Medieval Wedding

wildsaffy

Hey all,

We are having a medieval style wedding fair instead of the beef / salmon hotel reception - I would be interested in any ideas anyone might have.

I have seen the dress that I want! costs about €2000 so am going to get someone to make it for me .....

Money is tight so any money saving hints would be welcome.

I have an archery team coming out - am looking for a falconist (is that how you say it) and any other medievally type things.

Oh - its in Meath!

Thanks!
wildSaffy

wildsaffy

Update:

So far I have the following:

• Marquee
• Pig on a Spit
• Falconry
• Archery

I am still looking for:

• A trad band
• A classical quartet
• 2 Wolf Hounds

I had a nice PM from a boards member who does photography so hopefully I will have that sorted soon....

wildsaffy

tannytantans

Hi

I've no ideas for you but just want to say that's such a great idea! My fiance is mad into all things medieval - he'd be so jealous if he read this!

Can I ask where the venue is?

wildsaffy

Tanny,

It's in a private heritage house in Meath - I can't really say where it is yet.

However - all being well - I will run this as a package for others that may be interested!

(1) Does anyone know where I can get hold of those people that do medieval re-enactments?

(2) Anyone know of a proper seanchaí that I can contact?

I have been searching the web with little success. I do know there is a crowd in Ireland who turn up and set up a medieval "village".....

Anyway - -apparently there is going to be a heatwave in September - so its all good.

wildSaffy

DreamC

I just was looking through my photos folder and found this "Medieval Wedding Cake"



This cake won a gold award in the Wedding Cakes Category the "Cake International" Sugarcraft Exhibition in Birmingham last year. It was made by a very talented cake decorator from the UK.

DDigital

For medieval re-enactments contact these guys. Ive worked on some TV stuff with them.

http://www.irisharms.ie/

wildsaffy

Dream C - I am still laughing over the wedding cake - that is class! My fiance's mother is making the cake so I will show this to her.

D Digital - thanks for the link - I have filled in the enquiry form for the re-enactment guys - thanks!

wildsaffy

I just thought - how about peacocks on the lawn? How would I go about getting these?:D

wildsaffy

Question:

Where would I get draught Guinness & Lager for a good price within Ireland?

Thanks a million!

implausible

Friends of mine had a medieval/re-enactment wedding and they served mead at it. It was gorgeous. Don't know where they got it though. will have a look.

just pm'd you.

valen

Californiawineimports.ie have really good mead, from the Rabbit's Foot Meadery.

You could ask on http://livinghistory.ie if there is anyone would would be interested in 'doing something' at the wedding; I'm sure they could do anything from an Honour Guard to combat displays, or perhaps run the pig-on-a-spit displays.

Irish Arms are really good - very professional - but may be out of your price range. That said, they've done some amazing shows and could arrange a medieval storyteller etc. pretty much anything you want.

I can give you an email address for a falconer, if you want. Not *quite* sure what a falconer would do at a wedding, mind..

John

wildsaffy

Wow folks - many many thanks.

Thanks dee - and valen - would love a falconer. I suspect he would falcon - they tend to be addicted to that ha ha

Dostoevsky

Amazing! Finally, somebody is thinking outside the box and not following the crowd with the same old bland, boring predictable weddings, or slight variations of the same boring predictable weddings.

Thank you for being different!

Dostoevsky

wildsaffy wrote: »

Question:

Where would I get draught Guinness & Lager for a good price within Ireland?

Thanks a million!

You're ruining it now. Avoid porter and lager - both modern drinks. See Cormac Ó Gráda's very interesting article in The Irish Times http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0925/1224255204200.html about how Guinness is, in reality, pretty much a new drink in Ireland. In the medieval period, ale was common in the Pale, but very unusual beyond it. Whiskey was extremely common everywhere, as was wine. Wine taverns were more common than ale taverns, or rather wine was the major business in taverns.

What would be a very historically authentic solution to the drink issue would be to research some microbreweries. Microbreweries were ubiquitous with each town and monastic settlement having distinctive beers. There are, perhaps, 20 microbreweries in Ireland today. Here are 9 of them: http://www.irishcraftbrewer.com/index.php?option=com_weblinks&catid=20&Itemid=34

The guys over here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=598 have a strong interest in microbrewing and strong connections to the Irish Craft Brewer site. They would definitely be worth talking to about microbrewing.

All of these breweries should be able to supply kegs for weddings etc. Admittedly these kegs are in draught, but at least microbreweries would add to your wedding's medieval distinctiveness, unlike Guinness, Heineken etc.

PS: If you would like to make your own beer through using medieval recipes and brewing techniques, PM me. I can also give you a list of wines which were popular in medieval Ireland.

Dostoevsky

This is my favourite painting of a medieval (well, sixteenth century) wedding. It is 'The Peasant Wedding' by Pieter Brueghel the elder, was painted in 1568 and has huge detail about a wedding at the time. In terms of ideas, it was worth my while reading an analysis of it, e.g. autumn time was the most common time for weddings as the barn was full with the harvest etc:

sunshinegirl

is it a proper wedding or handfasting?

mead is a must,at a medieval wedding i know there are people in ucc who have reinactment society so you might be able to find out some information there