Crown Prince Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands & Máxima Zorreguieta: Feb 2, 2002

[Somebody]

Thank you for this information. I am a 75 year old American and a Baptist and I had never seen the bride and groom walk down the aisle together in any religious ceremony. Since I began life well before we had a TV, I don't see how brides could have been influenced by it. As I had mentioned before, I've been watching a lot of weddings while in lockdown on YouTube, including the weddings of the Queen Mother and Princess Marina back in the 20s and 30s, Grace Kelly to Rainier in the 50s and Felipe and Letitia, along with both sisters. I had never seen a Dutch wedding before Saturday. It was interesting, very, very long but interesting. Also, didn't the King of Sweden walk Victoria down the aisle, as well as the other daughter.

I appreciate the differences from one culture to the other so, again, thanks for the information. I just thought it looked "strange" to see a bride and groom walking DOWN the aisle without the father being involved. And the "giving away" is a very old part of the marriage ceremony. It didn't just happen because of television.

I'm going to search for some more royal weddings that are not British and just enjoy them. And you're right, that Dutch wedding was very long. I was amazed that everyone still looked happy at the end. And they still had photos to be taken!!

No, 'giving away' is not a very old part of all marriage ceremonies; and theoretically it doesn't make sense when a couple already got married... It makes it easier to appreciate and understand the differences if it is acknowledged that what might be an 'old tradition' in one culture is not an 'old tradition' in other cultures.

In this case, it is indeed an old part of the Roman Catholic and Anglican/Episcopalian marriage ceremonies (and others in countries that are heavily influenced by them). In other countries/traditions, it was never part of the marriage ceremony. In those cases (including the Netherlands and Sweden), it was due to the American influence that this 'foreign idea' of walking a bride down the aisle become more common. Which is also, why Victoria was criticized for it in Sweden and they opted for a compromise (her father didn't walk her down all the way); see video (compared to the wedding in the 70's of her parents where they walked down the aisle together: see video

Of course, the same cannot be said for American weddings; American television showed American practice - so that wasn't influenced by television. However, we were discussing the Dutch situation in which this American tradition was recently introduced (partly because it was presented as the 'standard' in American television/movies) in protestant weddings - just like for example, nowadays Halloween is celebrated instead of Sint Maarten

Máxima's father was banned from her wedding because of his involvement in de Videla regime in Argentina. Had they not been able to manage this (they send special envoys to Argentina to convince Máxima's father that it was in her best interest that he 'voluntary' decided not to attend his daughter's wedding), Willem-Alexander would have given up the throne to marry her; and we might have had king Constantijn instead (or maybe the Friso and Mabel story would have played out differently in that case). So, especially in these circumstances it was very beneficial that the Dutch tradition is that bride and groom walk into the church together. So, nobody batted an eye.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is logical that bride and groom arrive together in Church: for Continental law they already are husband and wife. It is only respect for law not to play a comédie and pretend to be future husband waiting for his wife-to-be. They are a married couple.

In Sweden they found an in-between of the country's tradition (bride and groom together) and the Disney tradition (dad gives away his daughter): King Carl XVI Gustaf walked halfway the aisle with his daughter Victoria and then the bridal couple walked together the other half of the aisle.

In my personal view "daddy giving away his daughter" is an insult to the intellect, the self-determination and the individual independence of women. As if women are not perfectly in case to make their very own choices but have "to be given away" or worse: need "permission".

Maybe it is simply too Anglo-Saxon for me to comprehend that idea.

 

[Iain]

It is logical that bride and groom arrive together in Church: for Continental law they already are husband and wife. It is only respect for law not to play a comédie and pretend to be future husband waiting for his wife-to-be. They are a married couple.

In Sweden they found an in-between of the country's tradition (bride and groom together) and the Disney tradition (dad gives away his daughter): King Carl XVI Gustaf walked halfway the aisle with his daughter Victoria and then the bridal couple walked together the other half of the aisle.

In my personal view "daddy giving away his daughter" is an insult to the intellect, the self-determination and the individual independence of women. As if women are not perfectly in case to make their very own choices but have "to be given away" or worse: need "permission".

Maybe it is simply too Anglo-Saxon for me to comprehend that idea.

It's not just Anglo-Saxons who do it, it is also the custom in Celtic countries like Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

 

[Mbruno]

It is against the law to have a religious wedding ceremony if you are not legally married; so, you have to have a civil wedding before you can proceed to the religious ceremony (because of the separation between state and church I assume - so the church cannot take the civil role of marrying people). The religious ceremony is a blessing ceremony (even though vows are exchanged) and has no legal effect. There are several other countries (most Continental & Scandinavian European countries it seems) that also require a civil marriage before a religious ceremony can take place; it seems an Anglo-Saxon tradition to combine the two.

It is not so much "an Anglo-Saxon tradition", but rather just because marriages in the Church of England are legally recognized in the UK without any need for a civil wedding.


That happens in same Catholic countries too. For example, in Spain, although the new constitution of 1978 separated the Church from the State, Catholic marriages are still legally recognized by the State under, I think, the terms of agreements that Spain has signed with the Vatican. Maybe someone more knowledgeable may be able to explain it better.

Thanks tons for the info. Is it only the Dutch who do this because I've been watching a lot of royal wedding ceremonies these past couple of months and I've never seen one like theirs, with the civil on the same day and then a two hour wedding ceremony. It just sounds exhausting. I was tired just watching.

The Belgians do it too. Google the wedding of Philippe and Mathilde (unfortunately I don't think there is any full video available online, but you can find clips of the civil and religious weddings).


Royals don't do it in England, Spain and Denmark (I think) because, as I said, weddings performed by an authorized religious minister are legally recognized in those countries and a civil wedding is not required. I don't know about Sweden.

It is logical that bride and groom arrive together in Church: for Continental law they already are husband and wife. It is only respect for law not to play a comédie and pretend to be future husband waiting for his wife-to-be. They are a married couple.

Mathilde was already married to Philippe, but her father walked her down the aisle.



In fact, a bride being walked down the aisle by her father is not exclusively Anglo-Saxon at all. It happens in Portugal, Spain, all Latin American countries, Greece (?), etc. etc.

 

[JR76]

Royals don't do it in England, Spain and Denmark (I think) because, as I said, weddings performed by an authorized religious minister are legally recognized in those countries and a civil wedding is not required. I don't know about Sweden.

It's the same in Sweden.

 

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