Womanless wedding
A womanless wedding is a traditional community ritual performance, popular in the United States in the early 19th century.[1] In this comic ritual, males would act out all roles of a traditional wedding party – including those of bridesmaids, flower girls, and the mother of the bride – while dressed in gowns and dresses.[2] The event often raised money for charities, civic organizations, and churches.[1]
History
Womanless weddings began in the American South, but spread throughout the United States.[1] Southern towns were already staging burlesque shows, and womanless weddings gave another opportunity to raise funds in the form of an admission fee.[3] Womanless weddings traditionally raised funds for causes and organizations, such as a North Carolina womanless wedding which was attended by more than 1000 people to raise funds for the Parent Teacher Association.[4]
