A special license was obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury or his office in Doctor’s Commons in London. The fee for this license was about £5. A special license lifted the time and place restrictions, but all other requirements were the same. The names of the applicants had to be included and risk of nullification existed if these names were altered in any way. As with the banns and regular license, the special license was good for three months.

Brides seldom bought a new gown for their wedding, they opted for their best dress instead.

It was Queen Victoria who made the white wedding dress popular. Not only did white symbolize purity and virginity, but they believed it to also ward off evil spirits. Another tradition to confuse malicious, no good spirits, was the custom of bridesmaids. Brides began surrounding themselves with other finely dressed women in order to keep the evil spirits at bay.

Can you imagine being pelted with eggs on your wedding day? Psst...don't knock the bride out before she makes her escape from the church! In some European countries, eggs are thrown instead of the traditional "confetti" of grain or nuts. They were chosen because they are "life-giving" seeds. Eggs? I'm not sure why...

Originally, the wedding cake, made up of a lot little wheat cakes, was broken over the Bride's head in order to bestow fertility and a lifetime of luck. It is said, if a single woman sleeps with a piece of the cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband.

Marriage with a license is similar to banns, although there was a fee. The stamp of duty was 10s. Any bishop or archbishop could issue the license without first publishing the banns. The parties had to declare they had parental (or guardian) consent if underage, that there was no impediment to the marriage, and that they be wed in a parish church or chapel where one of them dwells or resided for the duration of at least four weeks. Again, the marriage took place between 8 a.m. and 12 noon.