Verdonese Wedding

History

The Verdonese Wedding came about through an intermingling of religious fertility rites with traditional noble vow-taking ceremonies. The practice had been cemented in Verdon by 900 PE.
Verdonese culture spread their wedding practices around southern Granmor. Idrion was doing similar ceremonies by the 500s PE and they had replaced Gonewald traditions completely by 350 PE.

Execution

Verdonese Weddings can range broadly in size. A noble or well known couple can have hundreds of guests, most peasants have only a few present. In Verdon, weddings can be recognized officially if officiated by a Landholding Noble of superior rank to both parties, a priest of the The Imperial Theurgical Society, or an army officer at least two ranks higher than the bride and/or groom. 
When the wedding is begun, the officiator will give a brief speech or sermon on the value of marital relationships. As the speech occurs, glasses of a drink (typically wine, but anything can be used) are handed out to the wedding guests. The cups used for this are typically wooden or metal rather than glass or porcelain, since breaking a cup during this ceremony is considered extremely bad luck. When the officiator is done, the officiator will propose a toast and invite all guests to raise their cup in honor of the couple. In weddings with a wedding party (called groomsmates or bridesmates in unisex Verdonese fashion), the cup is actually sipped by the wedding party before being mixed in. This is a symbol of the special bond and trust between the couple and their chosen wedding party.
The couple touches a sword which is engraved with the eagle emblem of Verdon or a regional government while saying the following words from a Verdonese epic poem:

You will be my [wife / husband], and no other shall be above you You will have my loyalty, my respect, my trust, my undying love In sickness we will bring forth healing— in misfortune, prosperity All that is mine is yours, from this day until my last day.

As the couple says their vows, each row or lateral arrangement of guests pours some of the remainder of their cup into their neighbor's cup, and so on. If there are multiple rows of guests, some of the liquids collected from each row are further mixed into another cup. Even a drop is enough. The officiator then informs the couple that the cup represents the recognition of their oath by the attendants of the wedding, and the couple drinks from the cup.
The officiator (or a bearer or bearers) then presents the couple with wearable metal objects that symbolize their bond, as they say a few lines indicating that the items indicate the permanence of the marital vows. These are usually rings but can also be necklaces or bracelets based on regional traditions. The couple each take the item intended for the other, and present them to one another to wear. The wedding is then concluded with a kiss between the bride and groom.
Overall the wedding traditions are strict, but mostly the words that are spoken are intended to be original, if not extemporaneous. This is intended to express honesty on the part of the participants and the personal nature of the bond between the couple.

Primary Related Location

Southwest Granmor

Related Ethnicities

• Verdonese Human