Roman Weddings
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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.
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.
Status
 Ancient Roman
weddings gave
status to the
women of
ancient Rome :
wives held a
position of
respect and
responsibility.
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.
 Before sunrise an animal would be sacrificed
and its entrails 'read', and at
sunrise the skies
would be watched
for storms.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Modern Similarities: Roman Traditions
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.