The post asking about permission to speak freely in the military (sorry, I’d link to it but it seems damn impossible on my iphone) reminded me I’ve wondered about the old tv and movie trope where the minister performing the ceremony says “if anybody has any objection to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace”. To which, of course, somebody objects. But I’ve been to dozens of weddings of many types and religious denominations, and I’ve never heard this said. Was it ever a thing or has it always strictly been fictional?
I have heard it said at weddings, but it has been a long time.
I heard this at a wedding once. The minister’s face and eyes said something different, like “Don’t you dare!”. I think he was looking at someone in particular (not me).
While I’ve never heard anyone utilize the “speak now” part, I do know many that didn’t honor the “…or forever hold your peace” part.
Presumably, anyone that might possibly object to the wedding would not be given an invitation.
There’s some Jerry Springer style Youtubes of it happening.
So what if someone did? Would the wedding have to stop? Marriage license becomes invalid until resolved?
It’s part of the traditional marriage ritual. It’s not that the officiant is thinking anyone will actually do it, and “I object, because I’m in love with her!” is not what the question is asking. It’s if either party is already married, or if there is some other LEGAL barrier to the marriage. The point is that all participants in the ceremony are witnesses to the marriage, and so they have an obligation as citizens/christians to prevent illicit marriages. Marriage doesn’t just bind the couple, it binds the community to treat the couple as married.
I’m pretty sure the phrase is a vestige of the old practice of posting the banns of marriage.
It always used to be said at Church of England weddings until around the 60s/70s when the marriage rite began to be tailored to individual taste. For example, that’s when to love, honour and obey lost the obey bit. The priest asking if anyone objected was of course a guard against bigamy in part, which is also why the banns were read in neighbouring parishes for weeks before, announcing the forthcoming marriage.
It was said at an SCA wedding I attended a few years back, and as it was said the Ladies in Waiting turned to the crowd, put their hands on their daggers and glared, and the Groomsmen turned to the crowd, put their hands on their swords and glowered…and the wedding proceeded.
An objection of the form “I don’t think it’s a good idea” wouldn’t stop anything. Only objections that the marriage would be legally invalid.
If it’s just “But she doesn’t love him!”, the priest would ask for someone to escort the objector outside and continue the ceremony.
Of course most modern weddings don’t include this ritual phrase.
One of the best shens I know depends on it.
When the minister speaks the words, you have a dramatic personage (think Ebenezer Scrooge or Cruella de Ville) slowly stand and approach the party. Closely examine the bride. Closely examine the groom. Turn, and announce… “Sorry. Wrong wedding.” and leave.
My sister was offended that her priest was not planning to say “You may now kiss the bride.” She insisted that he include that phrase. I’m guessing that line is normally only used in the movies.
Yahoo answers and Google tells me…
Pretty specific, as all the previous comment say - it’s about legal impediments to lawful marriage.
Considering the trashy romances of the 1800’s about secret marriages and all that, perhaps it was a reasonable precaution in the good old days. Also, IIRC from other readings, wasn’t there some thing about in early English law if a man had promised to marry a woman then he could not legally marry another - so even secret betrothals could be an impediment?
I hear it all the time. Since I was married in an Episcopal church, it was said at my wedding in 2005.
In “Much Ado About Nothing”, we find something similar: IIRC, “Does any know of just cause…” “Know ye any, Hero?” blah, blah… What was that, 1500s?
It could also extend to the bride having STDs, or being the town trollop, and the groom not knowing of it, or any good reason.
Anything like “The Graduate” would surely get the interloper’s butt kicked.
Around 1980, a female friend of mine was going to get married, and another friend and I were planning to stand up and make some noise when it got to this part. Not an objection, just stand up, clear our throats, and change seats or sit down, or something like that. The girl, knowing what kind of idiots we were, specifically asked the preacher to delete the phrase from the ceremony.
Previous thread on the subject.
I have heard the " . . . why they may not lawfully be joined together . . ." wording in several weddings. Never seen an objection.
Is “shen” a typo, or a word that I’m not familiar with?
Of course, that’s what they tried to do, and were foiled by a handy crucifix.