Bridal Ceremonies in Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, there was no concept of divorce so when they looked for a partner to marry they put a lot of time in the selection process. The Paterfamilias was responsible for making sure all the family’s children made good marriages. They would look around to find the perfect matches for their beloved children. The families of both children would enter into discussions about which family would be responsible for the finances for the young pair. Many marriages happened for political reasons. In ancient Rome, the marriage of two children was also the linking of two families.
An engagement ring would be given from the groom to be to the bride to be as a sign that they wanted to be married. It was worn on the third finger on the left hand as they used to believe that a nerve runs through that finger to the heart so it would encourage love.
Roman women wore a special dress to get married in. They put a belt around the dress with a special knot (the knot of Hercules) that only the partner could undo.
The Bride would wear a veil and would weave flowers into her hair.
After the wedding, there would be a dinner for the bride and groom typically held at the bride’s house.
The bride was picked up and carried into her new family’s house by her husband.
There were many other sacraments and details that went into a Roman wedding, such as a young girl would give her bulla, the special locket given to her at birth, to her father and not ever wear it again. She would also give away all her dolls and toys as she would no longer be a kid but a woman. Roman women and girls had to state clearly their consent to being married. They usually get the blessing of a priest of one of the major temples.
