A thought on the mind of this elf, the work that goes into an elven wedding.

Elven marriage is never rushed, its a long drawn out procedure that starts a year before the wedding. Elves exchange silver bands to one another at the beginning of the first year, and proceed to live with one another for one full year. If the wedding is to be canceled the bands are melted publicly so that they may never be used again, for the bands are sacred.

At the end of the year if the wedding is to proceed, a dinner takes place with much feasting and good cheer. The soon to be husband and wife move to a private place during the banquet and kneel with one another with the mother of the bride and the father of the bride groom. The wedding is blessed by the parents and the silver rings are returned to each other and are kept forever by them, again the ring is sacred, and replaced by a simple gold band.

At this time a gift of a silver chain and medallion are given by the bride-grooms father to the bride, and the same from the mother of the bride to the groom. Then the married couple leave the party to consummate the marriage, and do the actual action of getting married.

If a wedding is to be rushed, such as times of war, the elves merely do the consummating, for an elf does not have sex except when they are married, for that is how they marry. It is then expected that the ceremony will still take place at the earliest chance, to not have the ceremony is considered rude and an insult to the parents, family, and friends of the couple.

((In reference by JRR Tolken of an elven wedding.))