Medieval/Renaissance Wedding theme


Location
Church, Cathedral, Castle or a Country hotel. Try and hire a castle or a castle looking building then you can have your ceremony and reception there.

Decor
Decorate with plenty of ivy the traditional wedding plant of the time. Black iron candle holders, Banners of family crests (every has a family crest) find yours and your fiancés and put them on show. Have large baskets of flowers, and flowered garlands. Use lavender and wheat wrapped around candles for the table centre piece.

Invites
Use ivory or beige coloured paper and write invitations in calligraphy. You could roll them up and wrap a bit of ivy around them like they did then.

Flowers
You will need a very large bouquet for you and a smaller one for the bridesmaids. Gloriosa lily, ivy; red roses; amaryllis; birch twigs or holly branches; and parrot tulips are good choices of flowers as they will blend in with the theme. Ask your florist to add some herbs such as rosemary, thyme, basil, etc. Herbs were used a lot at weddings in the Medieval times.

Brides attire
Brides in the Middle Ages wore dark and regal velvet dresses in such colours as hunter green, burgundy wine, or deep purple. Often these dresses were laced up the sides and/or back, had long, pleated skirts, and were floor-length and long-sleeved. They were also usually relatively (tastefully) low-cut. A metallic (gold or silver) braided ribbon often ran throughout the design. The torso of the dress often was cut like coat. Try costume shops, theatrical groups. or have the dress designed and made for you. If you have long hair braid it or tong it and leave it hanging loose. Ask your florist if she can make you an ivy wreath for your hair piece.

Grooms attire
The dress is as unique for men. Tights, breeches, tunics, pirate shirts, laced vests, and boots are the order of the day. If his hair is long, it should be worn loose. Also, anything in a tapestry pattern is perfect for either the bride or the groom.

Catering
In medieval times the banquets were massive feasts that could feed an army. Try roast pork with an apple stuffed in It`s mouth. Steak, new potatoes anything will do. Ask the caterers if they can do a centre piece of stacked food maybe salad, or a desert. People ate with their hands, a spoon and a small knife the size of a steak knife. Forks were not used in the middle ages.

Favour
Buy medieval trinkets, black iron candle stick holders, or a wreath of dried flowers, herbs and wheat, put them into little baskets.