For a good introduction to marriage in the middle ages, consult the
handy-dandy Dictionary of the Middle Ages, vol. 4 (1984), "Family and
Marriage, Western Europe." This helpful article also includes a
bibliography on the law, customs, liturgy, and social history of marriage.
When I took Prof. F. Michaud's undergrad seminar on Medieval Marriage, she
had us read large chunks of James A. Brundage's magisterial _Sex, law, and
Marriage in the Middle Ages_, 1993.
Basically, the marriage ceremony evolved from a private, domestic, ritual
conducted by the family. This rite was christianized and gradually came
under the control of the Church, which eventually recognized marriage as a
sacrament needing regulations. Spacially, the rituals moved from the
family home, to the Church grounds, and finally into the church building.
Theologically, marriage became less a social contract between two
families, and more a spiritual union of two individuals, which was the
justification for clandestine marriage. Secular opinion and practical
considerations, however, demanded that marriages be approved by families,
the community, and the Church.
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