Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: wedding

The wedding ceremony is over and all the guests gather outside Govan & Linthouse Parish Church.

The very last guests hurry to the wedding

Around 1437 a member of the Raczków family received a wilderness area along the river Biała from Michael Žygimantaitis, pretender to the throne of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the last male descendant of Sigismund Kęstutaitis. From 1665 it belonged to the Branicki family, who developed it into a residential town. At the instigation of Stefan Branicki, Białystok received its town charter in 1692. In the first half of the 18th century, Jan Klemens Branicki transformed the palace built by his father into a magnificent residence, which was frequently visited by Polish kings. In 1748, one of the oldest theaters in Poland, the "Komedialnia", was founded here. In 1770, under the auspices of Jan Klemens Branicki´s wife Izabella Poniatowska, a midwifery school was founded, based on which the Institute of Obstetrics was established in 1805. Białystok came under Prussian rule in 1796 and in 1807 after the Peace of Tilsit fell to Russia. This circumstance and the establishment of a customs border between Congress Poland and Russia in 1831 ensured a boom for the city, as companies from Poland moved their headquarters to the now Russian Białystok to continue producing for the Russian army. The opening of the Warsaw-Petersburg railway, which ran through Białystok, turned the city into an industrial center. In 1900, 63% of the inhabitants were Jews, so the city also developed as a significant Jewish center. During WWI a German air raid took place in April 1915, which resulted in 13 dead. Heavy damage was caused by Russian troops when they retreated from the advancing Germans in August 1915. Białystok remained under German control until February 1919. At the beginning of WWII, the city was taken by German troops but, according to the secret agreement in the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, it was handed over to the troops of the Soviet Union. In the course of the German attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, Białystok was again occupied by the Wehrmacht. In June 1941, the German police burned down the Great Synagogue of Białystok, into which they had previously herded hundreds of Jews. The new rulers established the Białystok ghetto here. Most of the approximately 43-60 thousand Jewish inhabitants at that time were taken to the extermination camps Treblinka and Auschwitz and murdered there. . The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is 90 meters long and can accommodate 9,500 worshippers. The two towers reach a height of 72.5 meters. It is the main church of the Archdiocese of Bialystok and was given the status of a basilica (basílica) in 1985. The predecessor of the present cathedral was a Renaissance church built between 1617 and 1626. In the late 19th century, the number of parishioners had grown to 12,000 people, while the old church only had room for 1,000 worshippers. In Tsarist Russia, Catholics were not allowed to build a new church. However, permission was granted to extend the old parish church. In 1900, construction began on a neo-Gothic church next to the old one. The church was consecrated in 1905.

A settlement existed at the confluence of two large rivers, for many centuries, before Kaunas was first mentioned in written sources in 1361. At that time a brick castle was constructed. Only a year later the castle was captured after a siege and destroyed by the Teutonic Order. It was one of the most important victories of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th in Lithuania. The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century. In 1408 Kaunas was granted city rights by Vytautas the Great. Kaunas began to gain prominence since it was at an intersection of trade routes and a river port. In 1441 Kaunas joined the Hanseatic League. By the 16th century, Kaunas had a public school and a hospital and was one of the best-formed towns in Lithuania. In 1665, the Russian army attacked the city, and in 1701 the city was occupied by the Swedish Army. Fires destroyed parts of the city in 1731 and 1732. After the final partition of the Polish–Lithuanian state in 1795, the city was taken over by the Russian Empire. During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon´s armee passed through twice, devastating the city both times. When In 1862, a railway connecting the Russian Empire and Imperial Germany was built, Kaunas was a significant railway hub. As WWII began, about 30,000 Jews were living in Kaunas, comprising about 25% of the city's population. Only very few survived the war. - The erection of the first Gothic-style church dedicated to apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul may have started around 1410. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1413. The construction works were concluded only in 1624. The church greatly suffered from the Russo-Polish War (1654 - 1667) and was rebuilt in 1671, gaining some Renaissance features. Only one of the towers was rebuilt after the fire of the roof in 1732. As a part of the renovation, the internal decorations were funded by the King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1771. The present-day shape of the building results from a further renovation in 1800. The church was promoted to cathedral status in 1895. A great day for the wedding couple.

I stumbled upon a very strange custom when I was in Palermo in June. It looks like there is only one weekend (per year?) to get married. Here are three gorgeous couples, but I saw about a dozen that saturday. Congratulations on all weddings in Palermo!

A Roman settlement, named "Aeminium" existed here. When the neighbouring town "Conimbriga" got conquered and destroyed by the Suebes in 468, the survivors moved to "Aeminium" - and renamed it. The Visigoths under King Wittiza named the town "Eminio" later. In 714 the town was conquered by Muslim troops, who changed the name again. Coimbra was finally recaptured in 1064 by King Fernando de Castilla y León. Coimbra became the second capital of the Kingdom of Portugal (after Guimarãesin) 1139, a status that moved to Lisbon in 1256. The University of Coimbra, founded by Denis of Portugal (aka "Dom Dinis") in 1290, is one of the oldest in Europe. The modern buildings of the university (25.000 students today!) are obviously a good spot for wedding photos.

A settlement developed around a Roman miltary camp, built up 16BC and named "Novaesium". Where the church is now was a Roman graveyard in the early times. When the Normans raided Neuss in 866 a convent existed already in Neuss. A church is mentioned here in 1043, legends tell, that Abbess Gepa, the sister of Pope Leo IX, brought the relics of Saint Quirinus (now "Saint Quirinus of Neuss") a 2nd century-martyr, from Rome to Neuss, what brought pilgrims to the growing town. The monastery, now under the patronage of Saint Quirinus, was a house of noble canonesses mid 12th century. The construction of today´s church started in 1209 in late Romanesque style. There was clear influence from nearby Cologne, as just like the older St. Maria im Kapitol ("St. Mary in the Capitol") this church has a trefoil choir ("triconchos"). The church was completed already in 1230 - and then the tower grew up to nearly 100 metres. In 1741, the church was badly damaged by lightning and The gothic helmets of the west and east towers over the crossing. Instead, the building got a Baroque dome with the statue of Quirinus and a flat pyramid roof on the main tower. After the French Revolution the church goot looted and then served as a storage room. The monastery buildings were demolished at that time. In 1944 the church got damaged by a bomb attack. Meanwhile the building is in good condition. May and June are great months to marry. Here is another wedding!

Norbert von Xanten founded the Premonstratensian order In Premontre (near Laon) in 1120 - and already 10 years later (1130), after a donation, the first Premonstratensian monks could settle here. The basilica was built between 1138 and 1181. After the Battle of Worringen (1288), that took place only about 10kms east, and later again when troops of the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold aka "Charles the Reckless) in 1474 sieged the town of Neuss, the monastery got severly damaged. The eastern apse had to be rebuilt (in Gothic style). The Baroque gatehouse is from 1723. When Napoleon occupied the left bank of the Rhine, the last monks fled and the monastery got looted by the villagers. The complex got secularized and sold. It was ruined, when in 1895 the Spiritans ("Congregation of the Holy Spirit") acquired it. They renovated it and founded a seminary. It was seized by the Nazis in WWII, but after the war Spiritans could return. Of course Kloster Knechtsteden, with it´s wonderful Romanesque abbey church, is very popular for weddings. As you see, I "blurred" the photo. Just in case, the newlyweds would like a "proper" one, just drop me a line.

San Miniato al Monte is standing atop one of the highest points in the city of Florence. So the terrace below is the most loved spot for taking wedding photos. Unfortunately for the happy couple the weather was not that brilliant.

The former church of a priory, built 1150/1170, got remodelled quite often over the centuries. This was done not only by architects, but as well by clerics. The church was dedicated to St. Genesius first, then to St. Limin, followed by Saint-Martin. In the 19th century the dedication changed to Saint-Bonnet and some decades ago to Saint-Bénilde, a saint born in Thuret in 1805 under the name Pierre Romançon. There are interesting carvings here. Ever since the art history discovered them as specific works of art, they have been a subject in the literature. B. Craplet ("Auvergne roman", 1992) describes the carvings just as "unskilled". He in general disagrees with Z. Swiechowski ("Sculpture Romane D'auvergne", 1973), who sees this as the work of "naive folk art". A. Gybal ("L´Auvergne, berceau de l´artroman", 1958) describes a specific "Thuret-style" being a totally simplified work of art. Only to be found here. For him, the simplification is the result of the artists inspiration. He makes totally clear, that this is not "folk art" ("l`art populaire"), but the result of artistic work of very skilled monks ("moines tres cultives"). This is the most cryptic capital in Thuret. A woman and a man in very luxurious garments are holding hands in front of a pillar. This is a wedding attire, as it is widely agreed, that this depicts a wedding scene. The pillar often is a symbol for palace, our at least a prestigious house built from stones. So seen here is the wedding of a very high ranking, wealthy couple. And on the left side - a round face with an open mouth. Snakes creep out of the mouth -. and one of them even bites into the lady´s derrière. Further left a man with a pole. He may be a warrier holding a lance. Craplet describes this as a wedding scene, where a "devil´s head is spitting snakes", as a symbol of lust. If this is right, then it can be understood as a warning. Then this proves, that even in the highest ranks, the devil can infect a woman with sinful lust. Two more snake can be seen in the church. One is just being eaten by a stork, the other one is communicating with Eve. About an apple.

Since 2006 Argenton-Château and two other villages form the new commune Argenton-les-Vallées. The rocky outcrop, overlooking the valley, was a strongly fortified place in medieval times. The chateau was home of a powerful family. In 1069 the Lord of Argenton Geoffroy de Blois hands over the church of Saint-Gilles to the Benedictine monks of the Bourgueil Abbey, who since then had a priory here. This was a kind of family business, as the abbey was founded 990 by Emma de Blois, Duchess of Aquitaine. The church mentioned was a predecessor of the church seen here. From 1100 on the priory belonged to the abbey of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes. A new church was erected in the 12 century, replacing the older one. The facade, seen here, dates back to that church, while the most parts of the church result from a reconstruction of the 15th century. The first wedding guests have arrived in front of the portal. There is a special dress code for weddings in France. The ladies adorn themselves with extraordinary (often very large and colourful) hats, while the gentlemen like to wear dress uniforms.

..a parade of phantastic hats...