It was December of 1967, movie-goers were treated to a young Dustin Hoffman driving until he ran out of gas, sprinting miles and arriving just in time to let the women he loved know that she was marrying the wrong man. Much to her families chagrin, Elaine (played by Katherine Moss) runs away from the alter and escapes with her rebel love. The film touched on themes of defying tradition and the expectations that are placed on us (by both society and family), but also addressed that simply defying those traditions isn’t a one-stop route to happiness. It’s a wonderful film –it also inspired an entire generation of writers who were looking to create good drama to utilize an easy plot device: the wedding crash rescue.
Which….in turn inspired no shortage of exes and stalkers to think that crashing a wedding and professing your love is romantic…or really, even effective –which it isn’t. Well, it’s great in fiction, but yeah, really creepy in real life.
Okay, okay, fair is fair. Barely anyone has ever witnessed this or even heard of it actually happening to someone. It’s a trope that exists almost exclusively within the pages of our books, the lights of our screens and the depths of our imaginations. But still, if the officiant says those now-famous lines, “if anyone can show just cause why this couple cannot lawfully be joined together in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace…,” you’ll usually notice at least one person looking around, maybe even holding their breath in anticipation. ”Is it really going to happen?” they think to themselves. “Oh, that would be terrible….and entertaining.”
So where does that trope even come from? Does it even have any actual relevance anymore? Well, the tradition varies culture-to-culture and faith-to-faith, but the lynchpin reason is that weddings really weren’t vetted for legality throughout most of history.
“Should anyone object” was a last-time check that no one had evidence that could nullify the marriage before it became official. And Yes, even in olden times, someone couldn’t object to a marriage just because they were in love with the bride or groom. No, you needed an actual legal objection.
Some of these objections were pretty reasonable: “Father, I object. I have proof that the groom is married to another woman from a nearby village!” and the Priest would be legally responsible for halting the ceremony to investigate the claims. As for other objections…well, let’s say it’s a wonderful thing they’ve been culturally phased out or aren’t legal anymore: an older brother objecting because he has a greater claim to the lands and dowry of the bride, or a slave-owner stopping a wedding because they didn’t agree to let their property get married.
The majority of ceremonies won’t even include the lines for objection anymore –in no small part to how far we’ve come in equality, and those objections now being considered at best, absurd, and having no bottom floor to describe their worst. No. thankfully, the vetting process to determine if a marriage is legal all happens during the registration period now. Marriage licenses now prove the legality of the ceremony –leaving little room for objection.
That may be the reality of it, but the fiction will live on. It’ll always make for great drama. Just don’t expect people to think it’s charming (or legal, even) to yelling the bride or groom’s name hysterically during the ceremony. You’re more likely to leave in a squad car, than abscond with your one-true love. Or leave with your one-true love in a squad car. Perhaps with a daring car chase, too? Maybe a final, epic duel with the groom that was left at the altar on top of a skyscraper during a thunderstorm?…
Okay, it really only works in fiction. But hey, what fantastic drama, right?
