Marriage Customs in Georgian and Regency England

NOTE: As this was one of the most popular historical posts on the blog, I'm leaving this one up as a SAMPLE of the resources found in the Historical Research Companion. See the link at the right for more information.

Update: Several outdated and broken links were deleted on 11/14/21. Sorry about that! Information changes and I appreciate being informed on what is not working. I will try to replace with new information. - Melissa

Courtship
The hunt for a husband in Georgian and Regency England was serious business and the upper class families would likewise invest serious money to give their daughters a 'season' in London.
Almack's, that exclusive club of the social world, became known as 'the Marriage Mart' as it was the essential venue for introducing a young lady into society.

Marriage Requirements and the Ceremony

According to Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1753:

• a couple needed a license and the reading of the banns to marry;
• they needed parental consent if under the age of 21;
• the marriage must be performed in the morning hours between 8 and 12;
• it must take place within a public chapel or church by authorized clergy; and
• the marriage had to be recorded in the marriage register with the signatures of both parties, the witnesses, and the minister.

This new law put an end to the 'Fleet Marriages' that had allowed a couple to be legally married with only an exchange of vows (1694-1754). However, after 1754, there were ways to get around the new marriage requirements.

• Elopement to Gretna Green in Scotland allowed a couple to be married without parental consent.
• You could also purchase either a common/ordinary license from a local clergyman or at Doctors' Commons in London to 'skip the banns' or a 'special license,' issued by the archbishop of Canterbury, permitting the couple to marry after noon and at a location other than the church. Because of the expense, marriage by special license was reserved for the very wealthy and well connected.

There are other "can't do thats" to consider regarding marriage laws including the fact that prior to World War I, it was illegal in England to marry a deceased spouse's sibling.
Wedding Fashion Note: It was not yet essential for the bride to wear white, although white was gaining popularity. Alternatively, she might wear another light color such as silver or blue, and she would also wear her bonnet inside the church.

Related links: 

the archive for the 'regency wedding' category at Jane Austen's World. 

Marriage, Hardwicke Act and Dissolving a Marriage - by Nancy Mayer, Regency Researcher

Marriage at Gretna Green - by Jane Lark

Marriage and the Alternatives: The Status of Women - from the site Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice (pemberly.com).

Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion: Regency Wedding Details & History - great information covering traditions such as The Engagement, Making It Legal, The Invitations, The Ceremony, The Wedding Ring, Bridesmaids, The Wedding Clothes, Flowers and Other Decorations, The Wedding Cake, The Wedding Breakfast, and Music.

The English Bride: Marriage in Eighteenth Century England

The Quest for Mr. Right - meant to be an interactive experience of attending an 18th century ball from choosing your dress to proper etiquette, but one page seems to be missing if you proceed in order - use the links at the bottom of the page.

Regency Weddings: The White Wedding Dress

Regency Weddings: St. George's, Hanover Square

Eloping in Regency England

If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home, Lucy Worsley -- at Jane Austen's World.  Not just the home...also a very interesting post on the courtship practice known as bundling.

A Regency Marriage Primer - Kristen Koster

Gretna Green and the Runaway Regency Bride - SD's Random Fresh Ink

Print Resources:

Pool, David (1993) In What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, pp. 180-186. Simon & Schuster, New York.