marriage

confarreatio

patrician, most traditional marriage ritual (10 witnesses)

camillus

boy who carries utensils in a confarreatio (both parents must be alive)

cumera

small covered basket of utensils carried by a camillus in the confarreatio

farreum libum

cake offered to jupiter during confarreatio

pronuba

matron who brought the bride and groom together during confarreatio

coemptio

plebeian marriage ritual, fictitious sale of bride for 1 coin (5 witnesses)

usus

lower class, common-law marriage

contubernium

slave marriage

tunica recta/regilla

wedding dress

nodus herculeanus

knot of hercules, fastens wedding dress

bulla

bride’s donation to her father’s lares the night before her wedding

flammeum

bright orange bridal veil

vittae

ribbons holding six locks of braided hair divided by a spear

quando tu gaius, ego gaia

where you are gaius, i am gaia

may and first half of june

unfavorable for marriages

sponsalia

lawful promise of future marriage

8/24, 10/5, 11/8

underworld is open, so unfavorable

kalends, nones, ides, and the days following each

unlucky for marriages

patrimus et matrimus

condition that parents of the camillus must be alive

tellus, picumnus, and pilumnus

country and fruit deities honored during confarreatio

feliciter

congratulations offered by guests to the newlyweds

libri pens

scaleholder where the coin of a coemptio was placed

matronalia

roman mother’s day, march 1st

hymenaeus

wedding hymn

mustaceum

wedding cake made of meal steeped in must and served on bay leaves

cena nuptialis

wedding feast

repotia

second wedding feast after the wedding

lectus genialis

marriage bed

deductio

procession of wedding party to forum

trinoctium

three night absence of wife from husband to remain a member of her father’s family

dextrarum iunctio

joining of right hands during marriage cermeony