Do you take this man?

Over the weekend I attended friends' wedding, a beautiful ceremony in the church, followed by dinner in a lovely garden setting. Got me to thinking about weddings of the past, particularly the weddings performed by Captains at sea. I looked into this a bit, and found that contrary to popular belief, Captains, unless recognized as ministers, are not allowed to perform a marriage on ship board! According to the British Mercantile Marine Office, marriages at sea by a commanding officer are not legal. The myth may have sprung from the "supreme authority" of a Captain on his ship, and perhaps if the ceremonies were performed, it was better to have a recognized individual than a local heathen in some faraway port-of-call do the honors.

I also found some interesting information regarding weddings in 18th Century in Britian and Wales. The Clandestine Marriages Act of 1753 finally required that marriages be valid on a statutory basis, requiring a formal ceremony performed in a church, after a license had been obtained, though the practice didn't apply to the Royals (who were, of course, above the law!)