1. MarshLatin.wordpress.com Roman Weddings

2. What could the customs and traditions of ancient Roman weddings possibly have in common with your own stylish, contemporary, cutting-edge wedding plans? Arranged marriages, dowries, rings, parties, and a contract sealed with a kiss - the things ancient Roman engagement traditions were made of.

3. Rings Rings in ancient Roman culture were an important part of preparations for a wedding. The formal contract, publically acknowledged at the engagement party, was marked by the giving of a ring by the groom to his bride-to-be. Engagement ring tradition has developed since ancient times, yet Italian culture today still embraces many of the customs of Roman culture.

4. Status Ancient Roman weddings gave status to the women of ancient Rome : wives held a position of respect and responsibility.

5. The Wedding Day On the morning of the wedding, while the bride's preparations were taking place in her parent's home, her father, two close friends and the priest who would celebrate the marriage would watch for omens. bride's preparations Before sunrise an animal would be sacrificed and its entrails 'read', and at sunrise the skies would be watched for storms.

6. Who was there? Although the parents of the bride and groom were present, bridesmaid duties in ancient wedding traditions meant that ten witnesses and the matron of honour played the major role. bridesmaid duties

7. The ancient Roman marriage ceremony : the joining of hands. The main part of the ceremony would come next. While modern Italian wedding traditions have the father of the bride 'giving' the hand of his daughter to the groom, bridesmaid duties in ancient Roman culture gave this privilege to the matron of honour or 'pronuba' and was the focus of the whole ceremony. Her joining of the couple's right hands signified the point at which the couple were considered to be legally married.

8. The Vows The only words officially required of the bride would then be said : "Ubi tu Gaius, ibi ego Gaia", loosely translated as "wherever you go, there also go I, your wife". The marriage, like the engagement before it, would then be formally and legally sealed with a kiss - this is the origin of the modern ceremony in Italian wedding traditions, which always invites the groom to kiss his new wife.engagement

9. Contract and Cake. To end the ceremony the couple would together offer a sacrifice - usually a pig - and ten witnesses would sign the wedding contract. The final formal act of the ceremony was the couple 'breaking bread' together. Although this is sometimes described as 'cake', it was actually unleavened bread which the couple would feed to each other to symbolize their commitment to the relationship. This is the origin of the modern Italian culture and customs of the bride and groom feeding each other wedding cake and champagne.

10. Some people hold the wedding ceremony in the bride's parents' house if it's big enough (Think Chloe Kardashian). People often use a venue which has a 'homely' feel. A small hotel with a gorgeous entrance hall where guests can be seated for the ceremony is ideal. Venues are decorated with a very natural flower arrangement - the flowers used in ancient Italian wedding traditions would have been wild, and arranged loosely. Ten witnesses may not be the nomr, but groomsmen and bridesmaids (the modern witnesses) do dress similarly as was Roman tradition. The modern tradition of the father 'giving away' his daughter is identical. The matron of honor also plays a major role. At the very least, with the mother of the bride, she helps the bride to dress on the wedding morning. The bride and groom feed each other cake at their reception, and entwine hands to drink their champagne. Modern Similarities: Roman Traditions