Page 24 - Copshaholm Curriculum Book_2015

The Victorian Wedding 3
medium color, and lavender gloves stitched in black.

Fashions changed rapidly in the late Victorian years, from no need for gloves in
1885, to a must for gloves in 1886. By now, however, men wore pearl colored gloves with
black embroidery. By 1899, the frock coat was black in style along with a double-breasted,
light-colored waistcoat, dark tie, gray striped cashmere trousers, patent-leather button boots
and pale tan kid gloves. Throughout the Victorian era, a black top hat was a necessity.

The Ceremony
Before the 1880s, a couple was required by law to have a morning ceremony. By the

late 1880s, permissible hours were extended until 3:00 p.m. In the Eastern United States,
the fashionable hours were between 10:00 a.m. and Noon because it was an English
custom. In New York in 1890, half after three was also a fashionable hour. Southern
American weddings, however, were usually at 6:00 p.m. because it was cooler then.

The marriage ceremony took place at home or in church, with either many guests or
a few. In the 1850s, weddings were usually held in church, and it was customary to use the
bride’s church. The wedding ring was usually a plain gold band with the initials of the couple
and the date of their wedding engraved inside. There were few double ring ceremonies in
the Victorian era. It was considered good luck for the ring to drop during the ceremony, thus
all evil spirits were shaken out.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom walked out without looking left or right. It
was considered bad taste to acknowledge friends and acquaintances. The bride’s parents
were the first to leave the church, and the best man the last after he paid the minister or
clergyman for his services. From a custom dating back to the Roman times when nuts were
thrown after the departing couple, the practice continued, but in the form of rice, grain or
birdseed, a symbol of fertility.

The Reception
Because of the early hour for weddings, the reception was traditionally a breakfast. It

was an English custom to have a Noon ceremony with the breakfast thirty minutes later at
the bride’s home. There, the couple received the guests and accepted congratulations. In
the Eastern United States, they emulated the English in their ceremonies. In the West, they
mimicked the East, especially New York and Boston Society.