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Does anybody know how many real weddings take place at Pennsic each year? Have they been public or private affairs? Over the years I have often heard tales of real weddings happening, but I have never had the privilege of actually attending one.
The reason I ask is that as a hobby I have researched and written several different medieval wedding ceremonies for various cultures and time periods. I also write ceremonies for Pagan or other non-tradition weddings. Making each wedding unique and special is something that is a passion of mine. I could probably even teach a class on how various cultures conducted wedding ceremonies and the different meanings each culture attributed to marriage.
I am also kind of testing the waters, because recently I keep receiving more and more requests to not just write the wedding ceremonies, but also to officiate them as well. I am curious if this would be a service that people would have any interest in at the next Pennsic War. It also doesn’t hurt that I am legally allowed to perform weddings in the state of PA.
~Devlyn Tait
The reason I ask is that as a hobby I have researched and written several different medieval wedding ceremonies for various cultures and time periods. I also write ceremonies for Pagan or other non-tradition weddings. Making each wedding unique and special is something that is a passion of mine. I could probably even teach a class on how various cultures conducted wedding ceremonies and the different meanings each culture attributed to marriage.
I am also kind of testing the waters, because recently I keep receiving more and more requests to not just write the wedding ceremonies, but also to officiate them as well. I am curious if this would be a service that people would have any interest in at the next Pennsic War. It also doesn’t hurt that I am legally allowed to perform weddings in the state of PA.
~Devlyn Tait
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New Hampshire
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, October 21, 2007 - 7:52 AMI don't know the exact number of weddings that took place at Pennsic 36, but I know that there were at least two that I know of for sure. Wether they are public or private depends on the wishes of the betrothed. The two I am aware of were invitation only affairs.
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, October 21, 2007 - 9:02 AMDoes anybody know how many real weddings take place at Pennsic each year? Have they been public or private affairs? Over the years I have often heard tales of real weddings happening, but I have never had the privilege of actually attending one.
Scott Rorie got married at Pennsic seveal years ago. he lives in Raleigh, NC -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, October 21, 2007 - 11:37 AMI know of at least one real wedding that happened at this past Pennsic. I was not able to attend, either the wedding or Pennsic, but I do know it happened due to the fact it was two friend that were married.
As far as other weddings, I have heard of it, and I know there is a procedure I read somewhere on the subject (involved the officiator of the wedding getting into the grounds [had to pay like everyone else], deliveries, food, etc) so it does happen. The only one I know of as solid fact is the one I mentioned above.
Rhys -
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Unsu...
Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, October 21, 2007 - 3:08 PMA couple of friends of mine were married at Pennsic 35. Since several guests were invited, that weren't attending Pennsic, the actual ceramony was held under a tent at the church where the Blood Drive normally is.
;-)
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Unsu...
Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, October 21, 2007 - 3:09 PMi was very honored to be in attendance at a hand fasting ceremony during Pennsic 36. It was a private gathering, with a total of only 10 present. It took place at midnight around the fire of a neighboring camp.
While out "touring" with friends one day we passed by another ceremony. This one had a larger gathering and was near a road, under a tree. So, that's two i know of this past Pennsic. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, October 21, 2007 - 9:57 PMI love hand fasting cerimonies. Especially the historical use of a trial marrage with conditions attached. I have performed a number of hand fastings as religous cerimonies (instead of legal ones). However, since modern legal marrages center more around a signed document then what ritual was used hand fasting cerimonies could easily be used place of a traditional wedding. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 9:21 AMI know of two hand fasting ceremonies that happened last year, one was a new couple that wanted to make their relationship more official , the other was a couple who are all ready married but wanted to renew their wedding vows .
At a point where I was hopelessly nuts about a now ex-girlfriend of mine, we had been looking at getting married at Pennsic. Under Pennsylvania law , a hand fasting would have been legally binding where as here in Ontario Canada the ceremony would have not been recognized by the law as an official wedding ceremony. This rule may have changed in the last few years. I think it is an incredibly cool idea to have a hand fasting , have you looked at the price of weddings in this day and age. Why pay for a banquet hall , when you get a battle field for free hehe ? -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 9:54 AM"I think it is an incredibly cool idea to have a hand fasting , have you looked at the price of weddings in this day and age. Why pay for a banquet hall , when you get a battle field for free hehe ?"
Banquet Hall? Have you checked on the prices to have a Viking ship carry you to a wedding site on the Potomac and the price to rent a White Horse for the Bride to ride in on? Planning a fun and unique wedding is expensive. And then there is the cost of site rental, catering and the general hassel of lagistics. I might have to settle for the banquet hall....
But I figure it will only happen once in my life so I want to make it memorable. -
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Unsu...
Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 10:04 AMBjarn said << Why pay for a banquet hall , when you get a battle field for free hehe ? >>
Instead of a battle field, what about an encampment with good friends and lots of mead? That comes without a lot of expense as well. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 11:30 AMA Pennsic wedding has all the hidden expenses.
Friends and family that are not SCA and do not attend Pennsic have to have their admission paid. Lack of facilities for guest who are not use to using portos. A lagistics nightmare for catering.
Great for a fun ceremony for the SCA friends but I don't see it as a place for a wedding that includes family and mundane friends. I see a Pennsic wedding as more of a show for the sake of a show rather than the show of love and commitment that it should be. But, I am also not hardcore SCA and most of my friends are not SCA. So, I guess I may have trouble seeing it from the other perspective. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 11:43 AMMy sweetie and I are considering a handfasting at the next Pennsic in preparation for the wedding that will be early the following year. It's a way of including the friends we will only see 2 weeks out of the year since we know they won't be able to make it to the wedding -- we are a full 12 hour drive away and they're only about 5 hours away from Pennsic ...
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 12:38 PMIf you are talking about the quaker wedding license, the do-it-yourself ceremony - they don't give these out anymore in Allegheny County (which is one of the few counties that had this), unless one can prove that one actually is a member of a quaker community. Changed a bit more than three years ago. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, October 23, 2007 - 9:45 PMNope. I'm not referring to any Quaker ceremonies. In the United States the most important part of the wedding as far as the county or government is concerned is that the legal document is signed by myself (the officiant/minister) and the responsible parties (bride and groom). Due to the separation of church and state, counties aren’t actually allowed to dictate what kind of ceremony constitutes an actual wedding, and in 99% of places in the US they can’t even require that a public ceremony happens.
As the officiant my legally obligations are to determine a number of factors about the bride and groom before endorsing their marriage contract. Such as, if the bride and groom entering into this marriage of their own choice and free from undue pressure. Have they been married before? If they have been married, have they been legally divorced? Do they have any other factors that should prevent their marriage such as being underage, afflicted with mental illness, or of blood relation. Also it must be proven to me the officiant through the use of State or federal issued photo ID that the persons agreeing to the marriage contract are the people actually getting married. However, having performed marriages in several states in the north east (so far New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Delaware, and Pennsylvania) no county I have worked in has specified or even asked what type of wedding ceremony I was performing.
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Fri, January 25, 2008 - 10:00 PMAchbar, I'll reply to you, cause I know you!
Yes, if you have the right paper work, PA law just requires the marrying couple to go to the local courthouse, Butler County, to obtain a license.
The officiant, signs the paperwork. The couple files. Done deal.
Can I make this a little more simple? Not really. My husband, Dustyn has done several of our own Clan. It's all legal and shite!
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 12:28 PMWe had our second handfasting this past Pennsic at Casa Bardicci, the first being two years before. Because the Casa features a "chapel" in the style of a period palazzo, it has also hosted other events that celebrate passages in people's lives, including naming ceremonies, baptisms, and several vigils. It is my understanding that there are some prohibitions on actual religious rituals at Pennsic, so we have been careful not to represent ourselves as a "real" chapel in any formal manner, nor are we oriented toward any one kind of sprituality. As a community, we've discussed hosting other weddings (in exchange for help assembling the place, or some such) at future Pennsics. My guess would be that, like most 'real' weddings it would be essentially private, but I'm sure that some folks would be happy to have some visitors attend their special event. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 1:27 PMPennsylvania used to have common law marriage which acepted any type of cerimony as valud irrespective of who or whom officiated. Abolished last year - no such thing any more. Now you need a marriage license and a person who has the ability to sign the same legally or your marriage is poop. Im not sure whether Coopers is in Butler or Lancaster County but a ceriage license would come from the Courthouse and get signed by whoever does the cerimony.
Ive ben to a bunch of pennsic weddings over the years - maybe 6 or 7.
Where would you honey moon - to the city or beach? I know - skiing. Ahhh to leave Pennsic and go skiing in August. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 7:18 PMHave you checked on the prices to have a Viking ship carry you to a wedding site on the Potomac and the price to rent a White Horse for the Bride to ride in on?
Haha, that is trivial when you are best friends with a group of vikings , and of course after a few drinks they could propably be talked into stealing you a horse , and if it was the wrong colour they'd likely paint it too .
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Unsu...
Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, October 23, 2007 - 6:07 AMCoopers Lake is in Butler County. Lancaster is on the other side of the state. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, October 23, 2007 - 7:09 AMWhoops ... New Castle is in Lawrence Co.
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, October 23, 2007 - 7:24 AMBearing in mind that I am not a lawyer, and that this does not constitute legal advice, I'm not a US citizen or resident, and that I did not even stay at a holiday inn last night. ;)
In a modern marriage ceremony there are normally two marriages which take place. A secular (non-religious) legal contract establishing a state recognized partnership, with an optional religious ceremony.
It is my understanding that Pennsylvania has a provision (Title 23, chapter 15, section 1502) which allows for a couple to self unite for their secular marriage.
This provision was originally created so that the Religious Society of Friends, the Baha'i, and others whose religion doesn't have marriage officiants could enter into a marriage contract.
There was a recent decision (see www.post-gazette.com/pg/0727...4-85.stm ) which confirmed that the county clerks office can not require a litmus test to determine who quailifies for a self uniting marriage license.
Hope this helps! -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, October 23, 2007 - 7:37 AMIn Virgina there is a permit, I can't remember the name off the top of my head, that can be applied for the purpose of performing a single marriage ceremony. The person issued this permit has the authority to sign the wedding documents that make it legally binding. I thought PA had a similar law.
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Mon, October 22, 2007 - 9:53 PMmy camp had a full fledged binding wedding this year. It was for the heads of the camp. You can see photos of it in Darter's Pennsic 36 photos. Complete with a multi course feast, relatives dressed in rented or bought garb, and adorable rabbi girl, and a huge whonking drum party after. -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, October 23, 2007 - 12:29 PMand HOLY CRAP was it awsome!!!! -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sat, November 3, 2007 - 8:30 PMYes, yes it was - the drums could be heard for miles and were greatly enjoyed! -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sat, November 3, 2007 - 8:43 PMI know our household has 3 of us who are legally able to officiate wedding ceremonies, so we were thinking of registering in PA. We have thought about doing a "Vegas night" complete with a wedding chapel.......it's just too bad Elvis never did a "medieval" movie ; ) -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Sun, November 4, 2007 - 4:04 AMWell, it is Pennsic with a fairly considerable Middle Eastern community, so maybe Elvis' Harum Scarum will be suitable inspiration. And, there is a hilariously kitchy and over-the-top scene in Rostabout, as well: www.youtube.com/watch ;-) -
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Thu, January 24, 2008 - 8:05 PMHere's a clip from Harem Scarum and he's wearing period type clothing. Maybe this could help with your idea of a "medieval Elvis" Vasilii. =)
www.youtube.com/watch
We actually borrowed some ideas outta this song once and performed it in a parade. It was brilliant!! ♠
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Re: Real Weddings at Pennsic?
Tue, January 22, 2008 - 1:55 AMIf anyone wants wedding photos taken at Pennsic, feel free to contact me. As of Pennsic 37 I will be allowed to be a VENDOR!
You can see weddings I have done here: www.pbase.com/darter02/weddings
