Since ancient times, a wedding is a symbol of union and happiness. The wedding day is one of the most special days for a couple, or at least it’s supposed to be that way.
It is the key moment to strengthen the relationship and show the whole world all the love involves. As in any event, weddings have several rituals, among them the famous phrase “Let him speak now or forever hold his peace”. The phrase is used to allow anyone to object to why a couple’s marriage cannot be legally celebrated.
Surprising as it may seem, this phrase came into use during the 16th century. It comes from the original version of the Christian Book of Common Prayer.
However, although the phrase itself came into use in the 16th century, the idea was born much earlier. In the 12th century, a decree was imposed to define what marriage really was and the rules for it to take place. This was also done to prevent people from committing sexual sins before the wedding and to eliminate clandestine marriages.
From that moment on, about three weeks before the wedding, the members of the community were asked to give, if they wished, good reasons why the marriage should not take place. This prevented the statements from being made during the celebration and reduced the chances that the marriage could be annulled.
But, What Happens If You Object During A Wedding?
If someone objects during the ceremony, the way to go is to pause the ceremony and speak with the objector privately to confirm the reason, which must be legal.
Among the reasons, we have that the bride or groom is legally married to someone else, without being of legal age, married, or if there is evidence that either party is unlawfully detained against their will and forced into marriage.
Objections beyond that would generally be ignored, and the ceremony would proceed normally.
