and a relish tray of
cheeses and dried fruits. This was followed by an onion and
almond creme soup. The next course was chicken breasts in a
wonderful sauce with raisins or currants, and lemonwhite, which
is rice cooked with lemon rind and raisins. The high point came
with the next course, when a subtlety was presented to the head
table. It was a dragon, with body and limbs made of bread, and
a papier mache' head with a flaming candle in its mouth. The
body (a round loaf maybe 18" <46 cm> in diameter) was then
opened and seen to be filled with beef stew. Dessert consisted
of cookies and cake served during the dance. The cake was a
three layer job decorated like a tower. Cookies were in the
shape of mushrooms made of merengues cemented with chocolate.
Now here comes the good part. All the cooking except for the
rice was done at the cook's home the day before, and only needed
re-heating at the site. And the better part, we were able to
serve this feast for only $5.00 a head. Its amazing what can be
done on a tight budget and a little imagination.
================================================================
6.3: How about drinks? What kinds of beverages did people drink
during the Middle Ages?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
The basic drinks until the 17th century were water, beer, ale,
wine, mead, milk, and rarely fruit juices (most were fermented).
Tea and coffee did not exist in the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, and neither did sparkling wines, but you may want
to ignore this in favor of modern toasting traditions! Sweet
and fruity wine punches would be appropriate but avoid
carbonation if you want to keep to the theme.
---------------------
From: Judy Gerjuoy <jae...@access.digex.net>
Perry and cider. Perry is cider made from pears instead of
apples. Coffee did exist in the middle ages - was VERY common
in the arab countries.
-------------------
From: ir...@cbnews.cb.att.com (irina.bondarenko)
For drink -- go with mead. I don't know if liquor stores carry
it, but I was recently in Bloomington, IN and visited a winery
that made mead, so there might be a winery that makes it in your
area.
-------------------
From: jo...@brecknet.com (John Keimel)
There will be no champagne toast at my wedding. Instead, we will
be serving mead as the toasting beverage. Incidentally, this
stems to the tradition of the middle ages and the origin of the
word "honeymoon". It was believed that if the newly married
couple were to drink mead each evening for the duration of one
moon following the wedding, they were assured a male heir within
one year. And, if that did occur, lavish gifts and accolades
were bestowed upon the meadmaker (artisans that were highly
revered at the time). In other words, the couple drank mead
(honey wine) for one month (moon) ... thus the word honeymoon.
The mead was drunk from a Mazer (sp) cup which was passed down
throughout the generations. The cup was usually an ornate
chalice, but for some it was rather simple.
-------------------
From: ojid.w...@xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)
At my protogee's wedding, the reception was "catered" by our
best SCA cooks and consisted of SCA-type fare: salads, fresh
fruit, chicken, etc. (I'll get the menu if you really want it).
-------------------
From: b...@embezzle.Stanford.EDU (Rebecca Agin)
Bargetto Winery in Soquel California sells Chaucer's Mead
(that's just what they call it, just their label name for their
honey and fruit wines). The mead is very good, and they will
ship it. They also make wine from apricots, raspberries, and
ollalieberries (sp?).
=============================================================
6.4: It's expected in our family to have a wedding cake. Any
ideas of how we could incorporate a wedding cake into the
menu and still keep the medieval ambience?
From: Karin Oughton <ka...@mythril.demon.co.uk>
At our mock medieval feasts, our "soteltie" (the main display
piece) is often a wonderfully decorated cake.
-------------------
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
Sweets have always been popular, even in medieval times, so a
wedding cake won't be out of place. You could decorate it with
greenery and flowers or have heraldic symbols painted on in
colored icing. Several very fancy cakes in a recent bridal
magazine were shaped like fairytale castles, which would fit
right in here!
--------------------------
From: BlkKn...@aol.com
A wedding cake can be viewed as sculpture (ours was a castle,
complete with a functioning front gate).
---------------------
From: ojid.w...@xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)
At my protogee's wedding, the wedding cake was a castle with a
marzipan bride and groom at the gate.
------------------------
From: and...@kristina.az.com (L. Andrade)
My friend Dee had a wedding cake that looked like a castle. She
started by calling bakeries in her hometown but nobody could do
it for her. She finally found someone in another town who was
willing to travel to Dee's town to build the cake for her at the
house. The cake was BEAUTIFUL (and HUGE!).
--------------------
From: m...@mind.org (Merri Dodd)
I wanted a castle cake, but have settled for 4 heart shaped
tiers with a castle in a globe with confetti when you shake it
music box (3 dragons on the "wall" around the castle outside the
globe) from the SanFrancisco Music Box Company.
--------------------
From: lpy...@herbie.unl.edu (Lisa Pytlik Zilling)
Since I don't eat sugar and my new husband does not like sugar
much, we had our "cake" made out of bread. Each round loaf was
cut horizontally and spread with a layer of different types of
cheese (mostly cream cheese concoctions) and then the loaves
were fit onto tiered trays and garnished with fruits and
vegetables--I was amazed at how beautiful it turned out. Oh,
but we did also serve some sheet cakes along with the bread
cake, for our guests who do like sugar.
----------------------
From: Becky (be...@sunfish.cc.usm.edu)
Quoting from the Aug/Sept issue of Modern Bride:
"In medieval England, guests brought small cakes and
piled them on the center of a table. The bride and
groom then attempted to kiss over them. A baker from
France conceived the idea of icing all the small cakes
together in one large cake."
---------------------
From: BlkKn...@aol.com
This was the for-runner of our modern tradition of the wedding
cake and smashing it into each others face (a quite repulsive
habit, not at all befitting such a grand occasion) came from the
tradition of the bride and groom eating off a common plate and
feeding each other, possibly symbolising the joining of the two
as one through marriage.
------------------------
From: michelle...@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Miche)
At a medieval style wedding I attended a few years ago, the
wedding 'cake' was a huge pile of almond biscuits, made by the
bride (with help from me) the night before.
------------------------
From: Patricia D. Mooney
The hardest part was our cake. We searched high and low for
ideas. We were told that cakes weren't authentic -- instead,
medieval guests brought tiny desserts, cookies, etc. and piled
them together -- the forerunner of the wedding cake. We said
the heck with it and went with a regular old cake.
-----------------------
From: imka...@ottawa.net (karl steffens)
Why don't you try a triffle? You don't really need to bake for
it, or if you happen to have a poundcake-mishap (as in too hard)
around, that'll do nicely. Depending on the amount of
participants in your group choose a large bowl (clear glass
looks really nice). Layer slices of poundcake, canned fruit
without much juice,whipped cream (maybe the storebought freezer
variety), vanilla pudding incl. a splash of f.ex. rum on every
layer of cake. See, that you have several layers each. Let it
soak for a while, so the various flavours mix. Trust me, it is
delicious! You are free to choose as ingredients, what you like
and the booze just makes it taste well together.
===============================================================
6.5: We have our menu all worked out but need some ideas about
how to decorate the banquet hall and serve the food and
drink in keeping with the medieval theme. Any suggestions?
From: fis...@hooked.net (Trystan L. Bass)
If you can find or rent them, get brass, silver, pewter, or
wooden servingware. Pewter goblets are a great touch -- get a
pair for yourselves so you can toast each other in style!
Fellowship Foundry (who goes to all the California Ren. faires)
has several fanciful wedding goblet sets -- Arthur and
Guinevere, Romeo and Juliet, two dragons whose tails form a
heart shape, etc. You can call Fellowship Foundry at (510)
261-3292, or write to Fellowship Foundry, 2550 East 12th St.,
Oakland, CA 94601.
-----------------
From: Amy Michaels <a...@u.washington.edu>
You could be very authentic by having only one drinking glass.
At medieval feasts, a single wine cup would be passed from guest
to guest, and the lip of the cup would be wiped after each
person drank. Rather unsanitary for the guests, but this could
be a nice "medieval" gesture for the wedding couple.
-----------------
From: Kristiina Prauda <pra...@cc.helsinki.fi>
We arranged the family tables in a wide U, with us in the middle.
----------------
From: ju...@netcom.com (June Petersen)
The head table (me, he and attendents) had my "page" to serve us
(the page was a sweet kid I'd babysat for years, kinda like a
little brother to me, an only child). The page felt it his
sworn duty to drain the bottles to the last drop, so we had a
slightly inebriated 12 year old by the end of the day.
----------------
From: hop...@hopkins.rtp.dg.com (Edward Hopkins)
I suggest that you look for a book showing the paintings of
Pieter Brueghel (also known as Pieter Breugel), a Dutch painter
of the 15th Century. He did at least one delightful painting of
a wedding feast.
-----------------------
From: Gwalhafed <ajc...@cus.cam.ac.uk>
If you have access to medieval-appearing objects (metal goblets,
drinking horns, bits of armour, shields, banners, large candles)
along with flowers and ivy, they make good table decorations.
Another idea is to make crepe paper tablecloths with simple
heraldic motifs (stick to prime colours). This usually works
nicely in the low light of a banquet hall.
-----------------------
From: mad...@olympus.net
My daughter reads a wonderful series of books by a fellow named
Brian Jaque (sp?) called Mossflower or Redwall---she describes
amazing feasts that sound very medieval in nature (tho' they may
not be historically accurate). It would be a fun way to get
yourself in the mood.
------------------------
From: wat...@plains.nodak.edu (DLW)
At our "Feast of the Lion" banquet, they created the medieval
mid-winter atmosphere by using burgundy bunting (a 'bunting' is
a swag of cloth used like a tent but with no sides--the kind you
see at jousts or feasts--where the king and queen sit but you
could use it for the bride and groom). We ate by candlelight as
well as table greenery with yule logs (made by having birch logs
with 4 to 6 candles in them surrounded with evergreens). The
dinner started with a trumpet heralder inviting us in from the
entrance area of the building, and there was an appointed
toastmaster dressed as a king including crown.
------------------------
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
In keeping with our medieval theme, my husband and I cut our
wedding cake using swords. We choreographed a little act where
I picked up a puny little cakeknife, looked at it with disgust,
laid it back on the table, reached over and drew out my
husband's long sword, handed it to him, pulled out my curved
short sword, nodded 'yes', and then we proceeded to cut the cake
using both of our swords. Cameras were flashing from all over
the room while the guests laughed and clapped. It was hilarious!
---------------------
From: ju...@netcom.com (June Petersen)
Our wedding glasses were a glass flute atop a stem of a man (for
me) and a woman (for him) nude, holding the glass up, festooned
top and bottom with bunches of grapes and leaves. really
gorgeous!
---------------------
From: lady...@cyberverse.com (Lanfear)
Our wedding goblets were of a pewter couple, clasping hands..the
tops were glass (very cool goblet set...you can get it from
Fellowship Foundry..they sell several styles of wedding goblet
sets).
=============================================================
6.6: Can you recommend any books or websites where I can get
recipes for some of the medieval dishes (and maybe others)
mentioned above?
From: b...@alpha1.csd.uwm.edu (Barbara Jean Kuehl)
An excellent place to begin your websearch for recipes and feast
ideas is with Cariadoc's Miscellany, housed at:
http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~gl8f/cariadoc/miscellany.html.
Carioadoc's Miscellany is also reachable through the Middle
Ages website for SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism):
http://www.ecxt.csuchico.edu/~rodmur/sca.
Another good website with medieval recipes can be reached at:
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/who/Amy.Gale/recipes.
Amy Gale's historic recipes can also be reached through:
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/alibi.html#strange.
Select the category "Ethnic Recipes". Under the listing
"Historical Recipes of Different Cultures", you will find two
recipe collections: 1) Medieval and Anglo-Saxon Recipes and 2)
Medieval European Recipes.
Two extensive bibliographies of medieval cookbooks, one by
Jaelle of Armida (Judy Gerjuoy) and the other by Kirsti Thomas,
can be found at: http://paul.spu.edu/~kst/bib/bib.html.]
******************************************************************
Medieval and Renaissance Wedding Faq: List of Movies
7.1: How about including in the medieval/renaissance wedding faq a
list of well-costumed, atmospheric movies that people could rent
to see what a particular period might be like? A picture is
worth a thousand words, and a moving picture is worth about ten
thousand!
Done. Following is a list of movies, separated into the following
time periods: Early Medieval (500 to @1050 AD), Middle Ages (1050 to
@1450 AD), and Renaissance (1450 to 1600 AD). An exclamation point
(!) indicates that the movie contains a wedding scene.
=====================================================================
BORDERLINE ANCIENT/MEDIEVAL (mid- to late-400's)
Sign of the Pagan (about Atilla, ruler of the Huns @433-453)
SET DURING THE EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIOD (500 to @1050 AD)
The Knights of the Round Table
Sword of Lancelot
!First Knight
!Excalibur
!Camelot
Prince Valiant
Sword of the Valiant
!The Sword in the Stone (Disney animation)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (932 AD)
The Green Knight
Prince of Jutland
Merlin and the Sword
Merlin of the Crystal Cave
Flight of the Dragons (animated)
The Sword and the Sorcerer (Disney)
Dragonslayer
Tristan et Iseuldt
The Vikings
The Littlest Viking
The Longships
Eric the Viking
The Norseman
The Black Shield of Falworth
The Black Arrow
Alfred the Great (late 800s England)
Alexander Nevesky (Russian w/English subtitles)
SET DURING THE MIDDLE AGES (1050 to 1450 AD)
MacBeth (set mid-1000s Scotland)
Hearts and Armor (mid-1000s Spain)
El Cid (mid-1000s Spain)
The Crusades (documentary)
The Seventh Seal (set during the Crusades)
The Black Rose (set during the Crusades)
Ivanhoe (late 1100s; 2 versions: 1) w/Robert Taylor,
2) w/Anthony Andrews & Olivia Hussey)
.Robin Hood (many versions: !1) w/Errol Flynn, 2) w/Patrick
Bergin), 3) BBC series, 4) Disney)
!Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves
Robin and Marion
Robin Hood-Men in Tights
The Court Jester (12th C England)
Lionhart
The Flame and the Arrow
The Lion in Winter (about Henry II, ruler of England
1154-1189)
Beckett (archbishop of Canterbury during reign of Henry II)
Brother Sun, Sister Moon (St Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)
The Conqueror (about Genghis Khan, early 1200s Asia)
The Dragon and the Sword (Russian)
The Magic Sword (13thC)
Edward II (early 14th C)
The Name of the Rose (set in 1312 monastery)
The Decameron (set during the beginnings of the plague 1348?)
Hamlet (set 1300/1400? 2 versions 1) w/Mel Gibson,
2) w/Laurence Olivier)
Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Hamlet comedy)
Richard II (late 1300s England)
Richard III (late 1400s England)
A Walk with Love and Death (1400s Italy)
Joan of Arc: A Portrait of a Legend (1428 France)
Henry V (early 1400s England; 2 versions 1) w/Kenneth Branagh,
2) w/Laurence Olivier)
The Advocate
!The Warlord
Ladyhawke (based on 12C French legend)
The Sorceress (13-14C France)
!The Princess Bride
!Braveheart (Scottish)
Jabberwocky (Monty Python)
Stealing Heaven (about Abelard & Heloise, early 1100s France)
Black Adder I (British comedy)
The Navigator (from 11/12C Cumbria to 20C New Zealand)
King Lear
Snow White (Disney)
Sleeping Beauty (Disney)
Willow
Dr. Faustus
SET DURING THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD (1450 to 1600)
!Much Ado about Nothing
!The Taming of the Shrew
Romeo and Juliet
Elizabeth R
Queen Margot (French)
If I Were King (life of Francois Villon, mid-15C French poet)
Christopher Columbus (late 1400s)
1492: Conquest of Paradise (about Christopher Columbus)
Flesh & Blood/renamed The Rose and the Sword (1501)
The Agony and the Ecstasy (about Michaelangelo in 1500s Italy)
Nostradamus (lived 1503-1566)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (ruler of England 1509-1547)
The Private Life of Henry VIII
!Anne of the Thousand Days (Boleyn, 2nd wife of Henry VIII)
!Lady Jane (Grey, grandniece of Henry VIII)
Nine Days a Queen (about Lady Jane Grey)
The Sword and the Rose (Disney; about Princess Margaret,
sister to Henry VIII)
A Man for All Seasons (set during the reign of Henry VIII;
2 versions, 1) w/Charlton Heston & Vanessa Redgrave,
2) w/Orson Wells)
Mary, Queen of Scots (mid-1500s)
Mary of Scotland
The Mission (late 1500s South America)
Aguirre, Wrath of God (1560s South America)
The Return of Martin Guerre (late 15C/early 16C France)
The Virgin Queen (Elizabeth I, late 1500s England)
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
Orlando (begins during the reign of Elizabeth I)
Black Adder II (British comedy, Elizabethan)
BORDERLINE RENAISSANCE/MODERN (early 1600s)
The Three Musketeers (early 1600s France)
The Four Musketeers
The Three Musketeers 20 Years Later
Cyrano de Bergerac (lived 1619-1655)
The Last Valley (set in 1641)
******************************************************************
Medieval and Renaissance Wedding FAQ: List of Catalogs
The following is a list of catalogs which have been recommended as
possible sources of historic clothing and/or fantasy items with
medieval flavor. The compiler of this list makes no claims as to the
quality of either the merchandise or service provided by these
companies.
=====================================================================
For readymade medieval clothing or period patterns and accessories:
Amazon Vinegar & Pickling Works
2218 East 11th Street
Davenport, IA 52803
1-319-322-6800
They have three catalogs. The Pattern catalog ($7.00) illustrates
over 1,000 patterns for men, women, children and dolls, medieval
through 1950. The Shoe catalog ($5.00) has shoes from all periods.
The General catalog ($3.00) has everything except patterns -- hats
and bonnets, readymade clothing, accessories, toys, books,
kitchenware, etc.
Authentic Wardrobe
12710 E. Wentworth Ct.
Vail, AZ 85641
Source of readymade clothing and cloaks as well as special orders.
Carolina Stitches in Time
Box 10933
Winston-Salem, NC 27108
No current information available.
Chivalry Sports
PO Box 18904
Tucson, AZ 85731-8904
1-602-722-1255
Source of clothing, books, weaponry and some patterns. They publish
a "catalog magazine" ($14 for a 1-year subscription).
Creative Costuming
Address unknown
1-703-354-7711
Source of clothing and accessories patterns from 1200-1800 AD.
No current information available.
Greystone Garb
Address unknown
1-619-949-2628.
Source of handmade period clothing. No current information available.
Harriet's, Etc
(specify Rental, Tailoring or Pattern Division)
P.O. Box 1363
Winchester, VA 22604
1-703-667-2541
Emphasis is on the 18th & 19th centurys (catalogs of patterns for
ladies', men's or children's fashions are $3.50 each). They also
have historical costumes for rental or will make costumes to order,
although I'm unsure if they will do medieval or Renaissance.
Hedgehog Handworks
P. O. Box 45384
Westchester, CA 90045
(310) 670-6040
or
8406 Flight Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90045
No readymade clothing but a source of costuming books and other items
needed to make clothes (stitchery supplies, notions, needlework
tools, stays, hooks, clasps, and buttons) except the fabric. They
charge $5 for their catalog, refundable with an order of $30 or more.
Historic Fashions
1812 N. Queens Lane #219
Arlington, Va 22201
No current information available.
House Morning Star
11246 S. Post Oak Rd. #217
Houston, TX 77035
1-713-729-7990
Source of patterns, books, and sewing materials, but they will also
make costumes to order. Mostly Tudor stuff: bodices, skirts, and
chemises-as well as men's garb.
JAS Townsend & Son
P.O. Box 415
Pierceton, IN 46562
1-800-338-1665
Emphasis is on the 18th and 19th centuries.
MacKenzie-Smith
Post Office Box 3315
Truckee, CA 96160
1-800-829-1974
Source of medieval items (armor, swords, jewelry, cups) and Period
Patterns. The items catalog is not free, but you can request a
Period Pattern flyer for free.
Moresca Clothing and Costume
361 Union Center Rd
Ulster Park, NY 12487
1-914-331-6012
Source of capes, tunics, etc.
Museum Replicas Ltd
2143 Gees Mill Road
Box 840
Conyers, GA 30207
1-800-883-8838
Source of medieval clothing and accessories such as swords, jewelry,
goblets, relics, etc.
Puffs and Slashes
c/o L. R. Fox
P. O. Box 443
Bloomington, IN 47402-0443
An anotated bibliography of pre-1650 costume sources (including books
and periodicals). $2.50 per copy
The Queens Thimble
515 S. Evergreen Dr
Mira Loma, CA 91752-1577
1-909-360-6041
Source of handmade period clothing. No current information available.
Raiments
P.O. Box 93095
Pasadena, CA 91109
1-818-797-2723
Source of medieval and renaissance patterns. The catalog is $5.00
($7.00 if shipped first class) but is very large. They also sell
books and some accessories.
Renaissance Herald (was Renaissance Shopper)
P.O. Box 422
Riverside, CA 92502
1-909-943-7333
Actually a quarterly magazine, which contains advertisements for many
companies dealing in period garb, armor, weapons, etc, etc...Lists
quite a few clothing makers, including one who says they specialize
in Renaissance wedding garb. They have two subscription plans: for
$7.00, you get a lifetime subscription, but it is sent at bulk mail
rates; for $5.00 annually, you get the magazine at first class mail
rates.
Rose D'Zynes
1196 Sunglow Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
1-800-899-7673
Source of custom-designed medieval and Renaissance wedding attire for
rent or purchase. Call to request a videotape of bridal fashions.
St. Michael's Leather Emporium
156 E Second Street, Suite One
New York, NY 10009
1-212-995-8359
Source of custom-designed leather armor, jewelry and Renaissance-era
clothing. Catalog costs about $3.00.
Sterling Silks/Sterling Cloth Company
701 Cleveland Avenue Southwest
Canton, Ohio 44702
1-216-456-0653
Source of silk fabrics, thread, etc.
Whole Costumer's Catalog
PO Box 207
Beallsville, PA 15313
1-412-632-3242
A listing of catalogs and stores that sell fabric, patterns,
accessories, etc. Costs $17.95 (incl. S&H).
=====================================================================
For medieval weapons, jewelry and other gift items (but very little
clothing and no patterns):
Art & Artifact
2451 E. Enterprise Pkwy
Twinsburg, OH 44087
1-800-950-9540
Check out their wedding chalice, a reproduction of an 18th century
English piece.
Atlanta Cutlery
Dept. TFH
2143 Gees Mill Road
Box 839
Conyers, GA. 30207
1-800-883-0300
The Cottage Works
12 W. Willow Grove Ave., Box 186
Philadelphia, PA 19118-3952
1-215-242-8849
No current information available.
Dancing Dragon
5670 West End Road, #4
P.O. Box 1106
Arcata, CA 95521
1-800-322-6041
Source of fantasy dragon items. Check out their dragon champagne
flutes, dragon bride & groom caketopper (in pewter), and double
dragon banner.
Distant Caravans
PO Box 5254
Reno, NV 89513
1-702-746-0416
Source of middle eastern clothing and belly dancing jewelry.
Fellowship Foundry
2550 East 12th St.,
Oakland, CA 94601.
1-510-261-3292
Source of pewter wedding goblets.
Gryphon's Moon
3557 Tanner's Mill road
Gainesville, GA 30507-8828
1-770-536-2805
Source of Celtic rings and pendants.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
255Gracie Station
New York, NY 10028-9998
1-800-468-7386
Source of jewelry reproduced from ancient, medieval and renaissance
designs.
The Noble Collection
P.O. Box 831
Merrifield, VA 22116
1-800-866-2538
Source of swords, helmets, suits of armor, axes, and letter openers.
North Shore Gifts
4857 Alcyn Dr.
Racine, WI 53402-2507
1-414-639-5927
No current information available.
Past Times
280 Summer Street
Boston, MA 02210-1182
1-800-242-1020
Source of gifts and jewelry from Great Britain inspired by "the past"
(Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Medieval, Tudor, Stuart, Victorian, etc.).
Check out their medieval tapestry wall-hangings.
=====================================================================
For stationary, parchment, invitations, sealing wax, and handstamps
for customizing your wedding invitations:
The American Wedding Album
American Stationery Co., Inc.
300 Park Avenue
Peru, Indiana 46970
1-800-428-0379
Check out 'Medieval Fantasy' and 'Storybook Ending' invitations with
matching napkins and thank you scrolls.
Daniel Smith
Address unknown
1-800-426 6740
Source of handmade papers. No current information available.
Earth Care
P.O. Box 7070
Madison, WI 53707
1-800-347-0070
Source of 'natural' papers (stationary and wrap) made of flower
petals. Also carry sealing wax and letter seals. Check out their
miniature sundial 'necklace', said to have been given as a romantic
present to Henry II from Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Kalligraphika
PO Box 180741
Utica, MI 48318-0741
1-810-726-6120
Source of medieval fantasy handstamps (unicorns, wizards, castles,
knights, etc.).
Paper Direct
100 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, NJ 07094-3606
1-800-272-7377
Source of clipart, fonts, notecards and stationary (including
parchment) for making your own invitations.
Rugg Road Paper Company
105 Charles Street
Boston 02114 617-742-0002
Source of handmade papers with real flowers mixed in.
The Swordmark Company
P.O. Box 49592
Atlanta, GA 30359
Source of sealing wax and stamps.
The Rexcraft Wedding Invitation magazine
Address Unknown
1-800-635-3898.
No information available.
Victorian Papers
Address Unknown
1-800-800-6647
Source of sealing wax and supples.
================================================================
These are specialty catalogs:
The Historical Research Center
EZZELL Enterprises
2855 Villa Loma Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80917
1-719-380-0509
Source of information about your family name history, coat-of-arms
and shields. Also armor and swords.
Period Pavilions
Medieval Miscellanea
6530 Spring Valley Drive
Alexandria, VA 22312
Source of historical pavilions, tents, yurts, canopies, and
bannerpoles for rental or purchase.
Small Fry Sculptures
Sheri & Carlos Frey
620 N Logan Street
Wayne, NE 68787
1-402-375-2395
Source of handmade sculptures depicting specific individuals for
special occasions (i.e., customized brides & grooms for caketoppers).
==============================================================
For Early, medieval, and Renaissance music books, recorded music, and
instruments:
Boulder Early Music Shop
2010 14th St.
Boulder, Co. 80302
1-303-499-1301
No current information available.
Lark In The Morning
PO Box 1176
Mendocino, Ca. 95460
1-707-964-5569
Source of hard-to-find music and musical instruments, i.e., Celtic
harps, recorders, pennywhistles, lutes, lyres and others.
Time Warner Sound Exchange
45N. Industry Ct.
Deer Park, NY 11729-4614
1-800-521-0042
Small collection of Celtic and New Age Celtic music (i.e., Clannad,
Enya and others).