Yep....we still have the crocheted pagan/wiccan ribbons from the handfasting but must admit we had Sinead O'Connor singing the first song Dave ever heard me sing in the Irish...and he still stuck with me... ;-)
I don't know whether it still happens but if Protestants wanted to marry a Catholic they had to go religious instruction lessons and do what was known as 'turning'. They also had to promise to bring their children up in the Catholic Faith.
And I thought our handfasting was before your time, Jura... ;-)
Andres. My first marriage was to a protestant. We both had to have instructions from a priest....lots of them....week after week. Oh he was so pompous.
Little did we know he was having a fling with a lass up the road. He ran away with her just before our wedding. Yes we had to promise to bring any children up as Catholics. I came to my senses and didn't.
Good for you gness. I also remember when my son a Protestant had to come back from Madrid and we had to go to a solicitors here in the UK. I had to sign a paper to the effect that my son had never been married and hadn't any children out of wedlock!. That was before he could marry his Catholic Spanish fiancee.
Weddings used to be on a Sunday, as were christenings. They would be an addition to one of the normal services since the working class would often only get Sunday off. Plus it was cheaper and there were always witnesses present. For the same reason, weddings would take place on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday.