Church wedding photography in Derbyshire

Long ago in medieval times, marriage was much more informal. Young couples could make a promise to the other in front of a witness at any location or time, and this was realised as a binding contract. In fact, it was considered enough to call God as a witness; His power was considered to be enough to override His lack of physical presence! This however led to many a Knight making a proclamation of marriage to a girl, having his wicked way then vanishing, leaving her to endure the consequences.

As many marriages were organized to bring money or power into the family, or to keep up status and position in the local community, arranged marriage ceremonies between members of the family were widespread. In the 11th century the Council of Westminster decreed that no man could organize the marriage of any female in his family group without having church approval, and over time the church began to have an influence, restricting inter family relationships and carrying the ceremony into the Church itself.

To start with, weddings typically took place in the church porch, which is why this space is often so large in many churches. By the 15th century, Trent Council decreed that any wedding that took place with out a priest was nullified, and the Church was now established as the only place to get married. The ordinary form of the marriage vows, “To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part” were being incorporated into the Book of Common Prayer in 1552 and have played a core part in church weddings since.

The architecture of many of our churches makes for quite charming settings, and the grounds of the church have turn into the traditional area for many of the professional photographs to be taken. Both the signing of the register and the happy family group outside the church door are crucial pictures for both the professional photographer and the happy family snappers!

If you found this short read interesting, you may want to take a look at a blog, wedding photography covering Derby.