WEDDINGS of the TudorsThis is a featured page

Weddings

of the Tudors

(series and in history)
Wedding woodcut
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As we know, weddings are full of traditions and superstitions some of which originated in Tudors times:

  • The tradition of tying old shoes to the back of the couple's car, for example, stems from Tudor times when guests would throw shoes at the bride & groom, with great luck being bestowed on them if they or their carriage were hit!
  • Flowers have always been a part of weddings. This stems from the medieval tradition of a Knight wearing his Lady's colours, as a declaration of his love. Each flower has its own meaning and can display a special message. Orange Blossom, for instance, signifies chastity, purity and loveliness.
  • The Wedding Cake was originally lots of little wheat cakes that were broken over the Bride's head to bestow good luck and fertility.
  • Interestingly until the 1900s, brides hardly ever bought a special wedding dress, opting for their best outfit instead. Green was always avoided, as it was though to be unlucky. To say a girl 'had a green gown' also implied that she was of loose morals, because her dress would be grass-stained due to rolling around in the fields! Hence 'Marry in Green, ashamed to be seen'. White Dresses were made popular by Queen Victoria, who broke the tradition of royals marrying in Silver.
  • One wedding superstition about the wedding veil is that it was once thought that brides were very vulnerable to evil spirits and many customs were originated to fight off these evil spirits for the bride. The bride’s veil was an attempt to disguise her face to fool the evil spirits. Another way to ward off evil spirits from the bride was to play pranks on the newlyweds. Friends of the couple would play a joke on the couple in hopes the evil spirits would see this and feel sorry for the couple and leave them alone. The tradition of the wedding party wearing the same thing is also an attempt to fool the evil spirits.
  • A mystical significance was also attached to precious stones, with which, in Tudor times and for many years after, it was customary to enrich the wedding-ring. The practice was really borrowed from the Church of Rome,which had ascribed to each gem a special meaning eg. ruby indicated its glory, emerald its tranquillity and happiness, crystal simplicity and purity, diamond invulnerable faith, sapphire hope, onyx sincerity, and amethyst humility.


Season 1

The King of Portugal (Manuel ?) & Princess Margaret Tudor
Fictional wedding between fictional characters
WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki



[Untitled]		 Margaret Tudor's wedding dress

Season 2
King Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn
Secret wedding
Date : January 25th, 1533
some historians believe it to have been November 14th, 1532
Henry & Anne-Wedding WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki
WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki
Anne Boleyn - The Tudors Wiki
Anne Boleyn's wedding dressAnne Boleyn's wedding dress
George Boleyn & Jane Boleyn nee Parker
Date: c.1524/25
historically pre-dated the beginning of Henry & Anne Boleyn's relationship
George marries Jane Parker The Boleyns wedding

Jane Boleyn's wedding		Jane Boleyn's wedding dress

Season 3
King Henry VIII & Jane Seymour
Date : May 30th, 1536
H8's and JS' wedding WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki
Jane & Henry wedding[Untitled]
Jane & Henry's wedding
Wedding dress
King Henry VIII & Anne of Cleves
Date: January 6th, 1540
WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki

[Untitled]		WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki
Anne of Cleves wedding dress
Anne of Cleves wedding dress

Season 4
King Henry VIII & Katherine Howard
Date: July 28th, 1540


King Henry VIII & Catherine Parr
Date: July 12th, 1543




In History
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
and Mary Tudor
Amalgamated fictional character
Princess Margaret Tudor in series
King Louis XII of France
and Mary Tudor
not King of Portugal as shown in the series

2nd Marriage - date: secretly February, 1515
Officially married May 13,1515
with King Henry VIII& Queen Katherine of Aragon
in attendance
Wedding portrait below
1st Marriage - date: August 13th, 1514
Illustration of wedding below


WEDDINGS of the Tudors - The Tudors Wiki		 Princess Mary & King Louis XII wedding




LINKS:

 LITERATURE:
  • David Cressy is considered an authority on Tudor and Stuart era social customs. See his book, "Birth, Marriage and Death: ritual, religion and the life-cycle in Tudor England".
  • Duffy: Voices of Morebath
  • Jones: Elizabethan Age
  • Orlin: Elizabethan Households
  • Pearson: Elizabethans at Home





MsSquirrly
MsSquirrly 		Latest page update: made by MsSquirrly , Oct 8 2009, 2:56 PM EDT (about this update About This Update MsSquirrly Edited by MsSquirrly


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Keyword tags: Weddings
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Lys31 Henry and Katherine 1 Sep 25 2009, 12:55 PM EDT by MsSquirrly
Thread started: Sep 25 2009, 12:45 PM EDT  Watch
I belive the picture that was put up of there wedding is actually the coronation
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Neta07 Betrothals? 4 Sep 24 2009, 6:34 PM EDT by Neta07
Thread started: Sep 24 2009, 6:12 PM EDT  Watch
I was just thinking shouldn't we add betrothals to since they are mini weddings?
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atlantaboleynbalfour tudor wedding music 6 Aug 26 2009, 3:14 PM EDT by Conyle
Thread started: Aug 25 2009, 5:05 AM EDT  Watch
Hey all

Im due to get married in a couple of weeks,and ive asked u all once before if any of u had any ideas as to what i could have engraved on my wedding rings and you were really helpfull.Thanks to u there perfect and look fantastic.
However i need help again! Does ayone have any ideas what music i could have whilst in church it as to be tudor but not Greensleeves,the other half says im takin the anne boleyn thing to far lol.So if anyone could help me id be very greatful

thank you xxx
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Tudor Wedding Ideas