Gretna Green, a small village in Scotland just across the border from England, is renown for the many weddings celebrated there: more than 5000 each year and one in six Scottish weddings. It is especially known as a place where young couples eloped to. It all started in 1754, when Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act took affect, [more...]
Laws about marriage have long been a state concern, not a federal one, in the United States. As a result, marriage laws vary considerably from state to state. In nearly all cases, however, a marriage performed in one state is recognized in all other states and by the federal government. Here are some of the ways [more...]
Two lovers each wear a ring for their engagement; then on marriage they fit the two together to make a wedding ring. This romantic custom, using a double-hoop gimmel ring, was at a peak of popularity during the 16th and 17th centuries. Gimmel rings have been revived by modern jewellery designers, and seem to have [more...]