In this definitive history of a unique tradition, Tyler D. Parry untangles the convoluted history of the "broomstick wedding." Popularly associated with African American culture, Parry traces the ritual's origins to marginalized groups in the British Isles and explores how it influenced the marriage traditions of different communities on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. His surprising findings shed new light on the complexities of cultural exchange...

"This is the first book-length examination of Roman wedding ritual"--Provided by publisher. "The wedding ritual of the ancient Romans provides a crucial key to understanding their remarkable civilization. The intriguing ceremony represented the starting point of a Roman family as well as a Roman girl's transition to womanhood. This is the first book-length examination of Roman wedding ritual. Drawing on literary, legal, historical, antiquarian, and...

"Tibet is known for its broad range of marriage practices, particularly polyandry, where two or more brothers share one wife. With economic development and massive Chinese social and political reforms, including new marriage laws prohibiting plural marriages, polyandry was expected to disappear from Tibetan social lives. This book describes the surprising increase in polyandry in Panam valley during the 1980s. It explores married lives in polyandrous...

"Fancy Nancy can't wait to attend her uncle's wedding. She envisions the most exquisite celebration to take place--after all, she's never been to a wedding before. But when Nancy learns that her uncle and his fiancée, Dawn, are taking a more nontraditional route, she's afraid it won't be the fancy wedding she had hoped for. Fans of Fancy Nancy will delight in this story of how Nancy learns that sometimes a simple celebration can turn out to be more...

When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, hundreds of millions of viewers watched the Alexander McQueen-clad bride and uniformed groom exchange vows before the Archbishop of Canterbury in Westminster Abbey. The wedding followed a familiar formula: ritual, vows, reception, and a white gown for the bride. Commonly known as a white wedding, the formula is firmly ensconced in popular culture, with movies like Father of the Bride or Bride Wars,...