small weddings
Posted by Laura W on July 12, 1998 at 22:09:20:
In response to More wedding stuff...., written by Roger V on July 12, 1998 at 20:53:59
] I know that this is heresy to those of you who liked the wedding secene in P&P2 so much (and also, as someone else has mentioned, Elizabeth drives off in her wedding dress with no cape, coat, or cloak in December), but the book only tells us that Mrs. Bennet's two most deserving daughters got married on the same day.
] I had always thought that this wedding would most likely have been a rather small affair... travel in December would have been difficult for anyone from out of town, and the Bennets were not wealthy enough to throw a really large celebration.
FWIW, I agree with you. I rather doubt most of those out-of-town guests would have been there, although it's possible that the Collinses would still have been refugees in Lucas Lodge, depending upon how quickly the wedding was put together. Is there any textual support that the wedding was in December? (Another problem with the staging of that scene was-- where were they going? Netherfield? Pemberley? Not only were they not dressed for travelling, it would have been more appropriate to have one wedding breakfast together at the Bennets', and they all could have walked there. The breakfast guests would probably have included only those immediate family members who happened to be there.)
Also, I think it was rather common in villages to have the entire town show up for the wedding. Since it was a double wedding, and the Bennets were so prominent, I think it's as likely the wedding would have been celebrated at the church with most of the town present as it is that it would have been a very small affair. Charlotte's marriage was smaller I think probably because Mr Collins was a clergyman-- they did not even hold a wedding breakfast, but left for Kent from the church door.
But it's hard to say with any conviction how it really "should" have been done-- these are only my impressions from reading Austen and her contemporaries, Heyer, and of course what little bits I have gleaned from my research into the period. I've never come across a source that deals with this satisfactorily.
- Miss Bingley's "look" at the wedding Roger V 00:04:30 7/13/98
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- Vinegar Cocktail Gayle 19:27:53 7/13/98
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- Lydia in bed Courtney Lynne 21:28:13 7/13/98
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- Speaking of this scene... Silke 03:18:37 7/14/98
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- It had crossed my mind, too ;-) Caroline 18:12:11 7/14/98
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- Lydia and Wickham's lack of children Roger V 00:17:35 7/18/98
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- I got the same impression... Gayle 13:27:19 7/19/98
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- I got the same impression... Gayle 13:27:19 7/19/98
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- Lydia and Wickham's lack of children Roger V 00:17:35 7/18/98
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- It had crossed my mind, too ;-) Caroline 18:12:11 7/14/98
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- Speaking of this scene... Silke 03:18:37 7/14/98
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- Lydia in bed Courtney Lynne 21:28:13 7/13/98
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- Cheers Caroline 09:18:26 7/13/98
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- actresses Laura W 12:13:15 7/13/98
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- You can see them in.... Gayle 19:36:39 7/13/98
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- You can see them in.... Gayle 19:36:39 7/13/98
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- actresses Laura W 12:13:15 7/13/98
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- Vinegar Cocktail Gayle 19:27:53 7/13/98
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