I think Sarah brought up an interesting point about relating the marriage ceremony to the public/private discussion we were having in class. While reading I also noticed the line, “I require and charge you (as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgement, when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed) that if either of you do know any impediment why ye may not be lawfully joined together in matrimony, that ye confess it.” Although not said word for word, this is something that is still said in weddings today. It shows that marriage is not a private event, and that the joining of two people includes the opinions of their communities or families. I think this also reminds me of why people choose to have a ceremony and invite guests in the first place. Many book religions state the importance of having “legal witnesses” in weddings to legitimize the union of two people, and whether or not it is religious, ceremonies are a huge part of wedding culture today, thus making it more public than private.