19th Century Wedding Customs in the American West
- A common wedding custom in the the 19th century American West had the bride and groom arrive at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage, buggy or surrey. The couple could also leave the wedding together in a carriage. These vehicles would ideally be decorated for the occasion. The couple could arrive and depart on horseback as well.
- The veil and lasso ceremony is a traditional Mexican wedding practice. The American West had several Mexican communities, particularly before the United States government annexed the region. In the lasso ceremony, the couple exchanged vows. Then a lasso, which would actually be a ribbon or a rosary, was placed in a figure-eight shape over the kneeling couple's shoulders. The figure-eight symbolizes infinity. Then a veil would be draped over the groom's shoulders and the bride's head or shoulders while the priest prayed over the couple. The shared veil and lasso symbolized the couple's union.
- Weddings in the American West were gatherings for large numbers of people. The newly wedded couple would customarily host an open-pit barbecue reception near the marriage site to feed all the guests, using mesquite or hickory wood as kindling. Typical western foods prepared or served at the reception included steak, chicken, corn on the cob, beans, coleslaw and potato salad.
- Shivarees, also called chiavaris, took place throughout rural America, including the western states. A shivaree would take place after sundown the day of a wedding. People would gather at the newlyweds' home and make a lot of noise. The crowd would bang pots and pans, ring bells, yell and create a ruckus until the couple came outside. The couple would then invite the crowd inside for a party. While inside, people would create mischief that the couple would only find out about later -- removing labels from canned goods, knotting clothes together and filling the bedsheets with hay or confetti. The musical "Oklahoma!" has a shivaree scene.
