Hello Peter, Thanks for your reply, but it doesn't really answer the question put by Dennis and by me. The two OPR entries which I posted when I first asked the question, are still on the end of this message. When you read them you will see that in both parishes, there were proclamations _and_ marriages! The best explanation I have been given so far is that the events were often officially recorded some time after the event had occurred, and that a mistake was probably made when the details were finally entered into the register. Lyndall ----- Original Message ----- From: "howiegenealogy" <[email protected]> The two records are indication of the banns being called at the couples churches, not of the actual wedding ceremony. I once thought the same as you until I came across two entries and no wedding. Best regards, Peter Peter E Dawkins (Sec) Howie Genealogy Society ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[email protected]> I have been intrigued by this double wedding business for some time, I originally thought that the first marriage was in the parish of the bride and the second in that of the husband and usually assuming that the latter was the parish wherein the couple were taking up residence. I also presumed that the marriages were most brobably of the type wherein the couple stood up before the congregation, holding hands, and declared the betrothal but then some of these appear to have been the more formal type performed by a minister. Does anyone have a reasonable explanation? Dennis (slowly cooking in the BC Rockies (37C again today) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Subject: Marriage date clarification Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 00:51:51 +1000 From: "Lyndall" <[email protected]> Parish Church of Fordoun 1776 December 7th Charles WILSON in this parish & Christian EDDIE in parish of Bervie were contracted in order to marriage, & after being proclaimed in the Church, they were married the 28th of December thereafter. Parish Church of Bervie 1777 Charles WILSON workman in the Parish of Fordoun and Christian EDDIE in this Parish formerly contracted and lawfully proclaimed were married upon Saturday January the fourth day.